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Marrying the Numbers to Your Picture

August 23, 2013 by

In light of the recent AT11 Contest, I felt compelled to add the latest installment of  the  Golden Eye for the Adonis Guy series.

Today’s Topic: Marrying the Numbers to Your Picture

The AT11 contest entries  yet again challenged the beliefs of what was believed possible to achieve in a mere 12 weeks.  Nevertheless,  the contestants of AT11 provided some valuable feedback from their transformational journeys.   As you may recall from Monday’s post, contestants were judged in a total of five equally weighted categories:

1-  Final Adonis Golden Ratio (AGR) – 20%

2-  AGR  Transformation (Delta) Change -20%

3- Weight Loss (LBS) – 20%

4- Muscularity- 20%

5- Aesthetics/Photogenic Quality – 20%

Here is an example of charted numbers in each category:

TALE OF THE TAPE

Scoring Metric Applied in AT11 Contest

Scoring Metric Applied in AT11 Contest

The Scoring Metric above serves as a great benchmark tool for quantifying your overall transformation.  However, this is only part of the equation…

Although, you may be familiar with the phrase, “The Numbers Don’t Lie,” there is another quote that states, “Statistics are No Substitute for Judgment.”  In the AT11 Contest, the numbers told the truth for the majority of the contestants,  however as the last quote stated, mere facts alone were not a substitute for “Visual Assessment.”  How you present yourself on camera with both confidence and proper posing is critical to balancing the equation.

 

Marrying the Numbers to Your Picture

For the first time in tangible form we’ve now been able to identify both the “Science and  Art” of a transformational contest.  John Barban summed up our finding best by simply saying, “marry the numbers to your picture.”

Michael B. AT11 Results truly demonstrate how to marry the numbers to your physique!

Michael’s AT11 Results truly demonstrate how to marry the numbers to your picture!

In conclusion, your numbers are helpful metrics to keep you guided in a logical 12-week transformation process.  However, a “Visual Assessment” should marry to your numbers and help to root the emotions of how you actually look, with the logic of what your measurements are telling you.  Ways to improve upon your “Visual Assessment”  is to take progress pics and practice posing which in return build confidence.

Stay Tuned for Monday’s Post as we’ll be revealing  a “Special Awards” category to the AT11 Contest!

 

Yours in fitness,

Allen Elliott

 

Filed Under: body image, Contest, diet, Fat Loss, Goals, Golden Eye Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

TGIF: The Goal Is Frequency

August 2, 2013 by

Whether it be the closing of a busy week or your local restaurant hang out, TGIF is an acronym that many are familiar with.  However, for today’s post TGIF  stands for “The Goal Is Frequency.”   In the fitness context, frequency means how often a person exercises.  As AT11 comes to a close we will have the chance to interview some of the top contestants and inquire about their frequency of workouts during the contest.

iStock_000016525011XSmall

TGIF: The Goal Is Frequency

 

Successful transformations are often achieved by those individuals who determined the frequency of their workouts to be a significant key to their success.   Frequency also influences other characteristics and behaviors such as habit and momentum.  Habit is in direct correlation to frequency because the more times you step into the gym to workout that habit is strengthened and cultivated.  Someone who is in the habit of going to the gym regularly has a greater chance of developing momentum towards a worthwhile goal or deadline such as our transformation contests.

To give an example, how exciting would it be to go to a basketball game where there were no goals and the  only thing the players did was dribble and pass to one another?  Hardly worth watching and even possibly a waste of time.  The problem is there was nothing to shoot for… no GOAL!

In conclusion, to all  my brothers in Iron, I’d like to encourage both the beginners and the senior members to  remember TGIF: “The Goal is Frequency.”    Each time you step into the gym with an AGR workout you are armed with a game plan to achieve your “Golden” Physique, the ball is now in your court and it’s up to you to shoot  for the goal… Train Hard and Good Luck!

yours in fitness,

Allen Elliott| Adonis Golden Ratio Ambassador

Filed Under: body image, Contest, exercise, Sage Advice, Workout Design Tagged With: , , , , , ,

How Much Weight Should You Use During Workouts?

July 19, 2013 by

In the upcoming weeks John and I will seek to provide our feedback and insight on “trending” topics and questions from within the  AGR Community.

Today’s topic is a frequently asked question among our newest brothers in iron.  The question many people ask once they begin the AGR workouts is, “How Much Weight Should I Use?”

 

Adonis Golden Ratio: Solid Goals & Simple Metrics

Adonis Golden Ratio: Solid Goals & Simple Metrics

Unique to the the AGR program,  the repetition ranges are specifically designed for positive progression toward your “Golden” Adonis Index Score, which is based on the  Fibonacci Sequence and cyclical, periodized weight training.

It’s important to note  that a “repetition” or “REP” is directly related to a suggested level of effort.  The level of effort on a scale of  1 to 10, will determine the amount of weight that you train with.

Below is break-out of REP ranges and the level of effort that should be applied when lifting a specific amount of weight.

AGR-Bo

 

FINAL THOUGHTS:

  • Give yourself permission to lift lighter weights, to maintain your form.
  • Always use a spotter if you are training with heavy weights.
  • It’s ok to train while “sore” but NOT while “hurt.”
  • Try, Fail, Adjust– Record the amount of weight you use and look for opportunities to SAFELY increase upon the weight used in previous workouts.
Filed Under: exercise, Model, Muscle Building, Physique Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

AT11: The Final Countdown

July 12, 2013 by

In the last remaining weeks of AT11 it’s imperative that you maintain your pursuit towards that  “Golden” transformation.  I’ve often heard the transformation contest described as a “Marathon” with a series of sprints.  Today’s post will strive to ensure that you are keeping pace and that you’ll have enough “fuel in the tank” to sprint to the end in order to present your best physique.

AT11: The Final Countdown

AT11: The Final Countdown

Contest Photo Submissions for AT11 will be due no later than Sunday August 11th at midnight Eastern Standard Time.  AT11 is trending to be our largest competition to date based on the number of contest entries.

For many contestants, this is the first workout program that you’ve followed consistently.  Thank you for your commitment to the Adonis Golden Ratio Program and more importantly for your commitment to your own personal goals. Win or lose, remember that your transformation is a personal achievement and you should be very proud of your accomplishment.

In a previous post, I discussed the Four Key Ingredient necessary in order to become “Photo-Shoot Ready” on command.  Those ingredients are:

1. Conditioning

2. Posing

3. Tanning

4. Photography/Lighting

Keeping these concepts in mind will help you capture some amazing images of your new & improved physique.

In conclusion, to all my brothers in Iron, I hope your enjoying living the Adonis Lifestyle and to those contestants in AT11, come August 5th, I look forward to congratulating you on your transformation!

v/r

Allen Elliott

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

“The Golden Birthday Gift” Interview with AT10 Winner Mike Cerantola

July 1, 2013 by

Here’s your new interview with one of the winners from the 10th Adonis Golden Ratio Transformation Contest.

Today we get to hear from Mike Cerantola who placed 10th in our last 12-Week Transformation contest.

Mike’s Transformation Journey begans when he received a severe “wake-up call” from his doctor.  He was 18 at the time and had just weighed in 315 pounds.  Prompted to take action he began to look for weight loss solutions.  Bound and determined, he found results in playing a popular video game called “Dance Dance Revolution.”  His results were uncanny, he lost more than 85 pounds in about 3 months!

However it wasn’t until one year ago,  when Mike would receive his “Golden Birthday Gift.”  He was first introduced to the Adonis Golden Ratio by a fellow “Sister in Iron”  Jessie T, VT6 contest winner from  the Venus Index.

Mike picked up the Muscle Building Foundation and Eat Stop Eat Plans and catapulted his transformation even further than he could imagine.  Scroll down to listen to how Mike was able to make more progress in one year compared to the previous seven!

Check-Out Mike’s AT10 Pictures:

Mike Cerantola - AT10 10th Place - Before Photos

Mike Cerantola – AT10 10th Place – Before Photos

 

Michael Cerantola - AT10 10th Place - Transformation Image

Michael Cerantola – AT10 10th Place – Transformation Image

 

Michael Cerantola - AT10 10th Place - After Photos

Michael Cerantola – AT10 10th Place – After Photos

Mike’s Transformation Essay:

AT10 was a completely different shift of mentality from AT9.  I spent most of my time  focusing on making my training and gym times a fun habit instead of viewing going to the gym as an ‘errand’, or ‘chore’.  I had no problem adapting to that,unfortunately I did not place.

I realized that even though I was pushing it really hard in the gym, I had gotten cocky and stopped using myfitnesspal to count calories and just assumed “yeah yeah, I’m always between 1500-1800”. I became the victim instead of the victor. AT10 was all about keeping my diet in check, adapting ESE to fit with my lifestyle and schedule.

Coming from a 315 lb background where I used to eat well over 3-4k cals a day, cutting from 1500 to 1300 and finally to 1000 for the last 3-4 weeks was probably one of the most difficult ongoing mental battles of my overall transformation. It’s easy to “auto-pilot” to the gym and then you’re there so you do your workout, but it is very difficult to “auto-pilot” not eating when you’re at home, not keeping too occupied, and having a mind that always thinks and reverts to food.

After placing in AT10 I am reflecting on this experience with the knowledge, willpower, and dedication to not fall off the bandwagon. I reached my golden waist, I have gotten used to eating ~1300/day, and now my next journey is maintaining my waist while slowly developing an extra 3 inches in my shoulders, which should take a couple of years.

I placed a quick before and after side-by-side from 1 year ago to my 1st day of AI 3.0, compared to now, and I am proud to say that I have achieved a level of physique that does not make me anywhere remotely near as self conscious as I used to be. The Adonis Lifestyle has changed my life.

I feel I’ve began to develop good habits that I will use as a takeaway and apply to the remainder of my lifestyle…Leanness is awesomeness!

 

Mike’s Transformation Interview:

See below to listen to Mike’s transformation podcast interview:

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: Android | RSS

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

The “Muscle Hustle” Experience! Interview with AT10 Winner Tim Heaton

June 24, 2013 by

Here’s your new interview with one of the winners from the 10th Adonis Golden Ratio Transformation Contest.

Today we get to examine the “Lessons Learned” from Tim Heaton who placed 9th in our last 12-Week Transformation contest.

As Tim states in his essay, he is no stranger to hard work. In just 12 short weeks Tim was able to add a significant amount of  “muscle” with the help of his “hustle” mentality.

Coming from a diverse background in both SCUBA diving and marathon training, Tim launched his AT10 journey with a clear goal in mind.  That goal simply was to progress from start to finish.

For a visual journey of Tim’s 12 contest weeks which consisted of: developing focus, overcoming obstacles, and achieving desirable results, simply check-out Tim’s AT10 Pictures:

Tim Heaton - AT10 9th Place - Before Photos

Tim Heaton – AT10 9th Place – Before Photos

 

Tim Heaton - AT10 9th Place -Transformation Image

Tim Heaton – AT10 9th Place -Transformation Image

 

Tim Heaton - AT10 9th Place - After Photos

Tim Heaton – AT10 9th Place – After Photos

Tim’s Transformation Essay:

When entering the contest, I had no intentions of winning anything, or placing in the Top 10. This was only meant as a way to progress from start to finish, with a clear goal in sight. Having been an active person throughout my life, I was no stranger to hard work and intensity in training, although I found many obstacles to overcome. From 24-hour fasts and tracking of all food intake, to 6-day-per week weight-training sessions that lasted up to 2 ½ hours, I found the twelve week process more intense than training for a marathon.

In contrast to marathon training, I look better, I feel much better, and most important…I am injury free! After trying a multitude of strength-training protocols and sport-specific systems, many years went by in frustration at not being able to achieve a lean muscular body. I have had more change in the last twelve weeks than ever before. After three years away from ANY kind of training, working on SCUBA-dive boats in the Caribbean, I started the AI program on 13 Dec 2013. I went from Muscle Building Foundation (MBF) to Final Phase. These, along with the other protocols within the system, all seem to be sustainable, incorporating things that work to gain an incredible physique AND strength, yet changes often enough to keep one from getting bored.

But, the biggest surprise and change came from nutrition and fasting. I have learned more about these two things than I ever thought possible. This aspect, especially, has changed my life forever. Sure, I will still eat chocolate, drink red wine, eat a burger & fries or pizza, and indulge in ice cream, but over the days, weeks and months, it will not happen as often (except for the chocolate and red wine – ok ice cream, too). I am truly impressed with the knowledge and support of the AGR/AI community.

I utilized the Forum to gain insight into training philosophy and nutrition from real people who have gone through the process before. The podcasts and information available from the Adonis Index system provided information AND inspiration to keep me dedicated to giving myself a healthy, strong and lean body, along with a well-rounded mindset to train smarter. THANK YOU!!

 

Tim’s Top Five Lessons Learned:

  1. Muscle Building Foundation is a great place establish a baseline for you AI goals.
  2. The 12-Week Transformation process was more intense than Marathon training.  The only difference is I LOOK and FEEL much better!
  3. 24-Hour Food Fasts and Tracking of my caloric intake, helped keep me accountable to my nutrition goals
  4. Utilize the AGR forum gain additional insight and training philosophy from real people who have already gone through the transformation process.
  5. Listen to the podcast and read the blog posts to remain informed and inspired.
Filed Under: Contest, Stories, Transformation Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,
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