How I Got Ripped in 8 Weeks (2012)

Good Looking Loser Gets Ripped 2012

This was from last year, right about at this time.

Additional Opening Thoughts
(Updated: May 2013)

I mainly used the "Good Looking Loser Fat Loss Diet" and some slightly modified food choices which are listed below.

There was no HGH used in this run, I keep testosterone levels in the high-normal ranges but don't use steroidal (super physiological doses) anymore.

Keep in mind, however, I have a TON of muscle memory from my days in my mid 20s when I used to lift weights nearly EVERY day and often while using anabolic steroids. Although I am much smaller today, there is a lot of muscle that will WAKE UP when I train it after off periods. I had been in Florida for about 2.5 months helping my Dad take care of my Mom. I didn't get it the gym even once and I pretty much sat on my ass and overate. The month before that I was sick with the flu for the majority of month, so it had been a while since I got to the gym on a daily basis. I'm offering this disclaimer simply because it's important to understand that muscle memory plays a significant role in me keeping size.

Still, whether you are a trained/untrained/formerly trained athlete, you should have no trouble losing weight on our diet. In fact, the guys that lose the most weight and the guys that have the most weight to lose. Phil has eclipsed 70lbs in about 6 months.

Original Post (Written May 10th 2012)

Starting March 10th 2012, I set out to lose the majority of my body fat. Today is May 10th 2012.

These are before and after pictures, ~8.7 weeks, 61 days.

I have experience doing this before, but I hadn't gotten really ripped since the summer of 2007.

• Our Health and Fitness Section is over at: www.GLL-GetALife.com (Get Ripped)

I was pretty inactive over the months of January and February 2012 since I was in Florida helping out my parents- my Dad had a heart procedure and my Mom has Alzheimer's. They are doing alright now, for the most part. So sometimes getting out of shape physically (and psychologically) is the best motivation to get in shape.

I worked out 3 times a week. A few weeks I went 4 times. Never more than 55 minutes.

This is NOT product of some HARDCORE gym obsession or a ridiculously stupid crash diet, this is simply a carefully timed eating, blood sugar control and a healthful caloric deficiency. I got more vitamins, mineral and antioxidants than I need.

Once you get to know how the human body works and the specifics that pertain to your own, it's not too hard.

I'll share my diet and training below. There's special timing needed in this whole process to get the MAX fat loss in a quit period of time. I can't emphasize that enough.

I only used 250mg/week of Testosterone and ~50mg of under-dosed Anavar for this. 30-40mg seems more accurate. 

I didn't use HGH, I have in the past [with an Rx, of course].

My Cutting Diet

I have two separate diets- one for training days and one for off days.

During this weight loss phase, I went to the gym 3 or 4 times a week, before eating (empty stomach), where I'd hit the weights for about 20 minutes and do cardio for 25-40 minutes a constant pace (heart rate: ~140BPM +/- 10BPM).

This diet and training protocol works because- when you have no food in your system, or haven't eaten in 8+ hours, your turns to your body fat (and muscle) to produce energy. That's what I want. I want to use my body fat for energy. To minimize muscle loss, I took BCAAs (branch chain amino acids) before and during my workout. Instead of burning muscle for energy, the body burns the BCAAs.

Training Days & Non-Training Days

5am Wake Up (Don't Eat, Take BCAAs)

6:30am Hit the Gym (Take more BCAAs), train for 50 minutes, weights for 20-25minutes, cardio AFTER for 25-45 minutes)

7:45am Protein Shake (1.5 cups Unsweetened Almond Milk, 2 Scoops of Protein Powder, 1 Heaping Scoop of Peanut Butter, Greens (spinach, kale or broccoli TASTELESS), Ice Cubes, Stevia Extract.

9:25am 4-5 Omega-3 Eggs, 2%/Full Fat Cheese, Organic Tomatoes Diced, Safflower Mayonnaise, Hot Sauce, Oregano Spice

11:45am 2 8oz. Chicken Breasts, 2%/Full Cheese, Organic Tomatoes Diced, Safflower Mayonnaise, Hot Sauce, Oregano Spice

3:00pm 1 Can of Tuna, Safflower Mayonnaise, Hot Sauce, Oregano Spice, Organic Vinegar

6:30pm Protein Shake (1.5 cups Unsweetened Almond Milk, 2 Scoops of Protein Powder, 1 Heaping Scoop of Peanut Butter, Greens (spinach, kale or broccoli TASTELESS), Ice Cubes, Stevia Extract.

8:30pm (one of the solid food meals from above) Eggs, chicken or tuna, or block of Organic Tofu w/ Soy Sauce

*On non-training days, I'll eat when I get up

Notes

All of these meals are interchangeable- I don't worry too much about the # of calories simply because NOTHING sticks to you when you eat virtually no carbohydrates. The only carbohydrates in the diet are the green in the shake (tasteless) and the organic tomatoes. The main thing is to train BEFORE you eat. That makes the dramatic fat loss possible. The BCAAs (in high amounts), the protein and the healthful (unsaturated fat) keeps the muscle on my body.

Every once in a while (after 3-5 days of this diet) I'll have a carbohydrate-based meal as the LAST meal of the day. I would do that if I was working out my legs the following morning.