Looking back at my youth all I can remember is being an athlete. Growing up in suburban Chicago, that was all that mattered. The suburbs are full of competitors in a variety of sports, and I always desired to be one of the elite. I played many sports all the way through high school, with my favorite being baseball. Once I hit college I suffered some setbacks that kept me from playing the sport I grew up loving. So I turned my competitive energy to something else; bodybuilding.

It wasn’t my first choice. If I had the decision right now I’d probably still admit that I’m a ballplayer at heart. But the harsh lifestyle and huge rewards of the bodybuilding lifestyle are unlike anything else. It’s a real man’s sport and is gaining exposure every year. Almost two years ago I decided to give it a shot.

I had always lifted weights in high school but I never got the greatest gains. It wasn’t until I researched in depth that I made my most drastic gains. I never realized how nutrition and gains co-existed hand-in-hand with a proper lifting program. Once I got everything in check I ballooned from a 6’2” 169 pound boy to a 6’2” 246 pound man. This was the first time I ever “bulked” and it happened from January 2007 to April 2008. It was honestly one of the hardest things I’d ever done but I had my eye on the prize the whole time and that made it easier. I wanted to be a bodybuilder. It was becoming my sport.

So there I was, 5 days a week, hitting the iron hard and long. I wasn’t leaving the gym until I was completely wrecked. A few times I actually puked in the gym. I only realized that through that weakness was my key to making the best gains. I brought out my chest, pumped up my biceps, triceps, and shoulders, and expanded my lats and traps. I threw in leg workouts twice per week to give my body a balance that I saw suitable. I am a fan of classic bodybuilders like Frank Zane and Franco Columbu. I love the big upper body with small waist physique. That natural look is what I'm going for.

Much nutrition went into my bulk. I didn’t want to gain any more body fat than I naturally had to so I kept my diet down to a point. I ate 7 meals per day (no more than 50 g of protein per meal), spaced out by at least 2 hours and protein immediately after my workout. Chicken, pork, turkey, lean steak, eggs, and fish were my favorite sources of protein.

My carbohydrates came mainly from brown rice; protein enriched noodles, and baked regular and sweet potatoes. Cheat meals were a rarity. I know that sometimes a cheat meal is beneficial but the guilt lasted the whole day for me. I carried peanuts around with me in the car so that I wasn’t tempted to stop for fast food to satisfy my hunger. I would pop a handful of nuts and my hunger would subside. All in all, at the peak of my bulk diet, I was consuming 350+ g of protein, 500+ g carbs, and 4,500+ calories per day.

For the first time in my life I became interested in taking supplements. Long story short, they worked wonders for me in addition to a perfect diet. Whey protein became a staple for me post workout and then eventually changed to a weight gainer for added carbs. I tried a few weight gainers until I stuck with my favorite weight gainer, BSN True Mass Cookies N’ Crème, for the rest of my bulk.

I threw in some Gaspari SizeON for intra-workout energy and also to have creatine in my diet as well. My pre-workout carbs were enough to keep me from using stimulants to energize my workout. I already had a great “food pump” due to the nutrients circulating my body. Upon waking up in the morning the first thing I would supplement were my BCAA’s and EAA’s (Universal brand) to prevent muscular breakdown and catabolism. Omega 3’s, daily vitamins, L-Glutamine, and occasional sleeping pills were other supplements I used in my diet. Synergistically they all worked amazingly together.

I was staying anabolic twenty-four/seven as far as I’m concerned. I made consistent gains and achieved all of this with a final BF% a little above 13%. Over the summer of 2008 I cut down to 7% body fat and have just recently started my bulk. I will be bulking until the spring in which I want to start cutting to hit my first contest up in 2009. My friends have dubbed me “the mad scientist” among many other names. Maybe it’s because I take my diet log and supplements with me wherever I travel. Or may it’s because I have my nutrition and supplementation down perfectly to feed my growing muscles.

I can never miss a training session or meal. In the shadows I can see my competition doing everything possible to be the best. I can see him in the gym on weekend nights getting extra work in and eating that extra meal because his body’s craving to grow just a little bit more. I have a message for you if you’re reading this, so am I.

As Animal says, shut up and train!

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