Adelfo Cerame - R2WC: My Pre-Contest Supplement & Diet Regimen. Plus: Dr. Andro @ Quantum Physiques Radio

Image 1: That's what I call a Quantum Physique ;-)

I want to use Adelfo's blogpost today for a brief announcement, which is not exactly related to our common friend and soon to be pro wheelchair bodybuilder. Some of you will probably already have seen the link on the SuppVersity facebook page, the rest of you can just click here if you are not already fed up reading my stuff and believe you can handle another dose of "Dr. Andro" in podcast format ;-) I have been on Brian Cunningham's Quantum Physiques Radio show and despite the fact that this is no typo (the name of the show is Quantum Physiques), we have actually covered everything from Adam and Eve (=Paleo) to Einstein and his unwillingness to accept the strange behavior of quantum objects... I had a lot of fun and I guess at least some of you will enjoy listening to the show, as well!

Ah... I almost forgot: Don't take all the flattering things Brian says too literally. If anyone here deserves praise it's Adelfo, who is - judged by the latest pics I saw - right on his way to his pro-card; and with that I successfully got myself out of the limelight and pass the bar to someone who has his "Quantum Physique", already ;-)

My dear friends and followers, here at the SuppVersity!

It’s less than 10 days left, until your (hopefully) favorite wheelchair bodybuilder *lol* will be off to another competition! Time for me to look back and time for you to get some valuable insights into my diet and supplement regimen. I will try to make it as concise as possible and provide you with a brief rundown of what I have been doing for the past six weeks, which, as you will soon see was not much different from what I have found works best for me in the course of the past months already. And other than minor tweaks and adjustments, which can oftentimes really make a huge difference, you certainly won't start fixing something that ain't broken in the first place. Right? So let's see what we've got then:

Shameless plug! Just in case anyone of you is interested in joining me as a Myotropics Physique Nutrition sponsored athlete and/or fitness model, I suggest you head over to our Facebook site, like us and join the Myotropics Physique Nutrition Photo Contest.

The grand prize (male & female winners!) is a trip to Vegas + professional photo shoot and of course the opportunity to represent the company in the future. For the unlikely case that you don't have enough friends and family to vote for you, there are a lot of other things that make it well worth to participate in the contest!

Contest prep supplement staples:

1. Thermogenic/ fat burner:
   
   Dosing: 1 serving upon waking during my fasting hours
   
   Notes: I don’t use fat burners all throughout my prep; I incorporate them, when I’m about 4-6 weeks out to help pick things up. Don't expect them to actively burn fat, though. It is more a means to keep your overall energy levels and metabolism up, as well as to shift your metabolism further into the "fat burning" zone in order to preserve precious muscle and liver glycogen.
    
2. DAA/ D-aspartic acid
   
   Dosing: Mid-morning during my fasting hours - 1 serving 3g
   
   Notes: Those of you who have been following my posts here at the SuppVersity from the very beginning will remember that I did a test run for Purus Labs’ D-Pol in the course of my last prep, and really liked this supp; I am not sure if it's just in my head, but I felt that it did help me to maintain and slightly increase my strength even while dieting, so I figured "why not use it again" - and until now I did not regret that decision.
    
3. VPX Friction + baking soda + taurine
   
   Dosing: I take these pre-workout - 1 serving of Friction, 1tsp. baking soda and 5g of taurine
   
   Notes: I usually don’t take pre-workout supplements during the off-season, because I feel like I get enough energy from my foods, when I am dieting, though, I enjoy the little extra boost they give me and the taurine and baking soda help me endure and recover from longer workouts
    
4. BCAA’s + Creatine monohydrate
   
   Dosing: Intra-workout - 25g BCAA (bulk powder), 5g creatine monohydrate (bulk powder)
   
   Notes: This is a supplement combination that I do year round, and sometimes I’ll add baking soda to it if I feel like or have the taste for it. The reason I take the creatine intra-workout at the moment is that my current preworkout already contains creatine, by spacing it out somewhat I try to maximize absorption (if the idea of not taking all your creatine at once is news to you, check out Adel's post "The Pharmacology of Creatine")
    
5. Melatonin (regular, not time released)
   
   Dosing: 30mg before bed, when I notice that my sleep gets worse or I am having trouble falling asleep
    
6. Protein shake
   
   Dosing: 40g = 1 serving of Physique 2.0
   
   Notes: Before being sponsored by Myotropics, I used just supplement with a regular fast digesting whey, in view of the more sustained protein influx from the total milk proteins, I did yet switch to a full serving of Physique 2.0, which has the added bonus of  having 15g of ThermiCarb (a patented form of WM HDP) per serving (I also have a prototype of our new product, which is just the carbohydrate fraction of Physique 2.0, I use post-workout, see detailed plan below). I  add in another tbsp. of raw honey for some faster carbs and am good to go.

I guess, some of you may now be disappointed, as I suppose you expected to see a much longer list full of exotic items you could waste your money on, but let's be honest, we all know that supplements ain't game changers and if you revise my plan you will see that sticking to the tried and proven trio of creatine, protein and some free form amino acids, complemented by one or two things you personally like (in my case these were a pre-workout product and the DAA), is all it really takes, when you got your exercise and nutrition regimen dialed in to the T.

Bodybuilding nutrition made simple: A Food-based meal planning template

This takes us right to the next and - at least in my humble opinion - way more important part of contest dieting: The diet itself! Or rather the foods and macronutrient ratios you are aiming for. I obviously eat other foods, as well, but the following selection represents the cornerstones of my contest prep diet, you can pick an puzzle them together as you like or introduce your own favorite foods; having a "stock" of items to turn to does make planning your diet much easier and less stressful - keep that in mind before you discard the notion of having "standard foods" you combine in different ways for whatever reason

• Protein sources:
  
  

  

  Image 2: This is what a typical rest day protein and fat meal would look like ;-)

  Pork loin: center cut/ tenderloin/ sirloin I’ve ditched the chicken breast and switched over to lean pork cuts. If you choose the right cuts and quality of pork, the macronutrient profile of a lean cut of pork is just the same as a piece of chicken breast. Lean pork cuts are also a lot tastier in my  opinion and less pricy.
  
  Game Meats: Elk/ antelope/ dear/ bison/ wild boar At my local farmers market they sell frozen packaged game meats – I like wild gamey meats, because they have a distinctive taste to them that I enjoy, plus they’re grass- fed, and the fat content is a lot lower, and, again, almost as close to chicken breast in macronutrient content.
  
  Whole cage free eggs: Whole eggs are one of my favorite protein sources to choose from for my non-training day/rest day meals; on these days my fat intake is a bit higher, conversely the carbohydrate intake is reduced and the yolks provide me with all the healthy fats and fat soluble nutrients I need.
  
  Tilapia/ canned tuna These are foods I incorporate into my regimen towards the end of my prep; for some reason I’ve always done it this way. I just find these two foods convenient and efficient for me to prepare and they fit nicely into the macronutrient ratios I am aiming for in the final 2-3 weeks of my prep.

• Carbohydrate sources:
  
  

  

  Image 3: Yeah, folks! That's Pineapple on the plate in the background ! And no, I am not afraid that there is fructose in it!

  Starches - Tubers such as, sweet potatoes/ yams/ organic russets/ colored potatoes
  I like tubers as my main source for starchy carbs because I can eat more of it and it fills and satisfies me; basically I can have larger servings from tubers with my given macronutrient numbers for carbohydrates compared to other carbohydrate sources, such as rice, which I do yet eat on occasion
  
  Vegetables - cucumbers/ zucchini/ carrots/ kale/ sweet mini peppers Not only do they taste good raw and by themselves, but they’re cheap, and you can buy a weeks worth for around $10
  
  Fruits: Pineapples/ papayas / bananas (earlier in the prep) Other than their awesome health benefits, these fruits satisfy my sweet tooth. 
  
  Honey (raw)  Another carbohydrate dense food that I like to use after my workouts to speed up glycogen replenishment

• Fat sources:
  
  Virgin coconut oil I take a tbsp. with almost every meal
  
  Sour cream/ heavy whipping cream/ real cheeses I use these 3 fat sources to add to or if I have any more room for my fat macros.

Putting it all together - no blueprint, just an example

To finally give you a general idea of what all that looks like in practice, I have compiled the following overview of my nutrition and supplementation regimen on an exemplary day in my life during contest prep:  

5-6am: I wake and take my fat burner  - I’m trying OxyElite Pro this prep, and it’s just as good as meltdown, the product I used during my last prep 7-8am: Cardio - 15-20 minute HIIT cardio/ 20 minute swim, or  45-60 minute of low intensity cardio (walking the dog) 9 or 10am: D-aspartic acid one serving (3g) 3pm: Breaking fast w/  pre-workout meal - 2 tilapia fillets/ or 2 cans of tuna - cucumbers & carrots - 1 tbsp.  RAW coconut oil 3:45pm: Pre-workout supplements - VPX Friction - 1 tsp baking soda - 5g taurine

4:30-6:30pm: Training + Intra-workout  - 25g BCAA’s - 5g creatine monohydrate Immediately post-workout:   - Physique 2.0 - 1 serving - ThermiCarb - 1 serving - 1 tbsp. RAW honey 7:30-8:00pm: PWO meal - 2 tilapia fillets - sweet potato - fruits & veggies 10:30pm: Last meal  - Pork tenderloin - veggies - 1 tbsp. coconut oil 11pm: 30mg melatonin (if I feel, I need it)

Modifications on non-training days: On my non-training days, I’m not on any supplements other than my fat burner; my meals on my rest days consists of whole eggs, wild game meats, fruits and vegetables and 1 tbsp. of coconut oil with every meal.Meal#1 ground antelope + fruits + veggies + coconut oil… I guess you get the notion ;-)

Adelfo Cerame - Road to Wheelchair Nationals '12: Tweaks to Avoid Overtraining. Plus: 5 Staple Supplements and How to Effectively Combine them With Whole Foods.

Image 1: If you have followed the whole series you know that there are 6 months and tons of hard work and dedication between the pic on the left and the one on the right. Time and effort  not "the right genes" it what most people lack, or simply decide not to invest.

When I look back at the past couple of weeks, or, when I come to think about it, months, and the progress my friend Adelfo has made, it amazes me time and again how careful planning, constant tweaking and above all total dedication to training and diet can take your physique to another level - and that, on an almost weekly basis! In a way, it is unfortunate that all this will eventually not be part of the equation, when Adelfo will be showing off his totally shredded body on stage. And I am not referring exclusively to the issue of not being in form on a specific day. This is part of the sports! And in fact, I am not even thinking about the athletes, themselves. I am rather thinking of you, your friend, your son or daughter, who see bodybuilders, fitness athletes, bikini models or even "normal" celebrities on the net, magazine covers or TV and think to themselves: "I can never look like this guy/girl!" ... do the reality check, look at what it really took them to get there and realize that part of their secret is that they are well aware that you cannot "peak" 365 days a year! And now tell me: Do you really believe you cannot get there or is it rather that you do not want to invest all the efforts it would take you to get there? I suppose for most of you the latter is the case and you know what? As long as you are honest with yourself and others and don't lull yourself into believing that is it all just in your genes, that is perfectly ok! But enough of me being a smart ass, ... let's see how Adelfo is doing this week.

Six weeks out and still waiting for the brick to hit me

Image 2: I guess real foods like these are part of, if not the reason "the brick" has not yet hit me ;-)

I feel like I am sitting here, waiting... not so much for contest day, yet, but rather for that day, the day, when the brick wall is going to hit me... it is part of the game - part of the prep. That brick wall, people me (in my previous preps) included hit, whenever they diet to achieve that unnatural degree of leanness people are looking for on stage. It has not hit me yet and I cannot even tell if it will... but if it does, I will be prepared!

Looking back at the last week, I might even say that I probably barely got away from being struck. Probably not so much as a consequence of overdieting, but rather as a result of overtraining. As you will probably remember, I decided to revamp my training regimen by incorporating an intensified version of the reverse pyramid into my routine. After one week on the routine, I had to realize that as good as the idea of combining a heavy lifting and high volume approach may look on paper, doing that on four training days per week may be too much. While I was strong and felt pumped on the first two days, my strength and with it my focus began to fade on the subsequent two days: Fatigue, lack of motivation, moodiness, ... all that are pretty rare occurrences with me, especially when I just started on a new routine.

It could not get any more obvious my body was showing me the red flag!

Video 1: Wheelchair chin-ups (wheelchair = 25 lb. + 45 lb. plate = 70 lb. chins) - For a while I’ve been trying to figure out a way to stimulate my lower back and maybe even my lower trunk muscles in the back… I think I just found what stimulates them… I’ve made it a priority of mine to do weighted chins twice a week when I train my back (click here to watch).

Against that background, I decided to apply another twist to the routine and split the week into two heavy 5x5 (Mon-Tuesday) days early in the week, rest on Wednesday, and two reverse pyramid training (RPT) workouts on the following two training days (Thurs- Fri) later in the week... I think by setting it up like this, I can control the tempo, throughout the week, so I don't burn myself out to early in the week.

If I were one of my clients and not so close to competition, I would probably suggest to either take a de-load week or a complete week off from the gym, but at the moment I feel like I cannot afford doing either of these options. Although I am pretty sure a week off wouldn’t hurt me, as long as I kept my diet on point, it is precious time to make forward progress... so no, I will not take the week off! What I will do though, is start to control my training tempo from here on out to make sure that I’m not burning myself out (I mean… I have been prepping since October ;-)

Nutritional tweaks: Post-workout carbs? Yes, honey!

I made some minor adjustments with my nutrition, as well. Instead of having my carbs with my PWO meal, I switched to taking the lions share with my post-workout shake right after my workouts. I did that because sometimes, I takes me too long to get home and prepare my meal, with the insulinogenic effect of the whey potentially I sometimes felt somewhat hypoglycemic, and the subsequent surge in epinephrine and cortisol which will get my blood sugar back to normal is something I want to avoid at this time in my prep. When the whole purpose of the carbs is to refill muscle glycogen, I don't want my liver to do that by turning protein into glucose before I get home and have my carbs.

Image 3: Whey Protein + the combination of 2 ripe bananas + 1 Tbs. Raw Honey = PWO bliss!

The reason I decided to go for the ripe bananas + raw honey combi are manifold, but I would be lying if taste was not at least part of the equation. That being said, let's be honest, what better fast digesting PWO combi can you ask for, if we are talking about whole "real" foods? The combination of whey + 2 ripe bananas + one tbs. of raw honey do not only meet the macros, I am looking for in my post-workout shake, the bananas are also rich in potassium, which is necessary for muscle recovery and will help with the electrolyte balance that is so crucial to keep off unwanted water weight. And the raw honey, despite being a calorie dense high sugar food, is, unlike sugar, filled with nutrients like digestive enzymes and antioxidants. Plus, You don’t have to cough up $40- $50 as you would on other carb supplements like maltodextrin or waxymaize. An organic banana costs about 25- 35 cents, and a jar of raw honey costs around $8.

You don't need tons of supplements. Just select a few staples that work for you!

Since were on the topic of PWO nutrition and timing, I guess some of you may be interested if, how, which and when "real" supplements come into play. So here is a brief rundown on what I am currently taking and how I am timing those supps around my fasting and feeding windows.

• Fat burner (meltdown by VPX): One of the only times I ever mess with fat burners is when I get closer to show time. I like to use fat burners for the last couple weeks to help me increase my metabolism and burn a little bit more body fat to tighten me up some more, and to help with the stubborn areas where subcutaneous water likes to cling on to (in my case lower abdominals). I take my fat burner once I wake, early in the a.m. during my fast, this way I can take maximal advantage of its lipolytic effects. It does not help to liberate the fat from the fat cells if your body does not need to burn it, so taking the fat burner within the feeding window would at best be a waste of money...
   
• D-Aspartic Acid (D-Pol by PurusLabs): I was running test logs on this product a couple weeks ago, and really liked it, so when I ran out I actually decided to buy it. It worked well with improving my gains in strength and maybe size, but strength for sure! Probably due to the added nitrates, it also gave me a good pump, when I trained. I take this supplement early in the a.m. - probably like 3- 4 hours after I take my fat burner - for better absorption, so that the aspartic acid doesn't compete with other aminos and at least some of it does make it to the brain, where it is supposed to do its LH releasing magic.

Image 4: I believe in selected a hand full of supplements only. My tried and proven staples are creatine monohydrate, BCAA’s, a pre-workout and a fat burner. Purus Labs' d-aspartic acid is the only real newcomer in this prep.

• Pre-workout supp (Friction by VPX): I’m not much of a pre-workout supp junkie, but I do feel the benefits from taking them during contest prep, or cutting to help maintain strength and muscle. Most pre-workout supplements primary ingredients are creatine blends, with amino acids, and, or beta alanine. Usually each brand has its own proprietary blend and boasts of how unique it is... don't be fooled, the ingredients which actually work are the same for most of them. I take my pre-workout supplement about an hour after I ate my pre-workout meal, and about 30-45 minutes before I train. The whey + coconut oil for my pre-workout meal is digested by then, so if you will you can say, I take it on empty ;-) The main reason I chose friction was curiosity, I like to try new products once in a while and must say that I really enjoy this one.
   
• BCAA’s (Power Shock by VPX): BCAA’s help with muscle recovery and growth, ... but I guess the well-read SuppVersity junkie you are, I don't have to give you the lowdown on their benefits ;-)  I take mine intra-workout, to minimize catabolism and promote the exercise induced increase in protein synthesis. I mix about 2 servings in a water bottle that will last me through my whole workout. I never tried VPX’s BCAA’s, I usually use Xtend, Recoup, or Anabolic Switch, but decided to try this because of the potential benefits of the added nitrates and, most of all, the price tag ;-)
   
• Creatine monohydrate (Creapure by TrueProtein): I use to be real phobic about taking creatine while trying to cut or diet for a show, because of the “ol’ bro science” that taking creatine makes you retain water… then I thought to myself?... Well no shit!? That’s what creatine does! It draws water into your muscle tissues. Lol… As for the subcutaneous water, that people talk about they get when they supplement with Creatine? That probably has more to do with either their shitty diet, or their dump believe that creatine needs to be stacked with tons of sugary carbs to "push it into the cells". In view of the fact that my pre-workout supp already has some creatine in it, I mix 5g with my BCAA’s while I train, and take another 5g when I get home. I mix it with crystal light and drink it with my PWO-meal.

So far so good, but I still maintain that all supplement magic aside, my four whole food meals are the pillars I build my success on. And before you are bombarding me with questions in the comment area or on facebook, here is some more information on how these pillars look like:

 

Images 5-6: You know that I believe in a real food approach to dieting and this is how that could look like in the last weeks of your prep.

• Pre- workout meal: I usually break my fast at 3pm and at the gym training by 4:30pm. I don’t want to have to wait 2 hours for my food to digest, so I prefer a fast digesting protein like whey + 1 Tbs. of coconut oil for that immediate energy that my body can use. Macros= 50g protein/15g fat
   
• PWO shake + 2 ripe bananas & raw honey (cf. image 3): I eat this immediately after I train when I get into my car, because muscle tissues are primed for glucose and protein uptake right after training. Macros= 50g protein/ 75g carbs
   
• PWO meal: Since I shifted most of my carb intake immediately after training, my PWO meal is now just a P+F meal, with about 10-20g of carbs coming from strawberries, papayas or pineapples. I eat this meal around 8:30pm when I get home from the gym. Macros= 50g protein/ 10-20g carbs (fruit)/ 20g fat
   
• Last meal before fast: I like to do a shake for my last meal because my PWO meal usually gets me full, so I like to squeeze in a protein shake at around 10:40pm before I start my fast again at 11:00pm. Since I use whey protein for my shakes, I like to throw in 2 raw cage free eggs in with my shake, so the fats can slow down the digestion, since whey is a fast digesting protein. I’ll also eat about 1-2 tsp. of coconut oil to hit my macros. Macros= 50g protein/ 15g fat

That’s all I have for in stall for you, this week, but stay tuned for next week's update, when I start bringing back recipes! You're gonna love that one, I promise ;-)

Adelfo Cerame - Road to Wheelchair Nationals '12: From Man Boobs to Striated Pecs - Looking Back at 2011

Image 1: Looks like Santa's sweet treats
just ricocheted off Adelfo ;-)

Although we are amidst the "holiday season" (you know the time of the year where the term off-season gets a whole new meaning ;-), there is one fellow who must obviously have read my blogpost about the not so amiable gifts Santa has in stock for some of us (cf. "Santa is Coming to Town")... judged by the pictures Adelfo has attached to the latest installment of his amazing "Road to Wheelchair Nationals 2012" series, Santa's sweet treats must have had a fat-burning, muscle-building effect on him. Well, at least this is what you could think, if you did not know how much hard work and dedication it cost him to get to where he is now. But, I guess I will let him tell you the whole story...

Without the "small" things the bigger one's "lose" all their meaning

It has been 12 months, now, hwen I got my medical release from the doctor... 12 months from the day I was finally able to leave the bed and go back to work... and eventually (!) go back to the gym and train! For almost all of 2010, I was confined to being bed-ridde. With the deep MRSA infected ulcer on my behind, I even had to lie on my belly - unable to sit, unable to move for almost a year.

Image 1-2: Looking back at December 2010 - All the abdominal fat and the man boobs that I accumulated after 12 months of being bed-ridden… I just hope that I will never have to go through that again.

That these memories are coming back now, is probably because New Years Eve is approaching. The last days of a year, where I have made a habit of reflecting on the little things that we usually take for granted. Looking back, none of this things, like being able to go to the grocery store, running errands or doing what I love the most, which obviously is going to the gym, was completely out of reach, back in 2010. Isn't it amazing how we always have to lose something until we appreciate its value?

Think about it, wouldn't  "Live life… cherish every moment of it… and be thankful for even the simplest things that this life has to offer!" be a much better new years resolution than the usual "I want to lose 5 pounds of fat!" or "I want to quit smoking"?

For me this (fortunately) temporary loss of mobility and, ultimately, freedom, marked another turning point in my live. I have ever since been trying my best to live life to the fullest, improve and better myself spiritually, mentally and physically. I have begun to cherish the simple things in life, constantly reminding myself that they could be taken away from me (and you!) at any moment. And for me, training, of all these little things, is the one I cherish the most: waking up in the morning, getting into the wheelchair and off the the gym to do the one thing I love the most is something I never want to lose again.

December 2010 to December 2011 = from man boobs to a striated chest

I don't know if you can empathize with the way I feel, when I look at the pictures from 2010, now. I mean, you know that about 8-6 weeks ago, I decided that I wanted to look "as stage ready as can be" at my 12-week mark (which actually is today) and today, after 12 weeks of intermittent fasting, eating whole "real foods", and training heavy and intense (plus minimal cardio and abdominal exercises) the result are eventually paying off:

Stats/Measurements

• Weight: 141 lb.
• Waist: 29 in
• Arms (flexed): 17 ¼” in
• Chest: 41 in
• BF%: around 8% [at least that’s what my digital calipers read ;-)]

As you can see from the images from last year… I don’t have the best genetics in the world (I’m more on the endomorphic side of the body types), and I obviously let myself go (not of my choosing, but due to illness), but my point is: No matter what genetic barriers you think or feel you may have, or how far off you’ve let your body and health go, it’s not impossible to achieve the physique of your dreams, with just a little bit of hard work, consistency and balance.

I guess, I can say I’m pretty satisfied with what I have achieved so far and I’m definitely looking far better than I was at the my last show in April @ the INBF Natural Buckeye. Fortunately for me, I have 13 more weeks to improve on my physique and push myself even harder with my training and dieting.

3 things I want to try and improve on within the next 13 weeks…

You think you could use some advice on your  training, diet and supplementation regimen from someone who knows what it takes to build muscle and lose fat? Reach out to Adelfo via Facebook.

1. Vascularity… I want people to (figuratively ;-) throw up because they’re so disgusted with how many veins are popping out through my skin. Genetics aside, pushing my body-fat level to the lower limit will be the major factor in achieving that.
    
2. Maintaining muscle mass and maybe even possibly gaining a little bit more… When you are dieting it is already difficult not to lose at least some of the fullness you have in the off-season. Putting on extra mass, on the other hand, is near impossible. Yet, although I have been dieting hard (and with visible results), I have been getting stronger throughout my prep and those strength gains are still coming... and though we all know that there is no 1:1 (or other quantifiable) relation between strength- and size-gains, I would expect to see at least increases in what people call "muscle density" or "maturity", if I can keep upping the weight on all my major lifts.
    
3. Strength… I just don’t want to look the part, but I also want to be strong also. As I already mentioned, this is the first prep I’ve had, where I have not noticed any decline in strength. I partly ascribe this to the combination of intermittent fasting, raw and whole foods eating, and some of the training methods I have used from Rob Regish’s Blueprint, which have really taken the variety of my workout routines to the next level. And I hope that the latest addition of Anadraulic State, Creapure (creatine monohydrate), D-Pol (d-Aspartic acid) and Recycle (a herbal natural test booster) to my supplement regimen will help me with lifting (increasingly) heavy(-ier) lifts throughout the rest of my contest-prep.

For the time being, I am on my pre-planned last week of the year famine/detox. Those of you who have followed the whole series will remember that I have been quite skeptical about whether the theoretically sensible (cf. Famine/Detox Episode), yet for any bodybuilder totally counter-intuitive idea from Robb Regish's blueprint would work, but the results I had back in October were so convincing that I decided to make it a staple within every macro-cycle of my training. And now, after 12 weeks of intense training and dieting, the time seems to be right.

Image 4: Example of a "detox meal"

Recipe of the week: Spartan Detox Food (example meal) - Eat this (or a similar meal) 3x a day to benefit from a simulated "famine".

• cucumbers, 
• a handful of fruits, and 
• a cup of vegetable juice from Trader Joe’s…

During my last detox, going extremely low on both calories as well as protein and fat worked quite well for me, but in general Rob's protocol allows for a  maximum of 1,200kcal (for you bigger guys out there) and <50g of protein, fill up the rest with veggies, fruit and a lot of water and you are good to go ;-)

During the 12 weeks, my body has eventually adapted to my diet and training, and is pretty much in an exhausted state, where gains in size and strength usually stall. In order for me to get my body back into a growth state, I have to shock the whole system by putting my body through a mild state of tissue breakdown with added stress (think of it as triggering the alarm). The mild tissue breakdown and added stress through training during the famine phase will accelerate the entire protein turnover cycle. So basically I want to get my body back into a phase where it feels like I just started lifting weights and training for the very first time in order to be in that growth state again, so that, even at an average calorie intake of roughly 1,400 calories per day, I can still maintain (or hopefully build on) the muscle

Final thoughts... at least for this year ;-)

Image 4:  No clue what "intermittent fasting is all about"? I suggest you start with reading the first installments of the Intermittent Thoughts, then (click here for Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 and more)

If there is one thing that I have really come to appreciate during the past weeks, it is yet neither the famine, nor the detox or the different training techniques I have learned. The one thing, I believe has made the biggest difference was intermittent fasting - all I can say is… I love it! The protocol is simple and easy to follow and I was able to tweak it to my liking by applying other methods that have worked for me in the course of the last 4 years of competing. And the results are mind-boggling. I mean, this has by far been the easiest prep I have ever had! Without being distracted with having to prepare meals, I got to focus more on training, school, and fun stuff like social events. Add to that the amazing results I have (and still am) seeing in the mirror and you know why I believe that “IF” is definitely something I can, and will do long-term.

I will leave it to that for today, and even the year 2011 and wish all of you a happy and safe New Year! And just in case you happen to be one of those people who like to make "New Year's Resolutions"… Good Luck! Let me know how that works out for ya in a week or two? Hahaha! Just kiddin'! But seriously… You shouldn’t have to wait till New Years to make resolutions and set goals ;-)

Adelfo Cerame - Road to The Wheelchair Nationals '12: Cheating Allowed! Another Beauty of Intermittent Fasting.

Image 1: Just graduated - Adelfo Cerame Jr. holds the lecture on "cheating"

When I just received Adelfo's email with his weekly progress update, I thought "Damn. He is just giving away things you had in stall for one of the next installments of the Intermittent Thoughts". In view of the fact that re-feeds, the particular value of the occasional high-carb meals on an otherwise low-carb diet and the widespread misconception that a single occasional binge could actually make you fat are so near and dear to my heart, that I think we (meanwhile I feel like Adelfo has become part of the SuppVersity staff ;-) cannot address these issues often enough. "Go ahead then, Prof. Cerame! Let the student's know about your dietary escapades!" And you, dear students, always remember: At the SuppVersity you learn everything it takes to succeed - even cheating ;-)

The four commandments of faithful cheating

I know I mentioned in last week's installment of my weekly contest prep blog that I would refrain from cheating on my meal plan or even re-feeding for the next couple of weeks, until either Christmas is almost their or my body was signalling me that it was about to time to refuel. Now, this past weekend, the occasion, or I should say, social obligations, called for it and ... I complied, realizing that the ability to cheat is another if not one of the most outstanding beauties of being on an intermittent fasting protocol!

Image 2: On Saturday night I had a medium rare double Angus burger with crisp cut seasoned fries which I washed down with seasonal pumpkin spiced ale! I finished off with a dessert: A triple chocolate pizookie. And to make sure I was really satisfied, I broke my fast on Sunday with 6 slices of pizza ;-)

As I mentioned, I had no idea that this was going to be a cheat day, when I woke up on Saturday morning, so I went about it like it was any other day: I trained fasted (this is something I only do on Saturdays, because I train in the morning, then), broke my fast at the regular time, which is around 3pm, and then went to go watch a football game. A couple hours later, I got a phone call from my family asking me if I wanted to meet with them at a restaurant for dinner... and guess what: I gladly accept - without hesitation! Now, you are probably even more surprised than my relatives, asking yourselves:

"Aren’t you preparing for a bodybuilding competition!? Why would you do such a thing!?""

To be honest, when I come to think about it, there is not just one, but rather a whole host of reasons for something so outrageous as being flexible with my diet ;-)

• For one, I started my prep early and gave myself, 20+ weeks rather than the usual 12 weeks that had to suffice in the past. So the first reason is just a time issue: Taking your time to prep for a show does not only allow you to drop body flat at a lower and much more natural pace, is also gives you the dietary flexibility you need in scenarios like these.
• Secondly, being on an intermittent fasting protocol, I was - despite a cheat - still within my caloric macronutrient range - after all, I had not had the typical 3-4 high protein, high carb meals your usual bodybuilder would already have gulped down, when I received the invitation. And though I may eventually have gone a little over my projected caloric inttake, that was not half as bad as it would have been, when I had eaten 2/3 of my daily allotment before I even arrived at the restaurant.
• Thirdly, and on a related note, intermittent fasting, that is something I have come to realize allows, no IF almost forces you to "EAT BIG!", anyway. When it's about time to eat, you eat, you do not peck like a bird, you eat until you're full... and no, not just that "somewhat satisfied" or "just enough" type of being full you are persuading yourself into, when your brain is telling you that you are hitting your planned caloric intake. No, you'll think you had overeaten, feeling guilty with your two huge meals inside your slightly protruding tummy.... and yet, you are most likely still on slight caloric deficit. Personally, I've even had to re-check or re-count the calories and macros on days where I felt I might have eaten too much, only to realize that at the end of the day, my stomach was bulging, but I had barely hit my macros for the day.
• Fourthly, I trained. When you train (heavy and intense, no sissy 30min walk on the treadmill), you have a little leeway (don't get me wrong and try to make up for binges by hitting the gym for hours - that won't work!), not because you burned so much calories (a hilarious concept, anyway), but because you have primed your body to make good use of the nutrients (remember you eat nutrients, not calories) you are consuming... but I guess you have learned all that already in the course of the past installments of the Intermittent Thoughts Series (esp. the article on the "Anabolic Barn Door"). And if I understood Dr. Andro correctly, he will have some very concrete examples of how you can make the most of this nutrient partitioning effect in the future installments on how to program dietary and athletic success.
• And fifth- and lastly, this was a cheat/re-feed day. Although many of you probably would like to eat out with family every day, this is something you can do on special occasions, it is yet something you cannot do everyday! Used sparingly, re-feeds can kick-start your metabolism, fill glycogen stores and most importantly (!) maintain your psychological health and keep your friends and family happy ;-)

"What do you say?" No! One or two days of controlled cheating will not make you fat. You might put on some extra water weight, but that will be lost as soon as you get back on track, which - and I cannot stress that enough - is what distinguishes controlled binging as in re-feeding from the disordered binge-eating you may see in some hopeless dieters who are at the verge of developing a full blown eating disorder. 

Image 3: Me on Monday morning. As you can see, I did not put on any body fat. If anything, my muscles had more pop and felt fuller and my energy and strength in the gym were through the roof that Monday.

And if you still ain't convinced, think about it this way: If you eat like shit for 14 days straight, and then decide to eat healthy on the 15th day; will that make a difference? Probably not. So the same goes with cheat days, if you eat healthy the majority of the time and decide to have cheat days from time to time, it’s fine.  

You think you could use some advice on your own training, diet and supplementation regimen and want it from someone who obviously knows what it takes to build muscle and lose fat? You can reach out to Adelfo via Facebook.

Real men (and women) ain't scared of food.
                                     It’s all about balance and moderation.

Back in my previous preps, when I used to follow a more conventional bodybuilding-type eat-every-two-hours diet, my re-feeds would last the whole day, but ever since I began to fast intermittently, my cheat meals are within my feeding hours. In my humble opinion, this really maximizes the benefits you can reap from your re-feeds. Not only does the limited feeding-window prevent you from going totally overboard, it's actually also more enjoyable, because you do not have to stuff your face the whole day! Believe me, try having a cheat day, where you eat from morning to night - sounds fun? Well, I guess you have not tried that, yet! The first meal is always great, but by the third meal of the day, lethargy, sleepiness and that uncomfortable comatose feeling start to hit you like Thor's hammer (remember image 1 from last week ;-). You don't want to do anything but lie in bed (even sitting on the couch feels like a workout) and the rest of your pre-scheduled meals become a challenging task, in the course of which you forcefully stuff yourself with carbs!

A pros pos carbs. I mentioned before that the caloric overload on intermittent fasting re-feeds is obviously limited by the amount of food you can eat within the relatively short feeding-window. Thusly, you will consume more energy than usual, yet by far not in similarly excessive amounts as on a "regular" re-feed. That being said, with the focus of my re-feeds being on carbohydrates, there is a major shift in the macronutrient composition, which is intended to top off the glycogen stores of my muscles (and liver, which is the organ that will supply your brain with glucose, whenever there is a transient shortage of energy) and to take advantage of the anti-catabolic and IGF-1 promoting effects insulin - and it is in the vicinity of a workout (as last Saturday, for example), with your muscles ready and willing to suck up every mole of glucose they can possibly get, when you get the most "anabolic bang" for your "sugary bucks" ;-)

To summarize - here is a rough outline of my cheat day / re-feed protocol:

1. I keep protein intake the same.After all, I do not want the anabolic machinery to run out of amino acid fuel ;-)
2. My carb intake is high (remember if carbs are low in your regular diet, it is only logical to put a focus on carbs when you refeed), since I am only given a small window (max. 8 hours) to carb load, I prefer fast digesting or high glycemic index carbs, so that it transports straight to the muscles and do not digest until the "anabolic barn doors" are already half closed.I do nevertheless try to avoid real junk food and stick to my pineapple coconut pancaces (see recipe of the week), white potatoes, rice, pasta and high sugar fruits to get straight to the point and not waste anytime!



Image 4: It always baffles me, how many people still believe that "low fat" equals "healthy"

3. I keep my fat intake low. This allows me to potentially eat more carbohydrates (fats take up a lot of calories and on re-feed days, when I'd rather have the calories from carbohydrates). Fats also slow the digestion of carbs, and, as mentioned before, that's not what I want on a glycogen repleting re-feed day. I realize that it is sometimes hard to keep fats low during a cheat day - after all, your usual "cheats" (i.e. the junk many people eat everyday ;-) are about as high in fat as they are in carbs, so I take advantage of the nutritional stupidity of "low fat eating" and go to Trader Joe's and similar places, where I avail myself of some low-fat junk,... ah I mean USDA myPlate-type foods like the "low fat Twinies" in image 4 *rofl*
4. I eat until I am full! And, I even dare to say, until I have to unbutton my pants... so just that you know what kind of "full" we are talking about, here ;-)

Well… that’s all I got for this week. What? Oh, yes. No, I did not forget it. The promised weekly recipe from my ever-growing cookbook.

Image 5: Pancakes are one of my favorite cheat- / re-feed meals

Recipe of the Week: Pineapple coconut pancakes

Ingredients:

• 12 oz of pineapple & coconut pancake flour mix
• chocolate syrup
• coconut syrup
• 1 bowl of cocoa puffs
• 40g whey protein (pour over cereal as milk)

Quick tip: When I re-feed, I don’t count calories - this is why you do not see specific serving sizes or macros, like you usually have with my other recipes. Just remember the four golden rules: Keep protein high, focus on carbohydrates, while keeping fats low and - never forget - eat until you're full, full as in "unbuttoning- your-pants full" ;-)

Let me just give you this advise to take along: This is a cheat meal recipe though, so I would not recommend making this a staple in your nutritional regimen… Well, now that I think of it I guess it would be possible, if you cater it to your daily macronutrient intake. Yet, not everything that is possible is also also advisable, after all the "Twinkies Diet" was a great example that you can lose weight while eating junk food, but this is neither healthy, nor will it help you to achieve a stage ready physique. So, I guess your best bet is to cheat today and to come back for next week's installment of this series for healthier alternatives!