Offseason 2014: Upper Body Growth V2 - May Update!

The Darkhorse is back at it again! The long, awaited update is finally here! Thanks for your support and stay tuned for future updates!!

Current Weight: 212.8lbs

Sitting at 15lbs over stage weight which is a great number for me. This will definitely allow me to get to my all time best package the next time i step on stage.

Training:

Monday- Upper Pull (Back/Biceps/Forearms) | Cardio: MISS
Tuesday- Legs (Quads/Hams/Glutes) | Cardio: LISS (Walking around the neighborhood aka Tina Time!)
Wednesday- OFF | Cardio: OFF
Thursday - Upper Push (Chest/Shoulders/Triceps) | Cardio: LISS
Friday - Upper Pull (Back/Biceps/Forearms) | Cardio: OFF
Saturday - OFF | Cardio: HIIT
Sunday – Upper Push (Chest/Shoulder/Triceps) | Cardio: OFF

Notes: Even though the plan is laid out, no training day is ever set in stone. I listen to my body and let it tell me how long I should wait until the next day. In addition I will be throwing in a total body pump day on my refeed days to allow all muscle groups a chance to be replenished with glycogen.

My Training has had some ups and downs in the past month. In March/April I was having some shoulder issues that prevented me from any type of upright rows or shrugs as it would irritate my upper chest /front delt area. I was able to relive the pain with some great Massage and Chiropractic work from my good friends at Natural Life Chiropractic. Two weeks later, I performed another movement that left me with a neck/trap impingement. I believe it was the result of a day I was in a hurry and didn’t warm up properly. (Learn from my mistakes and don’t cut corners!) Now I am getting some daily adjustments as well as acupuncture so hopefully I can get this figured out in the next few weeks. Since I’m currently not at 100%, my coach and I have decided to take this fall season off to let the body heal and metabolism reset completely.

Nutrition: A complete revamp!

Training Days:
Old: 240 Protein | 260g Carbohydrates | 50g Fat | 2450 Cals
New: 275g Protein | 0g Carbohydrates | 185g Fat | 2765 Cals

 Typical Day: Each meal is roughly 40-50g of protein and 20-30g of Fat. I do not count the carbohydrates taken in from vegetables I eat as they are extremely low and non-significant. I keep my trace carbohydrates I get from my fat sources very low.



Meal 1:
8oz of 90/10 Ground Beef
1-2 servings of sauerkraut
1 cup of brussel sprouts

Meal 2:
4 Egg Whites
4 Whole Eggs (Local/Free Range)
2 Strips of Bacon
1 cup of Spinach
1 cup of Kale

Meal 3:
6oz Chicken Breast
4 oz. Avocado
1 oz sliced almonds
1.5 cup of broccoli

Meal 4:
8oz of 90/10 Ground Beef
3 servings of raw sauerkraut
1 cup of brussel sprouts

PRE-WORKOUT: BulletProof Coffee
16oz coffee
12g of Organic Coconut Oil
8g of Grass-Fed Butter
1tsp of vanilla extract
1tsp cinnamon
1-2 servings of stevia

Meal 5:
10oz Cod (Wild Caught)
1 TBSP of Grass-fed Butter
1oz sliced almonds
1-2 servings of raw sauerkraut
1 cup of spinach

Meal 6:
4 Egg Whites
4 Whole Eggs (Local/Free Range)
2 Strips of Bacon
1 cup of Spinach
1 cup of Kale

Substitute Meal: (On Days my stomach is still full and I need to hit my macros)
Protein Pudding!!
2 Scoops of Annex Whey Protein Blend by Complete Nutrition
50g of Raw Almond butter
1tsp of cocoa powder
1 tsp organic coconut oil

(I just mix everything up with enough water to make it a pudding and eat. Very light on the stomach but heavy on nutrients! )

 Notes: If you take a close look, my eating plan is very similar to someone that follows a paleo approach to nutrition. For those that are not familiar with Paleo, is it a very nutrient-dense meal plan comprised of raw, single-ingredient foods that promotes blood sugar regulation, hormonal and digestive health. When those three components are taken in consideration our immune system is enhanced. Since 60-70% of our immune system is located in our gut it makes sense to eat in this manner so that the nutrition is utilized to its fullest potential. Of course there are many variations of this type of approach but since I’m utilizing fats for fuel this is how I setup my plan.

My coach recently returned from a trip to Tampa, Fl where he was able to meet one of few scientists researching anything and everything when it comes to human performance and muscular hypertrophy: Dr. Jacob Wilson. Dr. Wilson did some recent studies that show some amazing results with people utilizing ketogenic-based diets vs carbohydrate-based diet for offseason. The new research combined with some of the great authors on this topic, such as Dan Duchaine and Lyle McDonald, is allowing us to revamp our offseason protocols for a few people on our team. I will be one of the few people running this protocol for the next few months. My goal for these next 8 weeks is for my body composition to improve. We will be utilizing two types of refeeds once week to keep that metabolism on fire. Until I get the ok from my coach, I will keep the information pretty basic.

I am very excited about my nutritional plan because over the years I have learned that my body responds very well with a higher fat (30-35% of TDI) diet. I have been running this protocol for almost 2 weeks now with 15% increase in calories and I have noticed the following changes: my strength is up, my weight is down, my waistline is tighter and my energy levels are stable throughout the day. At the end of the 8-12weeks I will post up some pictures for you guys so you can see the changes!

Supplementation:

ISO-Z5 - Whey Protein Isolate (Contest Prep)
Annex - Whey Protein Blend (Off-season)
Tone- EFA product containing CLAs, MCTs, and Omega-3 Fatty Acids all in one supplement.
Complete Active - Multi-vitamin/Multi-mineral for athletes.
Blitzz- Concentrated pre-workout product providing increased energy and focus without the excess fillers
CX5 - Creatine product containing 5 types of soluble creatines for faster absorption.
NX6 - Arginine-based product that causes vasodilation in the blood vessels for a bigger pump and more vascularity.

 Notes: No new changes for supplementation at this time. I will go back and forth between Blitz and Taze-3 depending on my workout. I find that my shorter, more intense workouts work the best with blitz as the energy levels are very strong for the first 45 minutes of the workout but then drop off. If I know that I will be doing a longer workout I prefer to use taze-3 for more sustained energy throughout the workout. If you see me at the gym and are curious about any of these two products let me know as I always have a few samples on me or in my car.

Chris Valentin IFPA Pro

Team Gorman Athlete (www.team-gorman.net)

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