Body Transformation from 2011 to 2021
I used to be scrawny. Not an ounce of muscle on my body. The good thing about that: a tiny waistline. I used to workout and stay active since I was a kid. I could not build muscle, though. My first attempt was in 2006. I deployed aboard ship across the Atlantic and Mediterranean. I did not know what I was doing. I was eating whatever the mess hall served. I did not pay attention to the portions or types of food. I took my body from 145 pounds to 165 pounds. My waistline remained small at 32 inches. I did lose my gains the moment I hit land.
I resume my workout routine once I got back. Still, I did not know what I was doing. And thus, I remained at 145 pounds. Then I started to consume bodybuilding and fitness education material. I started with Mike Geary, The Truth About Abs. He promoted a full body and ab specialization routine. As the name of the title suggests, it was all about abs. While I am obsessed with a small waist, I did to build a muscled frame.
In 2008, while deployed to Afghanistan, I decided to change that. I began reading Arnold's New Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding. I used a split body routine for 6 days a week. I went to from 150 pounds to 175 pounds. The biggest transformation ever for me at the time.
I followed Arnold's advice to the letter. He preached at split body routine as follows. Chest and back on days 1 and 4. Shoulders and arms on days 2 and 5. Legs on days 3 and 6. Rest on day 7. Repeat. He also recommended 20 sets per body part. Arnold's repetition range for a guy with my body type was 6 - 8 reps. I was an ectomorph at the time.
And again, I lost my gains once I got back home. I dropped to 155 pounds. I continued training following Arnold's routine for years to come. Even to the day, I train following this routine. I may no longer do 20 sets per body part, though. And no longer train 6 days a week. I no longer recover as fast in my late 30s. Still, I continue to train. I was able to reclaim my 175 pound frame with a 32-inch waist in the following year, though.
My second biggest transformation came in 2010 while deployed to Afghanistan again. I took my frame from 175 pounds to 198 pounds. This is the largest and heaviest I have ever been. Too big for a guy that is 5'7". I was so heavy, my cardio started to suffer. I have never cared about my cardio, though. I am still an active duty Marine that needs to run 3 miles under 28 minutes. That task started to become much harder than ever. So I decided to cut down the weight to 175 pounds once I got back home.
Throughout the years that followed, I continue my fitness education. I even become a certified trainer with the International Sports Science Association. I was a:
Certified Fitness Trainer
Certified Specialist in Fitness Nutrition
Certified Specialist in Strength and Conditioning
Certified Specialist in Youth Fitness
I also continue to follow the advice of many other fitness figures in the industry. Some of which were:
Vince Gironda
Mike Mentzer
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Frank Zane
Franco Columbo
Mike Geary
Craig Ballantyne
Vince del Monte
Ben Pakulski
Nowadays, I follow Vince Gironda's teachings the most. Vince taught short and intense workouts with little rest between sets. He also preached consuming steaks and eggs. I love this meal and continue to consume it to this day. Vince also preaches to consume carbs by itself once a week. This is because carbs digest in a different environment than fats and proteins. Carbs digest in the mouth, which is alkaline. Protein digest in the stomach, which is acidic. Fats digest in the small intestine, which acidic at first. Then it moves to neutral as it moves farther from the stomach.
I continue to train to stay healthy. I continue to train to stay sharp of mind. Though, I still have the goal of reducing my waistline to 32 inches. I am between 33 and 34 inches. That is the one esthetic goal I have. While my chest, arms, and back may grow as a result of my training, I care more about my waist. And as I get older, it started to protrude. So I need to get back to work!
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