Blogging on the go.

I just realised that I can blog while on the go, as well as while I'm idle and waiting. Maybe then I wouldn't be so lazy to update this page and excuse myself with gaming and drama series and youtube.

Anyway once again im off gym. Finding no motivation at all, other than the occasional sadness of losing the definition as the weeks go by.

Trying to convince myself to get back on track this week.. let's see how it goes. :(

A little motivation

Never thought it would happen to me, after all the countless times I read up about haters and people putting down someone working towards a goal, it happened to me.

I always thought, if I got shot down, made fun of whilst working to build up my physique, it would most likely be from people who don't know me. Acquaintances, people you weren't on that good terms with or strangers - those were the people whom I thought would be the ones to put me down, to laugh at my "obsession".

The "obsession" of spending those hours, days, months and years at the gym, the cardio and especially the diet that I try hard to stick to.

But it struck me so hard the first time it happened, despite all the motivational quotes and videos I've watched - telling me to show the people who put you down how all your hard work isn't an obsession but a dedication and to use it as a motivation for yourself - the words that came out of their mouth still hurt.

I guess the worst part is that they are people whom you called friends, relatives or loved ones, people whom you trust that they got your back. It's like if the people whom you trust say such things about you, what more the people who don't know you that well, what worse things will they be saying about you.

For the rest of that day I was pretty moody but then I thought about it and those motivational posts I've seen and read came to me and I understood what it really meant.

People are going to put you down, be it out of jealousy or spite or just for "fun", only you can take those words and turn it as a source of motivation and encouragement or even strength. It just means that you have got to work harder and smarter. At the end of the day, it's you who reap the benefits of your hard work, it is you who will be accountable for your actions, no one else. Sure there might be spill over effects - your efforts and success motivating others or just creating more jealousy - but the only one to truly enjoy the fruits of labor is YOU!

Personally, I did take it negatively at that instance but then I turned it around and those words helped me break through my 6 month long plateau, where I just couldn't gain any progress in terms of my physique. In just 1 month, I saw myself making progress again and instilled in me a new found passion/motivation for what I'm working towards.

I would like to dedicate this post to all of you out there who are working hard for that dream and goal in your life, be it in fitness, career or your studies, whatever it is you are striving for... don't give up when others put you down, mock you or try to crush your hopes. Keep up the effort and in due time you will enjoy the results of your dedication.


p.s I'm not mad or angry at those who tries to put me down or make fun of me. I just wish that they'll understand what it is like to actually have a goal in life, something you're dedicated and passionate about. After all they are my friends and people I care about, so I definitely will not put down people I call my friends and loved ones. If not why call them friend?

The video can get quite crude and vulgar but I enjoy watching their videos because they are brutally honest with their advice, the Hodge Twins have been very helpful in guiding and motivating me in my workouts. I hope they can help you as much as they have helped me.

Till the next post!

School.

Tomorrow is the first day of my academic life in NUS.
I wonder how it'll affect my workouts/routines, going to have to reschedule my workouts and places I gym at.
I hope the school gym would bring about a good plateau breaking change to my physique.
I've been rather stagnant for a couple of months, in fact my plan to gain mass is not even making a gram of progress..

I'm quite irritated with myself, I mean there's no one else to blame but me.
I can't even get my own body to listen to what I want it to be.

Nevertheless, I'm still learning on this journey. 10 months and counting, hopefully this time next year I'll be looking at this post and be proud of the achievements/growth I'll gain in a year  :D

Can't wait to see what University life will do in building me up as a person, intellectually, emotionally, socially and definitely physically!


Modified words by Nelson Mandela from Marianne Williamson 
Till the next post!

4 weeks to get ripped.

Well I would like to keep a record of this phase of my body building progress.

I've been selected for my University's Pageant and I think it would help to have a good physique as will the other contestants.

I've got 4 weeks till D-Day and as of now I plan to try to get as ripped/shredded as I can while maintaining my current muscle mass.

I'll definitely add in a lot of cardio!

Diet wise.. I will try to cut down on junk food and soft drinks as much as I can :P

This progress picture was taken after a gym workout some where in the beginning of June.

The second progress picture was taken after another workout session about the 3rd week of June.

A rough guide for me to see how the end result will be like after 4 weeks with cardio thrown into my routine.

If you realised I don't have much, if not no cardio at all in my routines.
So I'm going to see what is the effect like when I start doing cardio 2-3 times a week.

    Hopefully I can lose 1-2% body fat!
 
    Stay tuned!



Till the next post!

My Fitness Goals.

This post is in lieu of my previous one about my 6 months progress. In fact I wrote this post first but kept in my drafts because I was still editing it. A little follow up to my personal fitness goals, serving as a comparison as to how far I've come and how close I am to reaching them.

Weight
My goal weight would be approximately 65-67kg. I'm currently at 62kg and have been so for 2 months, it's my diet to blame, I don't have the habit of eating much. But recently I've been trying to stuff myself with (clean)food as often as I can. However, I've just started a temporary job, thus my meals are getting irregular and I'm not able to eat as much or as often. Hopefully I can better focus on this goal when I'm in university.


Bodyfat
I've never actually measured my body fat percentage, but by 'guestimate' I would say I'm at about 10-11% body fat. My ideal body fat would be at 8-9% where the 6 pack abs would be obvious even without flexing.


Build
I've mentioned it before, my ideal build is that of Nick Auger. Fitness model-ish but not to that extreme. Something approachable and not daunting.


Strength
To bench 1.5x my body weight for Flat Bench Press.
Deadlift 120-150kg.


Cardio
For most Singaporean guys, I suppose my aim would have to be below 9.45 for 2.4km run. But ideally I'll like to be able to finish 10km run in 45mins. Though I'm not really training my cardio in any way as of now.


Lagging body part
For many alike, the rear deltoids. I feel that it's the most neglected body part.

Most Important body part to train
Chest! All guys should have a well defined chest. Chest > Abs.

So motivational! :)

Till the next post! 

My 6th Month Progress

Well, I thought I'll do a post on my progress so far since Nov 2011. It's been just over 6 months since I started working out and the pictures in this post are the results I have gained in this 6 months.

In terms of weight, I was approx. 57kg in Nov 2011. Currently I am maintaining my weight at 62.5kg which is almost a 6kg gain, mostly lean muscle mass. I've yet to accurately measure my body fat %, but by ''guestimate'' I think that I was at 12-13% in Nov 2011 and about 10% now? 

One of the most obvious gains are those little finger-like muscles at the rib cage area just below the chest muscles, inter-costal muscles they're called from what I know. Very good gauge for body fat %, if you can see it you're probably at 10% and below. Likewise one of my happiest gain is my abdominal region, though I probably need to lose another 1-2% body fat to see my lower 2 abs.

Arms wise, definitely had gains, never did measure it (regrettably). If I were to estimate, probably an inch? Hitting the triceps hard really did show, arms look so much bigger and it makes one especially happy when your arms fit your t-shirt sleeves.

Next body part would be my legs, biggest biggest growth by far. My girlfriend used to say I had lady thighs cause my legs were really skinny. I started legs routine about 4 months ago but the progress far exceeds my other body parts. Haven't really targeted the calf region but will keep that as one of the main goals in time to come.

As for my chest, much more developed. Of all the muscle groups, I favour the chest muscles most. I think that it's a must have for all men. You can have nice arms, 6 pack, monster legs, sick back muscles or rock solid shoulders but if your chest is not developed, you just look weird. I'll rather have chest muscles over 6 pack abs.

I really put a lot of work into the lower chest muscles to attain the fuller look. Currently working on the upper region now so there'll be the "3D effect"(as my friend termed it).

Finally, my back and shoulder muscle group.

The back is the "hardest" muscle to train, because you can't see it! haha, it's really hard to focus on it in the gym because you have to imagine engaging your back muscles without the ability to see it with your own eyes. But it's my favourite of all the gains I've had, 'cobra head' back as the bodybuilders like to call it. I don't know about you but I feel that the back muscles have so many different groups that all the definitions just makes it look so kick ass.

My shoulders have seen it's fair share of growth as well, especially the rear delts. Never knew that I had to work it till like 3-4months ago. Since then I've been focusing on the rear delts to complete the full shoulders look. My traps have also grown significantly, personally I don't like too big traps cause it makes your neck look short, so I think as of now it's just about the right size for me.

Okay! So what am I looking forward to now would be to put on another 3kg. I plan to work on my calf muscles, getting the upper chest to be more developed and continue maintaining the other muscle groups. Also I'll hope to start a cutting phase if I get to 65/66kg and perhaps drop my body fat % to 8-9%.

Probably do another update of my progress in 3-6months time :).

Till the next post!

Disclaimer.

I wanted to let you guys know that I'm not a trained professional, neither do I have a diploma or degree in sports science.
Whatever I share on this blog is solely based on personal experiences and information I have read or viewed, with some knowledge coming from friends/others.
I've been researching for the past 5-6months and I still am continuing this research.
This blog serves as a platform from which I can share the info/knowledge I have gained through my research and compress it into smaller, bite-size, more layman terms for you guys.
So feel free to share with me your thoughts and opinions whenever you are in doubt or think that I have the wrong idea/opinion on certain issues which I have posted.
I hope that through this channel, I can not just share my experiences but also learn more from the community.

The stuff I share on this site is mainly for the average Joe and Jane, who just wants to maintain a toned physique and to lead a healthier lifestyle.
I'm definitely not working towards a bodybuilder physique, not intending on getting too bulky but to have a lean and.. what I like to call "approachable" physique.
Hopefully my personal goals are something many out there can relate to and work towards it with me :)

Till the next post! 

People That Inspire Me.

Greg Plit     

    
Greg Plitt has appeared on the covers of more than 100 fitness magazines. He is undisputedly America's No. 1 male fitness model.
Plitt is an all rounder - he was from the Military(Officer/Airborne Ranger), Skydiving pro, Actor, Fitness Model, Athlete, All-American Wrestler and to me he's a superb motivational speaker. The starting few months of my fitness journey was mainly motivated by him, by his videos on Youtube, where he speaks to his viewers not with sugar coated words but with the hard truth. You can learn more about him on his website, www.gregplitt.com .

These are just a couple of his videos. Do check out the rest of them if you're looking for a good dose of motivation.
Sadly his workouts require paid membership to be viewed, nonetheless still a great source of motivation when you're feeling lazy or weak.
Do note that his videos can get quite crude as he like using vulgarities as motivation, its very military style.

Rob Riches       

      
2009 World fitness model champion, he appears on many magazine covers and in numerous publications. I like his approach to fitness, where he shares training videos with the community and mixes it up by having workouts at the park or in the streets and not just in the gym. He also does many forms of exercises and helps to promote them (i.e Crossfit, TRX suspension training, MMA training). He has many videos on nutrition and diet as well, sharing his meal plans and how he prepares his various meals. You can learn more about him on his website, www.robriches.com .

His videos are more informational than motivational.  Do check out his other videos on workout and diets(preparation and grocery shopping).

Nick Auger 

               
My goal body. When I saw his photo shoot pictures, I felt that his physique was similar to my body type and was something I could work towards and achieve.
However there is not much to share about him as I believe that he is currently serving US in the Marine Corps.

These guys are my top 3 inspirational people
It's always good to find inspiration through many sources including other people, so go ahead and look for those who inspires you, so that you may have the drive to work towards your goal.

Till the next post! 

A little more about me.

Just wanted to share with you guys a glimpse of my 5 months of progression.
A little insight to how much I've gained and hopefully it'll serve as a source of motivation to all those trying to gain muscles be it from skinny or fat.



This is me back in June 2011 on a diving trip to Tioman
And I thought back then that I already had a nice toned body.



And that is me (in the red shorts) taken recently at Brighton Beach, Melbourne with my friends on a holiday trip. (March 2012)

It's only been 5 months since I started going to the gym consistently from Nov 2011, still a long journey to go. :)

Hope this short transformation can ignite that little spark in you to work towards a fitter physique, just as I have done.

OKAY! I'm late, rushing off for a job interview for a position as a Customer Service Officer at TrueFitness gym :)
wish me luck!

Why I Started This.

I've been going to the gym for approximately 5 months now, since back in early November 2011.
I started off my workouts with calisthenics(the use of bodyweight exercises like push ups,pull ups and squats), doing it on and off since the start of my secondary school days around 14 years of age.

But why did I start working out?
Growing up, I used to be the skinny and scrawny boy whom my mom and relatives often nagged on for me to eat more, complaining of how thin I was for a boy.
Being my size also resulted in frequent "bullying" by my friends in school, mischievous acts for fun though sometimes irritating.

I began to get sick and tired of hearing the constant nagging and being labelled as the skinny boy so I decided to do something about it.
That's when I started with my very first workout routine at the age of 14, starting with 50 push ups a day in sets of 10.
I guess it was helpful that I was quite the sportsman since my Primary school days, joining the school soccer team at 9 years old and participating actively in other various sports, so doing 50 push ups was pretty easy to achieve.
Within a week of my first routine, I began to increase my daily reps to a 100 and by the next week 200.
I began seeing changes in my body, with slightly broader shoulders and more developed chest muscles and was feeling more confident of myself.
In fact the nagging of my mom gradually stopped when she noticed the physical growth I was achieving. My friends started to realise that I was growing bigger too.
Long story short, my push up routine went on and off through my teenage years, adding in pull ups when I was introduced to it in school at the age of 15.
But that's just the start of my little "bodybuilding" journey, there's a whole story of my introduction to the gym and various types of calisthenic exercises which I will save for another post.
(I'll try to post a picture of myself back when I was the skinny boy)

And that is the story of why I started working out.

What I really want to share from this is that no matter who you are, regardless of age/gender/race/body type/weight or height/wealth... you know where I'm getting at, you should never give yourself an excuse to not keep fit or workout.
I was 14 and all the knowledge I had of exercising was push ups, sit ups and running, I didn't even know about the gym or the many different kinds of calisthenic exercises. Yet I didn't let that stop me from working out and growing out of the skinny boy phase.

Here I am 7 years later, starting this blog to share with you some of my personal experiences and lifestyle, workouts and diet.

With a little bit of dedication and commitment I'm sure you'll be well on your way to a better, happier and healthier you.

OH! I almost forgot.
Welcome to my Fitness and Lifestyle blog :)