Big Changes for 2010

There's been big changes for 2010 that will affect the rest of my journey. This is why I haven't added a blog post since December 11, 2009. I recently quit my job working at a local gym to go full force into training for my goal. Becoming the biggest natural bodybuilder of all-time takes an extreme amount of discipline and I needed to find something which was a little more tailored to my ideal lifestyle. My good friend Dominic Cifarelli (who happens to be a famous guitarist) once mentioned to me "On the path towards living your dream... you have to be happy all the time". Well, of course that's impossible... but I understood the message. Every aspect of your life must be in harmony with your dream goal. I can't allow anything (that I have control over) to stop or slow me down. This is why I'm choosing to work from home. Although I've been blessed to spend this wonderful Christmas holiday with my wife-to-be as well as the rest of my family, I'm anxious to be able to start taking things seriously. I still haven't found a job as I'm taking a little time off to figure out what exactly I want to do. Some people that I know have told me that I'm crazy because I left my last workplace without having a back-up plan. Well, my back-up plan is what I believe to be the best plan anyone could ever have... which is to spend time with oneself to reflect on where exactly you want to go. In the meantime I will be working on this website more than ever, so you should expect to see it evolve at an extremely fast rate. And even if I find a job soon, it will be a work-at-home venture so I'll still be able to develop this website quite a bit.

I would like to end this blog post by encouraging you guys and gals at home to make big changes for 2010. Don't be scared to take steps that will lead you closer to your goal, even though it may seem to others as if you're going backwards. Intuition is one of the highest forms of intelligence. Follow your heart. Good things will come. I plan on it for myself and wish the best for all of you reading this blog. By the way, training is going well and I'll probably be posting some vids to this blog (and to my YouTube channel) very soon. I'll be weighing myself by the 2nd week of January and will post the results then. Thanks for all the support!

Snow Shoveling is Good Cardio

Snow shoveling is good cardio. This week we (Montrealers) had our first winter storm. There was an accumulation of about 25 centimetres of snow. This meant that I had to shovel a clear pathway around two cars. What a workout. Although I took my time and didn't feel too winded when shoveling, I was drenched afterwards. I took a shower following this new-found aerobic training, and noticed that I looked pretty lean. The fatigue caught up with me a little while later, and indicated to me that if I do cardio in the gym (even if it's only once a week), then I might burn myself out. I want to burn fat, but I can't afford to lose any muscle mass. The snow shoveling in itself really felt like a good cardio workout. Of course, it's a bit of a combination of functional strength, muscular endurance, and cardio... but I feel like it's mostly cardio.

In a way, the snow which I often looked at as a burden is kind of helping me. At least during this winter, I could focus solely on weight training and muscle building when in the gym. It looks like I may need the entire 6 months of my journey to reach my goal... Simply because concentrating on leaning down during the winter is too great a task for me. But like I said, snow shoveling is good cardio... and will help me to burn fat. For those of you who have been following me on my quest to become the biggest natural bodybuilder of all-time (here on this blog, weekly) you've probably noticed that I change my plans quite often as I go along. Being dynamic was actually part of my original plan. I have to improvise on this journey and not be such a perfectionnist... otherwise, I will never reach my goal, let alone reach it within 6 months time. If I could suggest something to you when you're ready to follow your dream, it's to think of your ideal plan beforehand... then start taking action... and adapt throughout the journey. And remember, any obstacles you'll encounter should not discourage you as they are actually signs (or lessons) to help put you on the right path. See you guys back here this week.

190 Pounds of Lean Muscle Mass

I'm currently a lean 190 pounds of lean muscle mass. I weighed myself just before my workout this evening and saw what I was hoping for. I've basically gained about 14 pounds since just over a month of starting my journey (which officially began on November 5th... for those of you who are tuning in for the first time). I'm learning to improvise, and not be such a perfectionnist... as on this quest, there are many obstacles that come in the form of inconveniences. Anyways, things are working out pretty well. I'm going to do my best to gain at least two and a half pounds every week for the following few weeks. Given that type of progression, I should have plenty of mass to start cutting up within about 3 months. I intend on achieving my goal a bit earlier than the 6-month deadline I originally gave myself. Still, six months is a little more realistic and provides a type of mental cushion for me. By the 3rd or 4th month of training, the snow here in Montreal should begin to subside... and then I'll really start improving. I think it will be possible to actually some more size even though at this point I'll be 100% focused on losing body fat. On the final 9 days of my journey I won't have any concern with building muscle at all, as I will need to dedicate all of my energy to getting shredded. What I mean by this is that I'll be getting into 'bodybuilding contest shape' (which is ultra lean and ultra dry). On top of all the cardio I'll be doing, I'll probably get the help of a healthy, natural nutritional cleanse. One of the awesome side benefits of a detoxification system like the one I'll be using, is that unwanted fat is released from your body. For someone who is already extremely lean (as I plan on being right before I start the cleanse), a nutritional cleanse could bring a person down to 5% body fat (or lower). The very few bodybuilders who use and endorse the products have even reported that they actually gained weight (by the last day of the cleanse). More muscle and less fat. What could be better than that. See you guys and gals back here tomorrow. PS: I just filmed the second part of my upcoming documentary, and it's looking good. And I'll be posting some updated pictures to this blog, probably by the end of the week.

Build Muscle Fast

Build muscle fast. Those three words must be kept in my mind at all times. That is what I have to continually think throughout my journey. If I concentrate on details, I start to lose focus. I visualize what I will look like once I reach my ultimate goal often throughout the day. This is to ensure that I always stay positive. But to stay on the right path, I think BUILD MUSCLE FAST.

The subconscious mind is very powerful. It is more powerful than the conscious mind could ever imagine. Everything you have ever wanted, you can have. Anything becomes possible when you accept that you create everything that happens to you. This means that you can actually control your physical outcome. Of course, mastering your thoughts is a process that will most likely never be perfected. Still, when it comes to attracting materialistic goods, or even a fitness-related goal... this could definitely accomplished. Connecting to your sub-conscious mind (also referred to by some as The Source, or Infinite Intelligence, or even God) is essential when attempting to invent something new, or accomplish something of importance to you (and to the world).

Build muscle fast. If your goal is to gain 15 pounds of muscle... do not think about the details. Focus on building muscle fast. When you reach your goal... then you will change your thoughts to be in line with your new goal. I hope that this blog post has helped you understand how every great athlete overcomes obstacles to reaching their goals. They simply focus on the goal and not the obstacles.

Eating For Muscle Gains

Eating for muscle gains is obviously one of the most important aspects of my journey to become the biggest natural bodybuilder of all time. My daily nutritional intake for training days (which is almost every day) consists of plenty of carbs... usually generated from oatmeal, rice, potatoes, pasta, and whole wheat crackers. If I avoid these, and even if I take in tons of protein-concentrated foods, I will not gain the size I need to accomplish my goal. Doing cardio about once (and sometimes twice) per week helps keep my percentage of body fat quite low. I have such a fast metabolism that I can quite easily stay lean as I actually increase body weight, which means that most of what I gain is muscle. The high-protein foods I eat vary from egg whites, to chicken breast, to lean beef, to fish (tilapia, sole, tuna), to lean porc, etc. I drink tons of water throughout the day, right up until about 1 hour before going to bed. Two protein shakes are enough for me right now... but starting in a few weeks I will be drinking three shakes per day. I also eat some vegetables and at least two fruits every day. I hope this blog post has given you an idea of what types of food you should take in, if your goal is similar to mine. Good luck, and I will see you guys and gals back here in a day or so.