Achieve Single Digit Body Fat Levels while Eating the Foods you Love

Here’s your new interview with one of the winners from the 8th Adonis Index Transformation Contest.

Today John talks to Simon Bernard who won 1st place in the 12-Week Transformation.

Check out his transformation pictures:

Simon’s results after 12 weeks of the contest.

Simon has entered  a couple of our  contests but never  achieved his desired results. He stands at 5’7” and was about 145 pounds before finding the Adonis Index; today he weighs 127 pounds.

For this particular  contest,  he change his approach slightly.  What he decided to do differently was what  Adonis Index  preaches all the time – lose fat first, build muscle afterwards (or in the process).

Here’s his whole Adonis transformation:

Simon’s overall progress with Adonis Index.

Simon shared with us that while growing up he was always referred to as “the chubby kid”.

He had this idea of losing fat first and then building muscle already in his head in the past, but once he got involved in the fitness community his thinking became skewed. He was lead to believe that he should focus on getting bigger and bulking up. The industry convinced him that “mass & bulking” is the goal he should aim for and that excess energy will simply be converted into muscle tissue.

However, it really makes sense to get lean first and go from there. You can lose fat pretty quickly, it’s building muscle that takes some time. And since you can’t really eat your way up to bigger muscles, it doesn’t make sense to get fat in the process of  attempting to “put on” more muscle.

Another thing most people don’t realize is that you can actually do both!

You can build muscle while being in a caloric deficit. It won’t be that much and you won’t impress any bodybuilder with it, but if your training is good, then you can do it.

And since your energy levels and calorie intake will get better once you get lean you don’t really have to worry about the speed of building the muscles.

Focus on what you want, don’t let the fitness industry dictate your goals.

“Getting in Shape is Complicated and You Will Suffer in the Process”…Oh Really?!?

When it comes to mainstream media, people often lose touch with reality which results in the disbelief that getting in shape could be simple.

According to most fitness “experts” fat loss revolves around hormones, pills, special foods and supplements…it couldn’t possibly be about calories; a concept so simple even an eight year old could figure it out.

People try to  overcomplicate things, look for excuses and then wonder how they never manage to get in shape.

Simon did several 24 hour fasts during the 12 week contest period, he ate almost anything he wanted  and never skipped weekend social eating events full of drinking, eating at restaurants and snacking on “unhealthy food”.

During the week he ate a little less to prepare for the weekend in order to remain in the “fat burning zone”.

During the day he ate two meals – his first being breakfast and second, a late night dinner.

He kept it simple.

He didn’t even count calories;  simply guessing how much he ate.

Many will wonder how someone like Simon comes along and  makes a stunning transformation while eating pretty much whatever he wanted.  It appears magical when it’s actually just how your body works.

Once you understand the process, it’s just about finding a way to make it happen for you within your own  lifestyle.

Tips from Simon:

  • Keep it simple
  • Be consistent
  • Follow the program as it is written, don’t change stuff
  • Don’t involve too many people in the process (when you talk to people even if you are explaining things in the right way, most tend to be jealous and will question to your methods despite the fact that you may look better than them already)
  • Prepare for your social eating events in advance (you can use intermittent fasting for example)
  • Nobody has 12 weeks of perfection, you will have your ups and downs during your journey/contest
  • I  have two different jobs and still managed to have time to got to the gym almost every day, it’s more about your mindset and  not the “in-depth” mechanics of your lifestyle

Links from the interview:

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

When I think about it, I’ve always wanted to have a great looking body. As a kid, it was probably more to resemble my favorite actors, like Shwartzenegger, or Van Damme… Later, I just understood all the benefits (health and social status) related to looking good. The only problem was I spent too much time philosophing and playing music rather than playing sports and ended up rather chubby. I tried many different approaches and…Continue reading here

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

The Side Effect of Modern Society and Even Scientists Can’t Escape

Here’s the first part of this month’s UNCENSORED Podcasts Season 2.

This month’s topic: Orthorexia.

What is orthorexia?

Orthorexia comes from obsession with avoiding foods that are perceived to be unhealthy. In the academic field it’s believed to be a mental disorder. This disorder can lead to severe malnutrition or even in some rare cases death.

Orthorexics usually have low self-esteem, because they blame themselves rather than their diets for their constant hunger and the resulting cravings for foods they’ve labeled as forbidden.

It’s a pretty serious topic, and if you follow any of the dietary advice from conventional fitness media you may very well develop this disorder yourself.

The moment you label something as forbidden, you are f*cked, because sooner or later you will break and overeat on it.

It’s quite a contradiction when you think about it, because orthorexia in it’s essence is an unhealthy obsession over healthy food.

So instead of restricting calories, orthorexics restrict food choices that they or a perceived authority labeled as bad and unhealthy.

The whole idea of Anything Goes Diet that we preach here at Adonis Index is that you can have whatever you want.

Some people misunderstand this statement and think you can fast food 24/7.

They are missing the point.

The idea is not to eat everything you can, the idea is that if you can limit the amount to fit in your caloric plan, then you can fill it with some things that are higher in fat, sugar and salt e.g. ice cream, burger, pizza and donuts.

With this mindset you will not fall victim to labeling certain foods as bad or unhealthy and won’t develop orthorexia.

Why People Want to Eat Healthy?

The whole issue around orthorexia is that it happens in a very specific environment, in an environment that you are most likely part off.

How come that I’m so sure you are part of that environment? Well, if you weren’t you couldn’t be reading this article, because you couldn’t afford a computer or iPad.

Orthorexia is an issue that appears in modern societies where there’s an abundance of food.

There seems to be a big contrast in the food availability.

It’s pretty hard to find a country where there is  not enough food for everyone to have a balanced diet.  In most cases, people are starving  or they have an over-abundance of food (i.e. 3rd world countries vs. Europe and US).

The abundance of food coupled with our  highly modernized society influences people to live a healthier lifestyle.

Of course there is nothing wrong with that, it’s just that human nature  tends to want to take things to an extreme level.

Which raises a few questions:

What do we want to achieve with our lifestyle?

Why do we search for better choices in our lives when we can buy everything we desire?

Let’s kick off this month of uncensored with a very fundamental question.

Why do you want to eat healthy?

Just STOP and  think about it.

The answer is not simply, because you want to be healthy.

There is more to it.

Do you want to live longer?

Do you want more fulfilling life?

Do you want to be healthy so you can see your grandchildren?

What’s the reason for you to search for better options in your life? And that can ultimately lead you to developing disorders like orthorexia?

In today’s UNCENSORED training, you will also discover:

  • How a simple thing like food that has nothing to do with us and in any way was meant to define your personality, can screw you up
  • Why certain people (yes the ones in this industry) feel superiority over you, because of their diet choices
  • Why do you feel ashamed about your diet choice and what leads self-punishment and guild with your food
  • What’s in the root of people’s search for better food choices and why nutrition will never be an answer to “cheating death”
  • The truth about how people make their food preferences, it it because they want to eat those foods or because some dietitians put importance on certain items?
  • Discovering whether you function on logic or emotional belief system
  • Why tracking and testing your results matters
  • How to stop letting food destroy your relationships
  • How orthorexia is same as drugs

IMMERSION Clients May Login and Download Podcast Here

Not an Adonis Index IMMERSION client? Click here to find out more… and hear a weird story too

Are You Satisfied with Your Body Shape?

Here’s your new interview with one of the winners from the 8th Adonis Index Transformation Contest.

Today John talks to Lester Sing who placed 4th in the 12-Week Transformation.

Check out his transformation pictures:

Awesome progress in just 12 weeks, what do you think?

Lester was always lean, at least till he got out of high school. That’s when he started gaining weight – and it wasn’t muscle.

This is pretty common, most people get out of school, stop doing sports, and begin living a sedentary lifestyle.

Lester gained quite a lot of weight and at his height 5’4” he got up to 180 pounds.

This is something that happens when you stop paying attention, start eating more, start attending more social eating events and stop exercising.

Lester realized that he had to do something about this so he invested in a couple workout programs and tried several different approaches.

He dropped to 139 pounds (achieved his goal) and decided to stay active.

However, he still wasn’t happy.

Even though he improved his body, he wasn’t comfortable taking his shirt off, yet.

As he said, he didn’t think he could see his abs again.

…Then he noticed an online ad for Adonis Index.

He jumped on board, got the workout plan, got into the community and started training.

He wanted to test out whether the program can produce any results for him.

And he was very surprised when he saw his final pictures.

Results Come with Patience

Lester played around with fasting and Pilon’s 24 hour fasting protocol called Eat Stop Eat.

What worked for him the most was fasting for 15 hours and then having the first big meal of the day.

It took him a lot to get from eating every 3 hours to eating just once a day.

And if you are experiencing something similar, then understand that changing your eating habits may take up to two weeks.

Your body needs to get used to eating less often. You will experience a hunger pang followed by a strong urge to eat.

It will take some time and effort to get used to it, but after about two weeks you will be comfortable with having an empty stomach and it’s at  that time when you will begin seeing the results.

The first week you will think that what you are doing is wrong, it will feel uncomfortable, because it’s simply something new.

…And your body subconsciously fights when you are trying new things.

But after you get over this initial first bump, you will feel great, you will feel alive, more in control.

It’s necessary to go through this, because it’s probably the best way to learn how to manage your food intake, you will just learn so much about yourself and about food and your eating habits that it’s impossible to describe it (even though Pilon did a pretty good job in his latest ESE book).

Tips from Lester:

  • Dedication and consistency are necessary for you to succeed
  • It’s a slow process so how much you want it will determine the results you will get
  • Take lots of photos and then put them side by side
  • Fat won’t come out all at once
  • You will eventually get there it just takes time and patience
  • You have the time to work out, and even if you miss a tv shows, so what?
  • If you are used to eating at certain times (same goes for food choices) it will take a couple weeks for you to change it
  • Don’t eat 6 times a day, it’s easier to track the calories when you have just two big meals
  • Keep track of everything – weight log, strength log, measurements, photos
  • Don’t be afraid to be light, it’s nothing to be ashamed of and quite frankly nobody gives a sh*t
  • If the weight is messing with your head then don’t even bother, the mirror/photos is what matters

Links from the interview:

  • Main Adonis Index Workout 3.1 – The workout that’s responsible for the most amazing transformations online
  • Adonis Index Community – The friendliest and most helpful fitness community in the world
  • Eat Stop EatDiet Lifestyle protocol designed to help you to lose fat and regain freedom in your food choices

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

Right after AT7, I had a binging frenzy and gained about 7lbs from 129 to 136.

Granted i’m short, but that 7 lbs made me look like I gained about 15lbs. The biggest mistake I think I did was restrict myself too much cutting calories down to 1200 a day throughout the contest, causing me to binge a lot of times in the weekend.

This time around my plan was to Continue reading here

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

G-Day: Enter The Gauntlet & Join The AT9 Invasion

The 9th Adonis Index contest (AT9) officially began this past Monday.  AT9 contestants will have the first opportunity to equip & utilize  AI’s newest workout, The  Adonis Index  Gauntlet (AIG).

To bring  you up to speed if you’re new or just catching up, here are a few talking points on AIG:

  • A gauntlet is defined as going through an intimidating or dangerous crowd, place, or experience in order to reach a goal
  •  Like a traditional gauntlet, AIG has challenging workouts that stand in your way; not to prevent you from your goal but to empower you as you overcome and complete each workout
  •  This 12 Week Peak Muscular Conditioning Program is your “road map”  to prepare you for your next photo-shoot or contest

For the first time in AI history, a 12 Week Contest Prep workout has been created.  While this is an important milestone,  I have drawn my inspiration for this blog from an even more significant event in history.

“You are about to embark upon the great crusade toward which we have striven these many months. The eyes of the world are upon you…I have full confidence in your courage, devotion to duty and skill in battle.” – General Dwight D. Eisenhower

History of D-Day

The term D-Day ( Tuesday, 6 June 1944) was used for the day which commenced the landing operations of the Allied invasion of Normandy, in Operation Overlord during World War II.  D-Day would later be recorded as the  largest amphibious invasion in world history which was executed by land, sea, and air elements involving over 160,000 Allied troops.

“Day of The Gauntlet”: Your  Road Map Through AT9

Similar to D-Day, the term G-Day marks the commencement of  using  the AIG workout as a road map to successfully navigate through the AT9 contest period.  AIG has been birthed from the many contests and photo-shoots prepared for and the countless hours of research, trial, and error spent finding out the best way to arrive in that “Ideal” state.

AIG has been battle-field tested and is now ready for the exclusive use of all AI brethren, better known as the “Golden Army“.

The Adonis Index Gauntlet (AIG) is a 12 Week Peak Muscular Conditioning Program which features six (6)–two (2) week modules:

  • AIG Module 1:  Physique Conditioning (weeks 1-2)
  • AIG Module 2: Giant Wave Sets (weeks 3-4)
  • AIG Module 3: Mini-X Sets (weeks 5-6)
  • AIG Module 4: Tri-Phase Sets (weeks 7-8)
  • AIG Module 5: Power Giant Sets (weeks 9-10)
  • AIG Module 6: Touch Up Sets & Peak Week (weeks 11-12)

The benefit of the two-week module system is the “gauntlet effect” that occurs as you progress from module to module.

Enter The Gauntlet & Join The AT9 Invasion

The Choice is yours… G-Day: Enter The Gauntlet & Join The AT9 Invasion

As stated earlier contest AT9 has already begun. This is the final 12-week contest of the year ending on wed Nov 21st.

If you want to end 2012 with a “flash-bang” then prepare to be “shocked & amazed” when you Enter The Gauntlet .

AIG is available for individual purchase for a limited time only.  If you’re not an immersion client be sure to pick it up here.

If your “eyes are on the prize”  then join the ranks of the “Golden Army” and prepare for the AT9 Invasion.

Remember, prize money goes to the top 10 places and there are also cover model spots on some of our products up for grabs.

The deadline to  submit your “before”  pictures ends Friday Aug 31st at Midnight.

Go to this link to a watch a quick video on how to enter and get started ASAP.

>>Watch How to Enter Contest<<

In conclusion,  G-Day marks the commencement of  using  the AIG workout as a road map to successfully navigate through  the AT9 contest period.  Again, I call-out to the AT9 contestants as I have to those who have already begun AIG.  This is a call for those who are willing to display heroism in their fitness lifestyle.   A “higher calling” if you will.

As you mount up for the 12-week transformation (AT9)  and/or prepare to Enter the Gauntlet (AIG)  remember these three (3) concepts to assist you on your mission:

  1. Consistency: Proper Habits Take Time to Develop
  2. Utilize Resources: Discover which Tools Help Keep You on Track
  3. Harness the Fear:  Build Mental Courage

The time has come to hit the beach… I hope to see you on the other side.

Your Brother In Iron,

Allen Elliott

References:

  1. Hakim, Joy (1995). A History of Us: War, Peace and all that Jazz. New York: Oxford University Press. pp. 157–161. ISBN 0-19-509514-6.
  2. “D-Day June 6th, 1944”army.mil US Army Official website. Retrieved 30 Aug 2012.

Former Special Forces Officer Admits He Just Wants to Look Good

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:

Are You Overtraining with Adonis Index Workouts?

This article is meant for more experienced trainees, read it, but follow the advice only if you have been working out with us for a while.

You have been warned.

So you’re  following the Adonis Index workouts and they have grown to become quite fierce.

Is it possible your over-training with our systems?

Chances are you will never get even close to overtraining. How Come?

If you have been around in the community for a while you may have noticed that there are a couple of recurring questions the new guys often ask.

Here’s are a few common questions revolving around our topic of discussion:

“Won’t the Adonis Index 3.1 and Booster specializations cause me to overtrain?”

“Aren’t the supersets in the advanced workouts a little too much?”

“That’s a lot of workout days, shouldn’t I rest after each workout?”

All three questions stem from the fear of overtraining.

This concern is completely understandable, you want to progress, but at the same time, you don’t want to risk over-training, injury and/or compromising your immune system.

This re-occurring question was first noted when we did an interview with Vivek and Adam who both trained twice a day for almost the whole week for the latest 12 Week transformation contest.

Here are their interviews:

From these interviews more questions spawned… Can you over-train with Adonis Index workouts?  What is the limit that your body can handle before it starts to break down? Aren’t two workout routines a day or even training once a week, but for seven days straight for weeks on end too much?

What about rest and regeneration? Aren’t you supposed to rest for at least a day to let your muscles grow and body to recover?

These question demands a verdict.

Well, after interviewing more than a hundred people from both Adonis and Venus Index contest, the answer seems to be quite simply,  “no”.

It appears to be just another industry myth.

For example consider the olympic athletes, they are training all the time, from dusk till dawn, even the pro bodybuilders have two-a-days in their competition prep plan.

Now genetic predisposition and drugs make a big difference, but even without those your body is capable of more.

It all comes down to two things:

  1. Lifestyle circumstances
  2. Conditioning

It All Depends on Your Lifestyle

If you are working from 7 am to 6pm, then you will not be able to handle more than one workout a day without sacrificing your sleep and social life.

That’s the reality.

If on the other hand you are like Vivek, who is a successful business owner can plan his days however he wants, then you can get two workouts done pretty easily without having to go nuts.

So, if you have the option and really want to experiment with your workouts, then go for it.

It’s a Matter of Conditioning Yourself

You can have the time, but you may not have the fitness required for such an intense training load.

I always say that workout frequency is really just a matter of conditioning.

If you are not trying to lift as heavy as possible, testing your max or going to failure with each set and you actually understand the principles behind the Permission to Lift Light concept, then it’s about slightly increasing your frequency over time.

When you first got into weight training, you probably couldn’t handle more than two workouts a week, your body was in shock, trying to repair from the first workouts and build more strength.

You continued to work hard and your body responded with increased strength and mass muscle gains. Your overall condition improved and  you were ready to face greater challenges.

Well, going from 4-5 workouts to everyday training or two workouts a day is similar. You begin to increase the frequency “little by little” – baby steps.

After a couple of weeks or months, you’re suddenly able to perform two-a-day workouts with the greatest of ease.

This transformation results in tremendous muscle growth.

Vivek was experiencing muscle gains equivalent to that of someone in their teens (we call this catch up growth).

And Adam could suddenly out perform  his buddies, here’s what he told us afterwards:

Here’s what Adam told us after training twice a day:

The guys I was training with were out lifting me every week (% of increase), despite me being more focused and dedicated. 

It was not until I started lifting lots more(2x a day) that anything changed. A couple lifts I started going up faster than they were, a couple lifts we progressed equally, a couple I was just able to reduce the percentage that they out gained me.

Every person is different,

I did the 3.0 program and documented everything. Then the next three months I did it with extra workouts, as many as I could do and feel like I was safely pushing the edge. But I worked into it. It started with just a extra set or two at night… then it grew until I was sometimes doing the entire day twice. I did not even alternate days. I did the exact same exercises. I had never heard of anyone doing this so I figured I would see what happened. Athletes do the same thing day in and day out so why can I not do the same lifts twice in one day?

I just experimented. My theory was this… If lifting causes a slight damage to the muscle, maybe re-damaging it a couple hours later would be like ripping a scab off and getting extra damage. Sort of sounds silly saying it like that but that is what I was wondering.

The reason I love the AI way of life is simply that they give you the understanding of the concepts and theories that we are then free to play with. To use the latest information and theories to create our own experiment.

No ONE rule exists. I think that this is an important thing to accept. Then dedicate 3 months of your life as an experiment and report back.

The truth is you will have greater results if you train with lighter weights, and work the muscle more often.

However, keep in mind if following this strategy blindly, over-training is bound to occur.

Here is a quick message from John Barban on this topic:

“Eat too much food and do too much exercise, and your body will develop diseases of over consumption like type-2 diabetes, heart disease, cardiovascular disease, cancer and arthritis (just to name a few). And you’re joints muscles and tendons will start to break down from excessive exercise and your immune system istself can become compromised (classic overtraining syndrome).”

There is a sweet spot to everything.

However, the Adonis Index workouts are designed in a way that will not cause overtraining.

And if you have the time and conditioning, you can start adding more in order to get more results and find out your limits.

Start with the basic 3.1 workouts and MBF that through a couple weeks condition yourself to handle more challenging stuff. This can be adding specializations aka boosters to your current routine or progressing to ATS and IXP. (Here is a list of all Adonis Index Workouts)

It’s a step-by-step process of conditioning yourself to handle bigger challenges.

4 Ways to Challenge Yourself and Gain More Muscle

If you are a more experienced trainee you might wanna try testing your limits.

If you have been through the regular AI workouts and you want to keep your training fun, fresh and challenging here are a couple of ways to do so.

1. Try the Anabolic Again

Anabolic Again is a very advanced program designed by Brad Pilon that will take your training to a whole another level.

It’s mainly for people who no longer get any results from their regular workouts.

2. Cut the Rest Days

This means that if you have 5 workouts a week like in MBF or 6 with 3.1+boosters, you can just skip the rest days and do three weeks worth of workouts in just two.

If at any point you feel like it’s getting too much and you really need a rest, just take a day off.

It’s about trial and error, remember your goal is to test out your limits and see how much you can push.

3. Add a Second Workout

You can add an extra workout day like Vivek or Adam to increase training frequency and put on some serious muscle mass.

4. Add Some other Sport Activities

We go to the gym to work on ourselves, develop a stronger body, and improve our character. However, if you already look good, why not keep improving and enjoy your body and life a bit at the same time?

Take up swimming, challenge some friends to beach volleyball, or join a pick-up game of basketball.

These activities are great forms of cardio, you’ll be out of the gym, breathing  fresh air and may even have time to stop and smell the roses.

The bottom line is if you continue training 4-5 days a week you will still burn calories while  participating  in other recreational activities on your “non-training” days.

For example, an activity such as mountain biking  will enhance your conditioning, and contribute to some mass muscle gains in your thighs and calves.

An added bonus  if you are naturally skinny guy like me.

So what will it be? Which option will you try and experiment with? Let me know in the forum. (Not a member? Go here)

Talk to you soon,

Vaclav Gregor

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