Here’s your new interview with one of the winners from the 8th Adonis Index Transformation Contest.
Today John talks to Rodrigo Caceres who placed 3rd in our last 12-Week Transformation contest.
Check out his transformation pictures:
Rodrigo’s 12 week progress with Adonis Index.
Rodrigo wanted to place in the top 10 and he did, he placed third, let’s look at his story and what he did that brought him this results.
Until recently Rodrigo wasn’t doing any sort of training. He was stuck in the rut of gaining weight after getting married. .
One day he decided to get back in shape. So he got a routine from a personal trainer and started going to the gym. He got a bit leaner, but also got annoyed and bored with his routine, so when he stopped training he fell back into the rut of weight gain.
He once again got back on track by attending some spinning clases combined with a “whole foods” diet.
But as he got leaner, he had no muscle mass and started to receive comments that he was “too skinny.”
In response to these comments he decided to join the bodybuilding community and adopted the usual approach – eat more, eat every 3 hours.
The result? Fat Gain yet once again.
Over the years this became a never ending cycle of weight loss and weight gain.
Rodrigo truly believed that if he leaned out he would have more muscle.
So in an act of desperation, he went online to find a way to lean out and that was when he stumbled upon Eat Stop Eat, which lead him to Adonis Index.
At first he didn’t want to accept the ideology, but listening to the podcasts and the grand opening of a new gym near his home convinced him to get started.
Before we get into his transformation, there is something you need to know about Rodrigo, let’s consider his educational background.
Rodrigo studied philosophy, so his perspective is a bit different than most. He was used to self-analysis and introspection and was always consciously aware of his feeling at any giving moment. Posessing this knowledge he expected to have very little trouble with the mechanics and assumed that the mental part of the transformation would be fairly simple.
However, quite the opposite happened.
Truth is that the mental part of any transformation is tough, no matter what your experience or expertise is. Even though some people have it easier, everyone will have to overcome inner challenges that’s why we call it a transformation, because at the end of it, you are a different person, both physically and mentally.
Rodrigo was very motivated, but like everyone he had moments when he felt a bit depressed.
He told us that this was actually one of the hardest mental challenges he’d ever went through.
It all seems superficial, but it’s really not and even despite the fact that the contest is only for 3 months it’s still very challenging. It’s just not what people expect it will be, you have emotional ups and downs, and the process is far from straightforward.
It will definitely push you out of your comfort zone and force you to break old habits.
We always say that it’s simple but not easy, however this doesn’t mean it’s not doable. A successful transformation is indeed possible and as you can see here, lots of people have gone before you. It’s important to realize that the promises you see on TV are false, it’s what the marketers wants you to believe to be true. Nothing worth pursuing in life is ever easy.
Can You Drink Alcohol and Cut?
As you have read previously from the Naughty Guide post, you can have alcohol and still get ripped, the key is moderation, as with anything.
Rodrigo decided that he won’t give up alcohol and that’s something he wants to enjoy even during the contest prep and he did. You can too if you want, it’s up to you whether you want to enjoy your calories in meal or drink.
What Rodrigo realized was that with drinking comes a lot of eating, so he limited himself to only a couple of glasses and refrained from eating. This allowed him to stay within his weekly calorie budget and continue to lose fat.
If you keep your eyes on your calories, no diet is impossible for fat loss.
Summary Rodrigo’s advice:
- Stick to the workouts, they work and are fun to do
- Always think of your form first to stay injury free
- Treat your workouts like a meditation, you should relax your mind and stay fully focused on the training
- Be strict with the rest periods (use stop watch) – Timing is important, people fail to get results when they don’t follow the workout plan exactly
- Don’t worry about your bodyweight or how much you are lifting
- Listen to all the podcasts and interviews
- You don’t have to do cardio if you hate it, diet is what matters for fat loss
- Get involved in the AI community, use the support there and help others
- Expect to have bad days
- Don’t be afraid to experiment
- Be aware that the process isn’t nearly as glamorous as the end result
Links from the interview:
- Main Adonis Index Workout
- If you want to get in touch with Rodrigo, talk to him about his approach and get more tips, here’s his profile in our community
Read Rodrigo’s experience with Adonis Index in his own words:
In one of my first blog posts, I wrote: “I’m thinking of entering AT8. This way I know I’ll just get there, get to where I’ve never been before, travel the road I’ve travelled so many times, but getting to the end this time.” I never expected what was coming.
This is the first time I stuck with a program…Continue reading here
Listen to the interview here, and please “like” it when you’re done:
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About Allen Elliott