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AT8 12-Week Transformation Winners Announced

August 21, 2012 by

The AT8 midterm results are in. Each of these men can choose to go on to the 20-week portion of the contest. This is another strong class and it was just as difficult to judge as all the previous contests.

Lets get to the winners!

Simon Bernard – 1st Place

Tommy Lacaprucia – 2nd Place

Rodrigo Caceres – 3rd Place

Lester Sing – 4th Place

Anthony Rivest – 5th Place

Justin Dyke – 6th Place

Lou Martinez – 7th Place

Richard Tesorio – 8th Place

Cristiam Reinoso – 9th Place

Miguel Garcia – 10th Place

 ——————————————————————————————————–

AT8 — 20-Week Contest still going

Congrats to all that entered, everyone did a great job. As I’ve mentioned previously everyone who submitted photos at the 12-week mark are still eligible to submit photos at the 20-week point as well if you choose to.

I’ve also  sent an email out to get a gauge of everyone who is working towards the AT8 20-week final on Oct 6th. To be clear, anyone who submitted ‘before’ photos in May can submit ‘after’ photos on Oct 6th for the 20-week transformation.

AT9 12-Week Transformation

 The final 12-week transformation contest of the year starts on Aug 27th. You will be able to submit ‘before’ pictures for 5 days starting on Aug 27th. This is the final 12-week contest of the year ending Wed Nov 21st.

If you choose to submit ‘before’ photos next week for AT9 then you cannot submit ‘after’ photos for the AT8 20-week competition. You must choose which of the two competitions you want to complete.

If you’ve submitted ‘before’ pictures back in May for AT8 and you’re still making steady progress then I suggest you push through to the end of the 20-week version of AT8.

If on the other hand AT8 was a bit of a ‘bust’ for you and you need to re-boot and start fresh, then send in ‘before’ pictures and measurements next week for AT9 and finish the year strong.

This is it, time to man up and show us what you’re made of in 2012.

John

 

 

 

 

Filed Under: Contest, Transformation Tagged With: ,

Former Special Forces Officer Admits He Just Wants to Look Good

August 20, 2012 by

Today we have an interview with Pete.

Pete follows the Adonis Index workouts but has not competed in any of our contests, however his fitness lifestyle approach has rewarded him with a remarkable “contest-ready” physique.

Because of his amazing results we decided to interview him to learn more about how he achieved this “elite” level of fitness.

Check out his pictures:

Pete’s awesome transformation.

Pete’s background is ex-military; where he served as a Special Forces Officer.

We quickly discovered from Pete that the time, effort, and training that went into becoming a Special Forces’ Officer was simply mind-blowing.

However, when Pete left the army he continued his workout regimen as if he was still active duty.  His motivation to continue training was simply to be fit; not because he wanted to run marathons or go on long-distance rucksack  marches.  He continued his training because he wanted to look good  and believed this was the best way to maintain his conditioning.

Pete was very fit, his endurance and strength never dwindled.

But despite his level of fitness, he was carrying an undesirable amount of fat.

This is a perfect example of when being fit doesn’t translate into good looks.

Pete was hoping that one day all the hard work of his training would show up, but sadly, that day never came.

Adonis Index, Revelation or Disappointment?

Then Pete discovered Adonis Index.

He was fascinated by the concepts of the golden ratio, ancient Greek mythology, and loved the fact that everything was made based upon art and science.

After going through the materials  he decided to drop all the other fitness products,  tuned out all the other so called fitness “experts”, and gave this new program an honest try.

And the result?

Let’s ask him:

After getting out of the Army, I was still eating like I was in the military but my calorie intake did not equal my volume of training.    I slowly put on weight over a period of 5 years; the weight really increased when my son was born 3 years ago.

I can safely say now that not only have I returned  back to the body I had ten years ago,  but its even BETTER LOOKING!  I am well-proportioned and not just ‘functional’.

Sure, these days I would find it harder to carry a heavy pack for 30km, but who cares? I don’t NEED to, lol.

 I mentally struggled with this concept for a long time because the army style of training was so heavily ingrained into me – I was still training for function: a function I was no longer required to perform.  I’m so pleased to have found AI and apply their training concepts.

I signed up for immersion and never looked back.

Pete realized that the Adonis physique is what he really wanted this whole time, he just never knew how to train for that sought after “look”.

Cardio was always one of Pete’s greatest strengths, but he just wasn’t satisfied with the way he looked.

The results he longed for did not occur until he made a fundamental change in his attitude towards training.

He accepted the fact that looks were important to him; there is no reason why you should hide the fact that you want to look good.

Almost everyone in the gym tries to improve their max on bench press, increase their vertical jump for basketball, train for stamina and endurance and all the other sh*t while 99% of those guys really just wanna look good, that’s the reason why they got into “body building” in the first place, so why hide it?

If you are not willing to admit to yourself that that’s the reason why you work out, you will never build a good looking body.

It’s similar to people who want to build wealth for themselves and their family, but they believe having lots of money is wrong.

If you think focusing on training for looks and not performance is wrong, you will not be able to build a body you can be satisfied with.

Think about it, if you actually want to change the shape of your body, you must change your attitude.

Is the Fear of Overtraining Real?

Before you listen to the interview there is one more thing I feel like we should talk about and that’s the fear of overtraining.

On Friday we already discussed that it’s very unlikely you will overtrain and that training intensity and frequency is really just a matter of conditioning.

If you haven’t read that article, just go here: Are You Overtraining with Adonis Index Workouts?

Most people don’t realize what overtraining really means and today you are going to get information on this subject from the best source possible – former military.

Pete did 28 days of extreme training in the field. He performed all day/night field exercises while operating in a food and sleep deprived state.

This was actually a limit-breaker for Pete and it pushed him into a “over-trained” state where his body literally just crashed and shut down.

Although this is an extreme example of over-training, you can compare and contrast to your optimized diet and sleep with a couple of hours spent in the gym.

The lesson?

Don’t be scared of pushing what you think is your limit and get someone else to help you find what your limits are, hint – they are further than you think.

What would Pete advise himself a year ago:

  • Don’t wait for the contest to start, just start getting in shape today
  • Take this seriously
  • Do the program as it’s laid out including the intensity, don’t second guess it
  • Listen to all the podcasts
  • Don’t’ talk about fitness or what you are doing, make the change first
  • Put the energy into working out and what maters not discussing fitness
  • You should never have to explain yourself
  • Use the community and start posting updates there, benefit from the knowledge and support in there
  • Don’t try to push things towards the end
  • Follow the workout as written
  • Be consistent with workouts, measurements and diet
  • Take pictures
  • Ignore the scale
  • Trust the system

Interview links:

Read Pete’s experience with Adonis Index in his own words:

I was very fit aerobically but I couldn’t seem to get below 210-215 lb though. I was ‘stuck’. I mean, I was eating…Click Here to Continue Reading

In the interview Pete talks about lots of useful techniques. He also shares what supplements he takes, how he measures food intake, how to prepare for a photoshoot and set up your home for the shoot and also his DEXA numbers.

Listen to the interview here, and please “like” it when you’re done:

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: Android | RSS

Filed Under: Podcasts, Stories, Transformation Tagged With: , , , , , ,

The “Photo-Shoot Ready” Recipe: Four Key Ingredients Needed to Prepare your Contest Photo Submissions

August 10, 2012 by

The clock is ticking… The deadline for AT8 Contest Photo Submissions is rapidly approaching.

If you’re participating in the 12 week transformation contest, you’re putting the finishing touches on your “Final Look”.

If you’re in the 20 week transformation contest, you’re beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel, stay the course.

For many contestants, this is the first workout program that you’ve followed consistently.  Thank you for your commitment to the Adonis Index Workout Systems and more importantly for your commitment to your own personal goals.

Win or lose, regardless of your contest placement, your transformation is a personal achievement and you should be very proud of your accomplishment.

All of your valiant efforts over this contest period stem from the synergistic combination of proper nutrition, strength training, and cardio.

One way to celebrate this achievement is by capturing some stunning images of your new & improved physique.

There are several tweaks or methods one can apply to enhance their overall appearance.

To keep things simple, yet effective I’ve chosen to focus on the top four ingredients of any “successful” fitness photo-shoot. So before you step in front of the camera, you can assure yourself that on command, you will be “Photo-Shoot Ready”.

The “Photo-Shoot” Ready Recipe: Four Key Ingredients to Prepare for your Contest Photo Submissions

 

1.    Conditioning: Shirt-On vs Shirt-Off? What’s the Difference?

 When it comes to conditioning, there are two different worlds we live in.

There is the “Shirt-On” world where most people reside and then there is the “Shirt-Off” world which is displayed on many a beach or magazine cover.

Neither world is bad but there are rules for living in both.

A person who has good conditioning will possess these three  features:  separation in the muscle groups, striations, and vascularity.  Unfortunately, in “Shirt-On” world it is is very difficult to tell the conditioning of a person because clothes cover the body.

A man who looks muscular “Shirt-On”  may not have the same conditioning as a man who  “Shirt-Off”  is ripped but not as impressive  in the same outfit.

In regards to this contest you will be judged by the rules & standards of  “Shirt-Off” world where conditioning is paramount.

As you’ve followed the AI programs, you have heard of the the term “Golden Ratio” or your body’s ideal  shoulder-to-waist (AI) ratio.  This transformation contest measures your starting and final AI-ratio to evaluate your progress over the 12 or 20 week period.

Nevertheless, here are a few suggestions to enhance your conditioning for your Contest Photos:

1. Mild Water Depletion: Sometimes your body retains water on the outer layer of your skin which can impact your conditioning. To help rid the body of excess water eat  foods such as asparagus and oatmeal or drink a low sugar green tea beverage 2-3 days prior to your photo-shoot for best results.

Additionally, take photos of yourself  in this state early in the morning as opposed to later in the day.

2. Fasted State: Intermittent fasting  has also been known to enhance conditioning.

Your skin is tighter  and muscle appear more defined as your body’s fat burning hormones are elevated.

To capture yourself  in the fasted state take photos first thing in the morning upon waking up.  If your following the “Eat Stop Eat” or the “The Reverse Taper Diet” regimen try planning your photo-shoot about 6-8 hours into your fasted state.

3. Carb-Loaded:  The “Carb-Loaded” state is the direct opposite  of being fasted.

However, they both create two very aesthetic looks which are ideal for a photo-shoot.  In the carb-loaded state you body resembles more of a full-muscular look which also helps to tighten your skin and improve vascularity.

To achieve the “carb-loaded” effect choose between one or two  of the following foods: honey (2 tablespoons), dark chocolate (4-6 squares), a peach (medium-size), or banana (medium-size) about 15-30 min prior to your photo-shoot and get your body pumped up with some simple exercises (i.e. push-ups, resistance band curls, etc.)

You still have a few days to experiment with what technique works best for you.  So take several photos in the various states and see which one’s turn out best.

2.    Posing: If you got it, make sure you show it…Properly!

Posing is the art of positioning your body in a specific way to present the best visual effect.

How you pose is very important.

In traditional bodybuilding competitions if a judge cannot see a certain part of your body they cannot judge it. Or even worse they will assume this area is under-developed.  We all have strengths and weaknesses in certain parts of our body.

Some muscles respond better to the training than others.

Posing is also a way to creatively display the parts of your body that are most flattering to your physique.

Practice, Practice, Practice! In front of a Mirror is preferred… Here is a “quick refresher” video of  the standard front, back and side shots that mimic your ‘before’ pictures and are required for the contest.

Remember “Pose Like the Pros!”

CLICK HERE TO WATCH POSING TUTORIAL VIDEO

3.    Tanning: The Icing or Glaze on the Cake

The use of tanners and oils will also  improve your final look.  It has been observed that the darker your skin, the more definition can be seen.

This is most evident in bodybuilding competitions when two competitors of different ethnic backgrounds appear equally dark but are of different skin tone.

You may already tan regularly but if you don’t, there are some “sun-less” alternatives to enhance definition  for example, body oils, spray tans, sunless tanners, etc.  It’s always best to begin with a moderate amount and increase from there.

Your Final Contest Photos are a composite of: Conditioning, Posing, Tanning, and Lighting. Capture your physique at its best!

4.    Photography & Lighting: Almost Live

Since this is an Online and not a “Live” competition your photos will be all the judges have to grade you on.

While a professional photo-shoot is not mandatory,  it’s very important to  select an area whether indoor or outdoor with ample amount of lighting.

If you decide to use extra lighting, the best results were achieved  from past contestants when the lighting was balanced on either side and were pointed upwards at a 45-degree angle.

A solid black or white backdrop is preferred for indoor photos to help eliminate distractions and keep the focus on your physique.

Feel free to be fun and creative in your outdoor poses.  The bottom line is  that you’ve worked hard on your physique and you want the camera to tell the “whole” story.

In conclusion, remember these Four Key Ingredients in order to become “Photo-Shoot Ready” on Command:

  1. Conditioning
  2. Posing
  3. Tanning
  4. Photography/Lighting

Very Respectfully,

Allen Elliott

Filed Under: body image, Contest, Goals, health, Identity, Sage Advice, Transformation Tagged With: , ,

Why Weight Lifting Is Just Like Playing Music

August 6, 2012 by

Today we have an interview with Johannes Platz who placed 6th in the Open Level 1 category in our latest Adonis Index Contest.

Check out his pictures:

Johannes is Ripped!

Johannes is a musician which requires him to sit for long hours on end during performances and rehearsals.  He was never physically active growing up and combined with his work as a musician he began to experience  issues with back pain which prompted him to pursue more of a fitness lifestyle, specifically weight lifting.

However, Johannes journey into fitness was not without some setback and disappointment.

At first he went to a therapist, who got him to do some basic bodyweight exercises and later on prescribed a weight lifting program consisting of a few exercises of 3 sets with 15 reps.

After six months he saw some decent results.

It wasn’t exactly a complex fitness program, but at least he began to exercise regularly and was able to eliminate his back pain.

Be Aware of Goal Hijacking

When Johannes relocated to to Switzerland; he was away from his therapist and began to seek out a new fitness routine.

He jumped on a few weight lifting programs and got into a decent shape, but he fell victim to the conventional “eat bit to be big” approach.

After a while he realized two things:

  1. He never wanted to be huge like bodybuilders
  2. He gained muscle, but he became “pudgy” in the process

That’s what we call goal hijacking – you have a goal (getting in shape in this case) and you start moving in a right direction, but you fall off track on your way there (ex.: by aiming for the bodybuilder type of look).

The whole purpose of the programs Johannes tried was to get bigger by  gaining a ton of muscle – you know those claims like “gain 30 pounds of muscle over summer” programs.

Even though it worked to a certain degree, he had to prepare and eat meals up to six times a day, which is pretty time consuming, considering the fact he didn’t like the way he looked.

It wasn’t until one day when he discovered new role modes of an ideal shape from images of guys like Taylor Lautner and Ryan Gosling.  From that point, he realized that this is the body shape he wanted to achieve.

Through a few referrals he found Eat Stop Eat, the Anything Goes Diet and lastly the Adonis Index.

He  immediately started following the nutrition advice and doing the workouts.

Eat Stop Eat helped him understand that it’s okay to skip meals and he found it very freeing. Anything Goes Diet was a relief as well because somebody finally told him that he doesn’t have to worry about the food he puts in his mouth, and that there is no evidence of high caloric diet supporting muscle growth.

It even got him into cooking, which is something he never did before!

And once he saw Andrew Peter’s pictures he decided to  jump in and participate in one of the contests and take his physique to the next level.

Tips from Johannes: 

  • If you aren’t exercising. start weight lifting ASAP
  • There are a lot of fitness programs, but none of them are as flexible and simple to follow as Adonis Index (plus this one actually works)
  • Take before and after pictures to really see what amazing progress you have done
  • The little bit of bodyfat you drop can make a huge difference in pictures
  • People start noticing that you are in shape roughly at AI 1.5
  • Don’t compare yourself to others, it’s just your progress, everyone is different from genetic potential standpoint
  • Competitors are often times very genetically gifted and in some cases on drugs, so don’t take their bodies as your ideals
  • There is always someone who looks better than you
  • Be consistent with your effort in the gym
  • Stay in your calorie budget
  • Don’t be afraid of cooking the food yourself

Links from the interview:

Read Johannes’s experience with Adonis Index in his own words:

I found the adonisindex site a while ago, but didn’t buy the program until last summer. Before that I had a long journey going through different fitness programs, but I think I finally found what works best for me (…yours J).

The first time I was searching the web for muscle building I found…Continue reading here

Listen to the interview here, and please “like” it when you’re done:

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: Android | RSS

Filed Under: Contest, Podcasts, Stories, Transformation Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

9 Pounds Muscle Gain Since His Last Contest

July 30, 2012 by

Today we have an interview with Vivek who placed 3rd in our latest Adonis Index Transformation Contest.

The topic of this interview is muscle gain and how quickly it can happen.

Check out his pictures:

Make sure you set up good lighting or book a studio for the shoot.

This is the second time Vivek has placed in one of our contests.  To make matters more interesting, this is Vivek’s first year of weight training.

After the first contest, Vivek was very lean, however,  his  muscles were still undefined  and his abs weren’t visible.

For the second contest, he chose to focus on muscle gain; ensuring that any future weight gain would be from muscle and not fat.

He followed the Main AI 3.0 workout for the contest followed  by MBF.  He also recorded his DEXA scan measurements every four weeks to track his progress.  His training efforts  yielded a steady increase of 1-2 pounds  in lean body mass every month during the contest itself.

Vivek’s philosophy was, “you don’t know the change if you don’t know the data.”

Unfortunately, despite Vivek’s progress,  he developed tennis elbow and had to stop training to recover completely.  However, he continued his DEXA scans and observed that there was no change while he was receiving from the elbow issue, which is proof that muscle growth doesn’t occur when your body is resting, but only as a response to training (like some so called “experts” would have you believe).

Your muscles remain in an anabolic state because of the work performed and not your protein intake.

All that matters is the amount of work you did on that muscle group.

With this realization and experience, Vivek decided to do 10 workouts a week. Why? Simply because more work equals more muscle.

For his morning routine, he did the Hyperthrophy and Strength modules from the main workout; in the afternoon, he chose Strength Endurance and Specializations for his weaker areas like abs, chest or hamstrings.

Lots of people do some kind of cardio in the afternoon, however if you take away the health benefits, then you are really doing it for the calorie burning, so why not add some weight training instead since the usual cardio doesn’t stress the muscles?

And the bonus is that you will still get some health and conditioning benefits from the Strength Endurance workouts too, so it’s kind of win-win.

Double the Work, Double the Gains

Vivek doubled the work, made sure he followed the rest periods and took DEXA scans every four weeks to track progress.

Did double the work translated into double gains?

Since we interviewed him a few month after this contest he was prepared to share the results…

And the answer is…YES!

In the first month of doing this he gained 2.9 pounds of lean body mass, he kept doing that for another month and he gained another 3 pounds.

This was after the contest, but still part of his Adonis transformation and the results are just astounding.

And Vivek is not the only one who tried doing the workouts more often, one of our previous contestants Adam Murphy did the same thing.

Now, should you also work out twice a day?

Well, the answer is “It depends”.

If you are just starting out then the regular program as it’s laid out will be more than enough, also if you follow one of the more advanced protocols from the Adonis systems, then you won’t be able to add much more on top of that.

But if you went through the AI workouts at least once and you are familiar with how they work, then you can play with it, and maybe just like Vivek, do two per day instead of one, well at least if your lifestyle allows you to do that.

Ice Cream as Pre-Workout Meal?

Vivek has a pretty unique pre-workout routine. He likes to grab an ice cream, for no other reason than that he enjoys it. Now if we take the regular ice cream that Vivek gets it’s roughly only 150 calories (about two apples worth), so no big deal, but he was driving people nuts in the gym. Imagine everyone pounding protein shakes and pre-workout drinks and then Vivek walking in the gym at less than 6% body fat and ice cream in his hand.

What they didn’t realize was that their shakes probably had more calories than his small ice cream.

The point is, you can eat whatever you want. If you keep some balance in your diet and limit the amount, then there is no reason why you couldn’t have an ice cream before your workout.

Forget about the bad foods goods foods dogma and focus on the basics that really matters.

Take Lots of Photos

Here are a couple more photos of Vivek:

Vivek’s back muscle development over the months.

…And a few more:

Once you are at it and doing the photoshoot, make sure you take some pictures with your casual clothes, those photos can be handy.

Tips from Vivek:

  • “Use the permission to lift light approach”
  • “Make it a goal to stay away from injury”
  • “Lighter weights (still challenging though) in the combination with high reps can help you keep your joints healthy and will improve your strength endurance”
  • “AI approach works, at 38 years old I’m experiencing growth that’s similar to  juvenile muscle growth that only guys in their teens and 20s typically get”
  • “If your lifestyle and fitness condition allows it, train more often”
  • “Stop killing your time in front of TV and get to the gym, it’s a great stress reliever”
  • “Focus on building muscle without gaining fat mass”
  • “The name of the game is TRACKING, if you’re not tracking you’re likely not progressing”
  • “Learn the basics of dressing and body language to present yourself and your new body properly”

Links from the interview:

  • Main AI Workout – Workout protocol responsible for one of them most amazing transformations online
  • “MBF” – Muscle Building foundation is designed to help you gain size and optimize your AI ratio

Read Vivek’s experience with Adonis Index in his own words:

Competing in AT7 was essentially the challenge of increasing muscle mass while still keeping my fat mass low.  I had lost a lot of fat and had very low body fat percentages by the end of AT6. 

I started off with MBF right after completion of AT6, the week after thanksgiving.  Being able to eat at maintenance gave me a lot of energy to give it all I had with MBF.   When I started off MBF, my squat and Bench numbers were relatively low.  However by the end, I had almost doubled…Continue reading here

Listen to the interview here, and please “like” it when you’re done:

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: Android | RSS

Filed Under: Contest, Podcasts, Stories, Transformation Tagged With: , , , , , ,

3 Weeks to go in AT8 12-Week Transformation Contest

July 23, 2012 by

There is only 3 weeks to go in the AT8 12 week contest. The past 9 weeks have probably felt like they flew by, and the next 3 are probably going to feel like a grind, and thats normal.

The finish line is in sight.

The finish line is now in sight, and at this point some people feel like they need to try harder to make more happen. Don’t fall for this sort of thinking. Consistency from one day to the next is the key for the contest and that doesn’t change now.

It doesn’t matter how smooth or not so smooth your path to this point has been, all you have to do is stay on plan and make these last 3 weeks your best 3 weeks.

Take some pictures right now and try to recognize things you can address in the next 3 weeks. This would include posing, posture, tanning, lighting (if you’re not booking a full on photoshoot), pumping up vs not pumping up for pictures. This can help you decide where to put some attention over the next few weeks to present your best look.

Final contest submission pictures, measurements, and essay are due by Sunday Aug 12 at midnight EST. You can submit at any time durning the week leading up to Sunday Aug 12th. Final submissions are to be done through the contest dashboard where you submitted your ‘before’ pictures and measurements.

Special not for the 20 week competition.

Those people interested in competing in the 20 week competition can submit pictures for the 12 week competition and continue on for the remaining 8 weeks. You will be eligible for placing in both competitions.

Those of you interested in submitting pictures to be a AI cover model – we will be accepting pictures throughout the year whenever you’re ready. Transformation pictures are also eligible to get a cover.

Next monday we will be back to our regularly scheduled interviews.

John

 

Filed Under: Contest, Transformation Tagged With: ,
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