What this is?

Hey guys and gals-

My name is Justin, and I'm interested in fitness.  I'm not a bodybuilder, nor a fitness professional, nor even in the best shape I could be.  I'm just a regular now college grad, working a 9-5 desk job (actually 8-4) with a wish to get into better shape, both to look good, and be healthy.

Since I don't have a ton of money (hourly only pays when you can work,) I don't have money for tons of supplements, or the best of the best of foods or personal training.  I was lucky enough to have an amazing roommate in college (who will probably end up reading this... Thanks Dave!) who showed me the ropes when it came to working out.  Between 6am lifts, and him banging on my door when I didn't want to wake up, I had gained quite a bit of muscle, and a ton of confidence.  Maybe if I can dig some old photos up I'll show you what I was talking about.  For now though, I'll be blogging about my meals and workouts every day, and will show you the progress along the way.

Now I know you're going to say "ok, what do I eat, how do I eat, and how do I work out?"  That's easier asked than answered.  Everyone has their own ideas of what "perfect" fitness is (and by looking at some of these people, they have seemed to have perfected their routine.)  I personally, don't have any idea what's perfect.  What I do know, however, is no matter what else you do, there are four exercises that NOONE should go without doing.

-Overhead Press - Once the ultimate test of strength, the overhead press works virtually every muscle from the waist up.

-Bench Press- This is what overtook the Overhead Press as the test of strength.  Works 3 axis of muscles, and is pretty beefy.

-Squat- Whether this be a front squat or back squat, a good squat works everything from the waist down.  It also happens to release more hormones and good stuff than most other exercises.  It's also thought that adding squats to your routine will help lower cholesterol.  Since that's a concern of mine, I always do them :)

-Deadlift-  The deadlift is a really simple concept, but very difficult to master (or even do correctly when you're starting out.)  My suggestion is to ask your local trainer or gym buddy or meathead on how to do it correctly.


I personally like to do a 4 day split, meaning Monday I do upper body, Tuesday I do lower body, Wednesday I rest, Thursday upper, Friday lower.  Add in with that 20-45 minutes of cardio (enough to get the blood flowing, but not enough to push you to exhaustion, this will always improve as time goes on,) and you have a pretty good setup.

Diet is important too.  People always say that DIET IS EVERYTHING.  Wrong.  Diet is 50% of the equation.  Exercise is the other 50%.

Keep in mind a few simple fun facts.

Fat: 1 gram = 9 calories
Protein: 1 gram = 4 calories
Carbohydrates: 1 gram = 4 calories
Alcohol: 1 gram = 7 calories

"They" say that you should have between 1-1.5g of protein per pound of muscle, but I would say 1-1.5g per ideal weight.  Extra protein isn't necessarily a bad thing, and with how easy it is to get protein with good meals and inexpensive (not cheap, but low in cost,) supplements, you should get this easily.

Carbs are not the enemy!  However, there are differences in the type of carbs you consume.  I'm not a nutritionist, and I don't really understand it, so I'm not going to give you some bad advice.  Ask your doctor or friendly neighborhood dietician/nutritionist if you have questions.

That leaves us with fats.  Again, not being someone that has studied diet and intake, I can't give you scientific evidence regarding the different types of fat, but a few things are no brainers:

1) NO TRANS FATS - I CANNOT stress enough the importance of #1.  Trans fat has been shown to lower HDL (good cholesterol), raise LDL (bad cholesterol,) and promote heart disease.  Even though a food will be marked trans fat free, look at the ingredients.  If you see "partially hydrogenated" ANYTHING, that = trans fat!  Take a look at biscuit mix, it makes me sad :-(

2) Not all saturated fats are equal.  Theres a difference between saturated fats from meat, and saturated fats from nuts.  I don't know off the top of my head, but an increase in nuts (which also gives fiber and protein and good fats,)  can aid in any diet, and is a tasty snack :-)

3) A raise in mono and poly unsaturated fats = good.  Avocados are high in MUFAs, as well as a bunch of other great foods.  Google some other foods.

Calorie intake is different for everyone, based on activity, height, weight, age, etc.  Use something like My Fitness Pal (myfitnesspal.com) or the android/iphone app to figure out a great plan for you.  This piece of software also helps track calories burned.  Use it!  It's fun!

Anyway- why am I doing this?  Because I'd like to track my own progress through what I'd like to be a life-altering change.  I have a goal, to look better than I did 6 months ago, in 10 months.  Well, I'd like beach season, but I'd be happy with October 21.  I'll be showing my transformation every month in visual form, and giving measurements every 2 weeks.  I'll be telling you what I eat, some really awesome recipes, and how I'm working out, weight and actual exercise.

We'll chat about other things too, but for now, think of this as a sort of inspiration for others.


Here's what I'm starting at as of right now:

172 lbs, approximately 13% body fat.

Right Bicep - 13"
Left Bicep - 12"
Chest - 37"
Waist - 35"
Neck - 15.5"
Right Leg - 21.75"
Left Leg - 22"


I'm going to spend the first few months bulking up, gaining muscle, then the last few months before october cutting fat. 


Todays workout consisted of:

9 sets of overhead press, including 3 warmups, 3 working sets, and 3 cooldown/burn
3 sets of dumbell rows

3x30s planks, plus a 15s warmup, 30s, 20s, and 10s between, respectively.

after that, add some dips (1 set of 6 before I decided to change it up,)
and 3x12 kneeled pushdown (sort of like a dip, but isolated movements.)


12 minutes of cardio on the upright bike.  This is normally much higher, but since this is the first day back in a long time, I kept it light.

Today's diet consisted of:

Breakfast - 30g of protein from a shake
Breakfast 2 - Bowl of Golden Grahams
Lunch - 2.5 Cups of Homemade Jambalaya (I'll give this recipe later)
Pre Workout - 50g of protein from a shake
Post-Workout/Dinner - 4 pieces of pizza.  I know I know, this is my "cheat" day.

I'll have a healthy snack later on, not too sure what yet, a few more cups of water, and maybe some milk.

We'll chat about supplements tomorrow.  Keep motivated, and keep tuned in :)

-Justin