A couple of male readers requested to hear from more men who were into body building and basically sculpting out their muscles. So I took it one step further, and got you a body builder. Today, I’m chatting with a 26-year old gentleman named Youssef, who has turned his body from regular to massive. Check out the interview:
Eights & Weights: What were your original body stats, and what are your current stats?
Youssef: I used to weigh 57kg, and had 17% body fat before I started working out. I know, it doesn’t sound bad. Now, I weigh 85kg and have 6% body fat.
Eights & Weights: To anyone who looks at you, it is pretty obvious you have transformed your body. What inspired you to start working out?
Youssef: My own self confidence really. I didn't have a lot of self-esteem growing up, but I quickly got addicted to the feeling I get after a workout (whether it's weight lifting, or running, or both). Exercise makes me feel productive, stress-free, cleansed of any emotions I have built up, and ready to take on the rest of my day.
Eights & Weights: So what do you currently do at the gym to give you that workout high?
Youssef: Right now, I work out 6 days week because I’m getting ready for my first bodybuilding contest. I’m very excited. Normally, I would work out only 4 times a week. Here is my regular 4 times a week regimen:
Eights & Weights: What were your original body stats, and what are your current stats?
Youssef: I used to weigh 57kg, and had 17% body fat before I started working out. I know, it doesn’t sound bad. Now, I weigh 85kg and have 6% body fat.
Eights & Weights: To anyone who looks at you, it is pretty obvious you have transformed your body. What inspired you to start working out?
Youssef: My own self confidence really. I didn't have a lot of self-esteem growing up, but I quickly got addicted to the feeling I get after a workout (whether it's weight lifting, or running, or both). Exercise makes me feel productive, stress-free, cleansed of any emotions I have built up, and ready to take on the rest of my day.
Eights & Weights: So what do you currently do at the gym to give you that workout high?
Youssef: Right now, I work out 6 days week because I’m getting ready for my first bodybuilding contest. I’m very excited. Normally, I would work out only 4 times a week. Here is my regular 4 times a week regimen:
Monday – Chest/Biceps
Chest
4 sets flat bench chest (Reps: 15, 12, 8, 6)
4 sets inclined dumbbell bench small (Reps: 10, 8, 8)
3 sets butterfly free (Reps: 12, 10, 6)
3 sets on floating rope (Reps: 8, 8, 8)
3 sets chest press machine (Reps: 10, 10, 10)
Biceps
3 sets Hammer curl (Reps: 10, 8, 8)
3 sets Z rod (Reps: 10, 8, 8)
3 sets incline biceps curl (Reps: 10, 10, 10)
3 sets concentration curl (Reps: 10, 8, 8)
Tuesday – Back/Rear Delt
4 Pull rates to breast Free (Reps: 10, 8, 8, 8)
3 sets seated row (Reps: 10, 8, 8)
6 sets prevented row (Reps: 10, 8, 8, 10, 8, 8)
4 sets lat pull downs to chest with a narrow hammer handle (Reps: 10, 8, 8, 6)
4 sets cross lift (Reps: 10, 8, 8, 8)
Wednesday – Legs and Calves
Legs
Warm up - 3 sets of 20 reps of the leg trek
5 sets of leg press at a 45 degree angle (Reps: 15, 12, 10, 6, 6)
2 sets of front squat (Reps: 12, 8)
3 sets of 20 step lunge walks
3 sets of cross lift with straight legs (Reps: 15, 12, 8)
1 set of 20 reps of cross lift with slightly bent legs and slow motion drain on a flat bench
3 sets of hamstrings (Reps: 12, 10, 6)
Calves (Super Sets)
4 sets of sitting (Reps: 12, 10, 6, 6)
4 sets of standing in the squat machine to pump
3 sets of ‘Available in’ 45 degree machine (Reps: 12, 10, 10)
3sets of ‘Available in’ pumps with dead weight on the wooden block
Thursday – Rest
Friday – Shoulders/Triceps
Shoulders
4 sets of front bench press (Reps: 12, 10, 8, 6)
3 sets of front free press with dumbbells (Reps: 8, 8, 8)
3 sets of KH front lift neutral grabbed (Reps: 8, 8, 8)
3 sets of KH stand in (Reps: 15, 12, 8)
2 sets of cable support machine (Reps: 10, 6)
3 sets of Butterfly reverse at high cable (Reps: 15, 12, 8)
Triceps
Warm up: 4 sets of 20 reps of triceps rope
3 sets of overhead rod (Reps: 12, 10, 6)
3 sets of narrow bench press in the seated chest press (Reps: 12, 10, 6)
2 sets of dips machine pumps up
Saturday – Rest
Sunday – Rest
Chest
4 sets flat bench chest (Reps: 15, 12, 8, 6)
4 sets inclined dumbbell bench small (Reps: 10, 8, 8)
3 sets butterfly free (Reps: 12, 10, 6)
3 sets on floating rope (Reps: 8, 8, 8)
3 sets chest press machine (Reps: 10, 10, 10)
Biceps
3 sets Hammer curl (Reps: 10, 8, 8)
3 sets Z rod (Reps: 10, 8, 8)
3 sets incline biceps curl (Reps: 10, 10, 10)
3 sets concentration curl (Reps: 10, 8, 8)
Tuesday – Back/Rear Delt
4 Pull rates to breast Free (Reps: 10, 8, 8, 8)
3 sets seated row (Reps: 10, 8, 8)
6 sets prevented row (Reps: 10, 8, 8, 10, 8, 8)
4 sets lat pull downs to chest with a narrow hammer handle (Reps: 10, 8, 8, 6)
4 sets cross lift (Reps: 10, 8, 8, 8)
Wednesday – Legs and Calves
Legs
Warm up - 3 sets of 20 reps of the leg trek
5 sets of leg press at a 45 degree angle (Reps: 15, 12, 10, 6, 6)
2 sets of front squat (Reps: 12, 8)
3 sets of 20 step lunge walks
3 sets of cross lift with straight legs (Reps: 15, 12, 8)
1 set of 20 reps of cross lift with slightly bent legs and slow motion drain on a flat bench
3 sets of hamstrings (Reps: 12, 10, 6)
Calves (Super Sets)
4 sets of sitting (Reps: 12, 10, 6, 6)
4 sets of standing in the squat machine to pump
3 sets of ‘Available in’ 45 degree machine (Reps: 12, 10, 10)
3sets of ‘Available in’ pumps with dead weight on the wooden block
Thursday – Rest
Friday – Shoulders/Triceps
Shoulders
4 sets of front bench press (Reps: 12, 10, 8, 6)
3 sets of front free press with dumbbells (Reps: 8, 8, 8)
3 sets of KH front lift neutral grabbed (Reps: 8, 8, 8)
3 sets of KH stand in (Reps: 15, 12, 8)
2 sets of cable support machine (Reps: 10, 6)
3 sets of Butterfly reverse at high cable (Reps: 15, 12, 8)
Triceps
Warm up: 4 sets of 20 reps of triceps rope
3 sets of overhead rod (Reps: 12, 10, 6)
3 sets of narrow bench press in the seated chest press (Reps: 12, 10, 6)
2 sets of dips machine pumps up
Saturday – Rest
Sunday – Rest
I also make sure I do abs every other day.
Eights & Weights: How about your nutrition? We know you can't get those muscles by simply eating vegetables. What does a typical day's food look like?
Youssef: I always try to eat clean, and eat about 6 times a day. My diet tends to look like this:
Meal 1: 1 banana and 50g Whey Protein shake
Meal 2: 60g of basmati rice, 175g chicken breast, and 100g broccoli
Meal 3: Similar to Meal 2
Meal 4: 50g Whey Protein shake
Meal 5: 60g Whey Protein shake and 1 banana
Meal 6: 200g fish
Eights & Weights: Do you take supplements? Tell us a little about what protein supplements work for you.
Youssef: I do take some supplements. I love to drink Whey protein, and I usually drink 3 to 4 shakes a day. Some of my favorites are: Animal Pak and Nitro (lots of vitamins, amino acids and BCAAs) and Pre-workout Boosters (like 1MR or JACK3d).
Eights & Weights: Besides those muscles, how has being fit benefited your life?
Youssef: It has really improved my health, my energy, my mood and my brainpower! So I’ll always give 100% to stay fit.
Eights & Weights: People always have a hard time starting out. And I wanted to speak with you to help men understand that it is not only about losing weight, but also toning up. What advice would you give to someone trying to bulk up but doesn't know where to start?
Youssef: "Bulking up" means adding a lot of muscle mass to the body and possibly (although not always) reducing one's body fat, too. But this doesn’t mean just eat as much as you can. There is a limit to the amount of calories the human body can actually put towards the processing of muscle growth. Consuming more calories than that amount doesn’t lead to more muscle growth or faster muscle growth. It just leads to you getting fat as hell.
The goal with this approach isn’t just to gain weight, eat whatever isn’t nailed to the ground, and get as “big” as possible as fast as possible. Instead, the goal here is to build quality lean muscle mass while keeping fat gain to an absolute minimum. A caloric surplus is still DEFINITELY required.
Eights & Weights: Tell our readers something they would be surprised to know about you.
Youssef: I love chocolate! I would eat it every day if I could.
Youssef: I always try to eat clean, and eat about 6 times a day. My diet tends to look like this:
Meal 1: 1 banana and 50g Whey Protein shake
Meal 2: 60g of basmati rice, 175g chicken breast, and 100g broccoli
Meal 3: Similar to Meal 2
Meal 4: 50g Whey Protein shake
Meal 5: 60g Whey Protein shake and 1 banana
Meal 6: 200g fish
Eights & Weights: Do you take supplements? Tell us a little about what protein supplements work for you.
Youssef: I do take some supplements. I love to drink Whey protein, and I usually drink 3 to 4 shakes a day. Some of my favorites are: Animal Pak and Nitro (lots of vitamins, amino acids and BCAAs) and Pre-workout Boosters (like 1MR or JACK3d).
Eights & Weights: Besides those muscles, how has being fit benefited your life?
Youssef: It has really improved my health, my energy, my mood and my brainpower! So I’ll always give 100% to stay fit.
Eights & Weights: People always have a hard time starting out. And I wanted to speak with you to help men understand that it is not only about losing weight, but also toning up. What advice would you give to someone trying to bulk up but doesn't know where to start?
Youssef: "Bulking up" means adding a lot of muscle mass to the body and possibly (although not always) reducing one's body fat, too. But this doesn’t mean just eat as much as you can. There is a limit to the amount of calories the human body can actually put towards the processing of muscle growth. Consuming more calories than that amount doesn’t lead to more muscle growth or faster muscle growth. It just leads to you getting fat as hell.
The goal with this approach isn’t just to gain weight, eat whatever isn’t nailed to the ground, and get as “big” as possible as fast as possible. Instead, the goal here is to build quality lean muscle mass while keeping fat gain to an absolute minimum. A caloric surplus is still DEFINITELY required.
Eights & Weights: Tell our readers something they would be surprised to know about you.
Youssef: I love chocolate! I would eat it every day if I could.
Cheers Eights & Weights!
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