Help for Beginners

I remember what it was like being a beginner.

If anyone needs a bit of free help with some serious dieting questions just ask.

Im not a personal trainer but I consider myself a conditioning expert. I was once pretty fat due to an injury, and made a big comback. I am a national level competitor and try to stay in contest shape year round.

I can answer some of your questions here.

I also am working with some guys doing shows and my job with them is to get them as ripped and dry as possible. I also am helping a couple guys I met on this sight lose weight and get in great shape. If you have questions, just ask! Im one of the nice guys out there. peace everyone Alex a
These pics are from this years prep.

Hey alex i have a question for you, just how much cardio do you do in the offseason. Do you do your cardio on your off days or do you do it after training with weights. Just how much do you do?

What type of training do you do, do you like high volume, low volume. What does a week look like for you?

With your diet what do your macros look like, do you eat by % breakdowns?

Thanks

Hey Alex A .... thanks for making this thread! I have a couple of questions.

First what kind of diet would have someone follow that has a fast metabolism for the offseason ( i know there no cookie cutter but an example would be cool)... 250 pound BB with sub 10% BF?

DO you like the approach of having constant calories the same day in day or or vary your carb/calorie amounts depending on the day .... ex traning versus non training day?

How much and what intensity cardio do you perform in the offseason? With the goal being staying lean (lol maybe not as lean as you stay but to keep fat a bay for someone who is already lean and doesnt need to lose any fat)...

thanks!

hey alex, thanks for the thread! when you lost all the weight after your injury, how many calories did you eat and how much cardio did you do.

Alex,

What an awesome thing to offer! I've paid attention to your posts since I joined over here a few months ago, and have been very impressed.

OLY, over at A-E, who is helping me with my diet, said he recently met you at a show and that you were more than willing to share your knowledge, and that you seemed like a genuinely nice guy.

It's truly class-act guys like you and your willingness to help and share with others that make this sport so great. The help you and others on this board, and other boards goes underappreciated at times.

I'll ask my questions next.

Thanks!

EB

How "fat" did you get after your injury, and how long did it take you to go from that state to your current state. It would be interesting to see what you went through to get there.

Thanks!

EB

That is very cool of you to share your wisdom, It's much appreciated. Your level of conditioning is unreal. How far do you go above your stage weight in the offseason, do you feel it is more effective to stay relatively lean year round to achieve that kind of conditioning come show time? Thanks again.

What a great offer. Your a class act Alex.

Being a conditioning guy myself Alex has impressed me with his knowledge and made what we make so complicated, easy.

Hey Alex!

Could you check out a thread i started for professional opinions. It was posted 12/16/07 by me. It is titled "Professional opinions wanted please" A feww down from your post. My main goal is fatloss. Without to much muscle loss.

It starts like this.

I am 27 years old. I have been working out since i was 16. I am 5'11 and 3/4 inches LOL! Here are some stats. I weigh 318, 38inch waist, 20 inch arms, 31 inch thighs. Bench 390#x1, leg press 630#x10. My bf is about 20%. I have been in the gym weight traning 3 days a week. Full body workouts. I'm just not losing the fat from my gut, and inner thighs. To cut off this excess bf is it ok to change to like one day a week weights, and like 6 days a week of cardio for an hour, combined with a clean diet and 2500 cals a day? Is this going to deplete my lean mass before my fat? I want to cut off at least 20 pounds. I have been bulking up the last few months eating about 300+ grams of protein with about 3500 cals. I get 30 mins of cardio 3 times a week. I can see improvements, i am replacing bf with lean mass, it is just to slow. I want to drop below 300# by summer. Any suggestions or input is greatly appreciated.

Alex,

Thanks for offer. My question has to do more with gear and effects on sex drive and hpta suppression.

I am on
750 Test E, week
250 Eq, week
Var 60 ED (3 weeks on \ 3 weeks off)

Basically been on 7 months. Started the EQ 3 weeks ago. Awesome Gain, and been horny as hell for full 7 months. This last week have noticed nad shrinkage and sex drive is zero.

I have clomid and nolv but do not have HCG. What should I do?

Cheers

WOW!!!!

If you have been on for 7 months this would seem to me to be way too long of a cycle...I would recommend taking your clomid and nolvadex to bring your test levels down to normal..not sure how long to take it..just seems your cycles should be much shorter say 8 to 16 weeks on and then approximately 4 weeks off..this has worked for very well for me...8 weeks was my first cycle ever and now am up to 16 weeks each time I'm on...good luck

Great thread alex. Good to see someone here willing to help some of the less experienced.

Your conditioning is incredible! I will have to pick your brain when its time to cut.

healthfreak79 said:

Hey alex i have a question for you, just how much cardio do you do in the offseason. Do you do your cardio on your off days or do you do it after training with weights. Just how much do you do?

What type of training do you do, do you like high volume, low volume. What does a week look like for you?

With your diet what do your macros look like, do you eat by % breakdowns?

Thanks

Click to expand...

Sorry I dissapeared for a while. I do about 30mintues 5 days a week in the off season low intensity. Just to maintain some conditioining. And i pretty much follow my contest diet year round with a few added foods such as beans, non fat milk, some bread. not too much.

I like my contest food and anyone who has worked with me for a show will agree, its not bad to diet on and gets you in great shape.
Then its all maintinence. See, I train for conditioning year round. I dont believe in "bulking"

MilitaryMuscle said:

Hey Alex A .... thanks for making this thread! I have a couple of questions.

First what kind of diet would have someone follow that has a fast metabolism for the offseason ( i know there no cookie cutter but an example would be cool)... 250 pound BB with sub 10% BF?

DO you like the approach of having constant calories the same day in day or or vary your carb/calorie amounts depending on the day .... ex traning versus non training day?

How much and what intensity cardio do you perform in the offseason? With the goal being staying lean (lol maybe not as lean as you stay but to keep fat a bay for someone who is already lean and doesnt need to lose any fat)...

thanks!

Click to expand...

I know many believe in rotating carbs, or calories, but i dont! iTS Just somthing that i dont belive needs to be done, once you have gotten yourself in really good shape.
I dont do intense cardio on or off season and like i said, i keep the carbs stteady throughout the year on and off the diet. Off season, i dont jump way up in carbs or calories because then i will get fat! I belive in putting on muscle slow

EastBeast said:

Alex,

What an awesome thing to offer! I've paid attention to your posts since I joined over here a few months ago, and have been very impressed.

OLY, over at A-E, who is helping me with my diet, said he recently met you at a show and that you were more than willing to share your knowledge, and that you seemed like a genuinely nice guy.

It's truly class-act guys like you and your willingness to help and share with others that make this sport so great. The help you and others on this board, and other boards goes underappreciated at times.

I'll ask my questions next.

Thanks!

EB

Click to expand...

Hey bro! thanks allot, im really sorry i almost forgot I posted here! I have gotten a bit busy but didnt forget you guys. I will be here way more regularly to answer questions etc. I forgot that this is the serious bodybuilders sight! you guys are way cool, want to learn and listen. That goes a long way with me and Im sure I will give you the best adviser I can!

Im heading to the gym right now but Im going to jump back on here later to answer more questions and to get back to some of you! I will be on way more regularly thanks for giving me your time, take care Alex a

6.8SPC said:

That is very cool of you to share your wisdom, It's much appreciated. Your level of conditioning is unreal. How far do you go above your stage weight in the offseason, do you feel it is more effective to stay relatively lean year round to achieve that kind of conditioning come show time? Thanks again.

Click to expand...

Bro, i have gone as high as 50lbs above contest weight. i can lose the weight in 16 weeks. Shit if I was paid big bucks I would do it again, for some weight loss challenge or somthing. once I set my mind to somthing I can do it!

But, it is miserable and sucks. When I was that heavy i would have to do double sessions of cardio and carbs no higher than 200 but i was able to lose the weight and make it to the show.

Actually, i got up to 205 and competed around 152 for the LA championships and won my class out of 9 guys in 2003.

And was one of the most ripped guys in the show., but to be honest it was a horrifying process to lose the weight. I would say if you stay around 15-20lbs your in good shape. It sucks doing cardio twice a day.

I mean 50lbs or even 30 is simply ridiculous. you can get in shape, but is it worth putting everyone in your life in the back seat while you attempt this massive feat? No!

This year I stayed about 10bs around there and had an awesome prep. I have a 23month old baby daughter who demands plenty of time.

I work full time, have a home, wife, 6 animals, etc. Life must go on. Getting in shape and bodybuilding is just part of life for me, not my life.

Im sure you guys are in the same boat as me. that is what we have in common, we are just regular guys, not paid to train and get in shape like the pros.

hwood said:

Alex,

Thanks for offer. My question has to do more with gear and effects on sex drive and hpta suppression.

I am on
750 Test E, week
250 Eq, week
Var 60 ED (3 weeks on \ 3 weeks off)

Basically been on 7 months. Started the EQ 3 weeks ago. Awesome Gain, and been horny as hell for full 7 months. This last week have noticed nad shrinkage and sex drive is zero.

I have clomid and nolv but do not have HCG. What should I do?

Cheers

Click to expand...

First of all, Number one, get off all the shit, taper off and stay off a while.Give your receptors a break and your sex drive will come back, it should atleast. Staying on that long is not recomended at least by me. Secondly that is about the best advise anyone on here can give you.

How do you do it?

Being a dad myself and working full time...how do you find time to train and do cardio...how do you get your wife to not give you sh*t when you need to go to the gym?

What advice would you give someone who has a rough time sticking to a diet..I seem to fall off after about 4 weeks and then start up again!!!

drwost said:

Being a dad myself and working full time...how do you find time to train and do cardio...how do you get your wife to not give you sh*t when you need to go to the gym?

What advice would you give someone who has a rough time sticking to a diet..I seem to fall off after about 4 weeks and then start up again!!!

Click to expand...

Those are some good questions bro! Really good. My daughter just turned two yesterday!

Anyways, i sleep less. When Im prepping for a show, i do cardio early before they wake up in the morning. Then I do training after work before i come home. I try not to have it impact their lives.

I actually believe that my wife is really cool because she sees how serious I am and how good i have gotten as a compeitor and with my condition and staying in shape all year. If i was just half assing things and didnt look that good and got my ass kicked in every show, she would not be as supportive.
Cant blame her though.