My Fitness Journey

Previous transformation (2021)

For the first 25 years of my life, fitness was done by instinct because I was constantly playing basketball for competition and working out for fun. I can truthfully say that there were few days that I didn't do at least one or the other. Since then, I have focused more on my career, relationships, obligations, etc. and less on fitness. I did do a 100 day workout challenge within that time but after it was complete, I went back to my new routine. However, over the past year (2022) I've worked out less than I ever have. There were weeks that I worked out every day and for the first time, there were weeks where I didn't work out at all. Although I picked up boxing, which has recently stopped for the Winter, I dropped playing basketball temporarily due to ankle injuries. So, I'm setting some new goals to ignite the fire and in turn get back to a point where working out is instinctive.

*Everything below will be written in present tense because I'll be updating this in current time*

The journey begins!
Nov. 11 - Jan. 25 Goal: "Build habits without burning out."

• Workout: 5-7 days a week, amount and plan doesn't matter
• Diet: Eat 90-140g of protein per day
• Sleep: 7.5 hours per night
• Stretch: Daily
• Water: 67.6 fluid ounces per day

Results
Besides being sick for 2 weeks, it's going well. I took a few days off (from working out) to get extra rest. Once I started feeling better, I got back to it. I had a nice 2 week stretch of working out every day. I truly feel like I'm accomplishing the goal of building good habits and am excited for what's next.

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Creatine
Nov. 11: "Working smarter... and harder."
​Creatine is one of the most studied and tested supplements for performance and muscle building. It is the only supplement (besides basic nutrient supplements) that I plan to use throughout this journey. There are two ways to begin using creatine. The first is to simply begin taking the calculated daily amount (weight in kilograms X .03 = grams of creatine per day) for your body. This way takes longer to increase your creatine levels, so I will be doing ith the second way. The second way is to take an increased amount (weight in kilograms X .3 = grams of creatine per day) for the first 7-10 days, called a loading phase, then going down to the normal daily amount. This increases muscle creatine levels quicker but also means that I have to consume a large amount of creatine 4 times a day for the first week... It should be annoying. Screw it! Let's go!

• Loading Phase: 21g per day for 7 days (68 * .3 = 20.4)

• Daily Intake: 3g per day going forward (68 * .03 = 2.04)

Results:
​This wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. Having to take a handful of "horse pills" four times a day actually helped remind me of my new goals and in turn kept me motivated. My workouts are longer with less than normal fatigue and I feel like I'm able to put up more weight. However, I'm not sure if this is credit to the creatine or the change in habits...

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Cardio + Consistency
Jan. 26 - Mar. 31 Goal: "Add cardio while staying consistent"

• Workout: 6 days a week
  • Muscle Split:
    • Monday = Triceps/Calves/Cardio
    • Tuesday = Biceps/Shoulders/Core
    • Wednesday = Back
    • Thursday = Basketball
    • Friday = Rest Day
    • Saturday = Chest/Pull-ups/Cardio
    • Sunday = Legs/Pull-ups/Core
• Diet: Eat as much as possible, no restrictions (make up or cardio) 
• Sleep: 7.5 hours per night
• Stretch: Daily (15 minutes)
• Water: 67.6 fluid ounces per day

​Results:

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Hypertrophy
Apr. 1 - May 31 Goal: "Muscle growth with hypertrophy"

• Workout: 6 days a week
  • Hypertrophy style: 4 sets of 12 reps with each exercise
• Diet: Eat clean but as much as possible (build appetite)
  • No fast food or sugary drinks
• Sleep: 7.5 hours per night
• Stretch: Daily (15 minutes)
• Water: 67.6 fluid ounces per day

​Results:

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What are you made of?
Jun. 1-30 Goal: "Find current limits to be able to measure growth."

• Workout: 6 days a week
  • Max weight days: Find max weight for each exercise
  • Max rep. days: Find max reps at 70% of max weight for each exercise
  • 100 rep. days: 100 reps per exercise for entire workout
• Diet: Eat 90-140g of protein per day. Prep clean meals. No fast food.
• Sleep: 7.5 hours per night
• Stretch: Daily (15 minutes)
• Core: Daily
• Water: 67.6 fluid ounces per day

​Results:

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to be continued...