I love this lifestyle. 5 Months Before and After Pictures

209 days 

until Saturday January 25 2014

a Saturday 6 months and 26 days from today

Weight: 188
Here are the five month before and after pics. I have made progress.I still have a long way to go. I'll be very happy to make new pics once I shed the few pounds of fat hiding my abs.

There are days when I cannot workout due to work or other constraints, but they are few. I have been doing this long enough to know that on days when I'm not "feeling" it, all I need to do is start my routine. I change clothes, start some music, make sure I've had a snack and start thinking about what I want to accomplish. I go pull out my workout log and draw the same pattern grid on the page that I've drawn for all 80+ workouts since this all began. I've logged over 80 workouts now and I love to flip through the pages and think about all that work I've put in. Little by little I'm clawing my way toward my goal. Today is roughly the end of the fifth month since I began. My entire body feels different. I feel stronger than any other point in my life. I am proud of my work. I have a very satisfied feeling of sticking with it for longer than any other time in my life. Looking back, the time I hurt my back early on, and just about the three month mark I missed several workouts and started to waiver. I feel determined again of late. I have not been gaining weight as quickly as I had hoped and I am really shooting for 190lbs. I am really excited about the next month and my future progress. Thanks for all your support.

P.S. I have begun using weights during the pull-ups and dips. I am really eager to close the gap between the pull-up and the complete muscle up.

Feed The Wolf!
Bradley

History will remember me!

219 days 

until Saturday January 25 2014

a Saturday 7 months and 5 days from today

There was a time in the beginning where I was being postive for postive's sake. That time has passed. I have reached a level where I can tell a difference and it's very exciting. All those times I thought I was stuck with a slender, skinny physique and could not gain, I was wrong. I was not being rational. The method is out there. Track food, don't workout so long that your body eats itself, and keep doing it. Over and over. I had a great week. I must bump up my caloric intake. Weighed in at 188 yesterday. I should get another killer workout in today. I feel strong. I am very excited about where this is going.

Bradley

Alabama Heat!

233 days 

until Saturday January 25 2014

a Saturday 7 months and 19 days from today

Weight: 186.8

Workout:  UpperBody-Dips, Chin-ups, Crunches, Forearm Roller

Just finished a killer workout and I'm feeling pretty motivated. It's super hot here in Alabama today and I was almost ready for a nap. I decided I'd better get my workout done first. I grabbed my music and my workout log and headed out for some progress. It only took me one set and one Franz Ferdinand song to feel good and pumped and I tore through five sets of most of my exercises. I have really grown to love my pull-up bar in the front yard. I spent about $200 bucks making it and I have already got enough use out of it to make it worth it. Came back in to cool off and had 40 grams of whey protein and a large handful of raisins. I got a very big compliment yesterday on my size. It makes me think something is working. One day at a time. I'm on the brink of something amazing! 

Hit it hard today! 

FEED THE WOLF

Bradley

Holy Moly, I'm struggling!

The last week or so has been characterized by a slow, steady drop in enthusiasm combined with a to do list at home of a million things. I have been letting my workouts slip to a lower priority on the list. I can see how detrimental this is to my progress. It gets into my mind that I'm falling. That I'm failing just like many times before. How can this be? I ask myself. I had so much motivation only a week ago. It's time that I spent some time feeding the wolf and really remembering why I want this. It's time to look over my progress and realize how far I've come. I have frequently remembered this quote lately, "If not now, then when?" and also " If you are tired of starting over, don't quit." I do not want to slack off on my goals. But, I am human and I must realize that I am susceptible to many diversions during the course of this year. There will continue to be many things that attempt to break my focus, things that will be momentarily more fun but will only result in the prevention of this serious goal I have set. I must reset my pattern of eating and working out and think often about the final results. Most recently I weighed 185.6. I would like to weigh 190 by the end of June. Thats only 1 pound per week roughly. In order to do that, I will have to track my food intake more accurately. I use the "MyFitnessPal" app on my phone but I've been slacking on the food entries.

So, in short here are my today goals.

1. Think about why I am doing this 
2. Think about the final results
3. Reprogram my brain with fitness thoughts and refocus on my target

Have a great day!

Bradley

Video of the muscle up progress! The quest for symmetry...

251 days 

until Saturday January 25 2014

a Saturday 8 months and 6 days from today

Weight: 185

It's hard to believe I've gained almost 20 pounds now in the last two and a half months. I will soon be at the big 190 lb mark. I have never weighed 190 in my life! What else is strange is when I am talking to someone and they discover I am eating so much and TRYING to put on weight. With a world full of folks who would love nothing more than to lose a few pounds, here I stand trying to grow. It is difficult to explain but the fact is, I reduced my body fat percentage and realized that I had burned off a lot of muscle during this phase I went through trying to finish a 100 mile race. So I could not have the lean beefy body I wanted without first hanging some muscle back on my bones. Thus began the quest of building muscle and overeating.

Yesterday was terrible. I have a project going on at home and I worked all day and barely ate anything. It's the first time in awhile that I've actually let myself feel hunger and man, the food tastes so much better when you're starving yourself. I kinda tweaked my back working yesterday so maybe all will be well and I can get in a good workout today or tomorrow.

I promised a video of my muscle up progress and here it is. My lovely wife filmed it for me a couple days ago. I have a long way to go before it's perfect but I'm happy to get above the bar now. As mentioned before in the blog, you can see that the lawnmower tire and giant dog are present and ready for action. Maybe you can understand my son, he's good at cheering me on.

My Muscle Up

Don't allow yourself to miss a workout and focus on the negative. Forward movement, one step at a time. Whether you took a day off or two weeks, get back at it and move forward. We both know that it will be worth it in the end. Thanks for stopping in!

barbrothersdc.com


Feed the Wolf!!!
Bradley

Small results + time = large results.

254 days 

until Saturday January 25 2014

a Saturday 8 months and 9 days from today

Chipping away at the stone.

I'm up to 185 lbs.

Yesterday I started my work out and had to just push through it. I was still very sore from earlier in the week and didn't get much done. I forced through my planned sets anyway to avoid laziness. Today was a different story. Schedule was perfect and when it was time to get to work, the right song came on (Digitalism-Miami Showdown) and I tore the place down. When I left the gym I knew that I had made some serious headway today. I love the feeling of getting it done right. I'm really going to try and make a short clip of the best muscle-up I can muster for everyone soon. On a couple occasions I have done 3 in a row but usually I can only get one at a time. I have yet to stay symmetrical  when doing it. I'm seeing big gains in strength so it's just around the corner. Can't believe how far I've come in confidence and strength in 3.5 months. This feeling is addictive. Keep rocking!



The Wolf stay's hungry around here!
Bradley

State of the Journey

266 days 

until Saturday January 25 2014

a Saturday 8 months and 21 days from today

Start weight 176
Lost down to 168
Current weight during bulk-182 Pounds

I have made myself sit down here in front of my computer to formulate a plan. Or, to solidify what is taking place right now regarding my year long journey. Three months ago I decided to really take my fitness to the next level. I have worked out for the majority of my adult life in different ways. The last few years have been more focused on endurance sports and have no doubt contributed to my withering away or more scientifically the catabolism of much muscle from my bones. Tired of seeing the skinny version of myself in the mirror and inspired by those around me including my wife and her progress towards her half-marathon I am moving toward my strongest, fittest, and most dramatic transformation I have ever achieved. I have learned a lot along the way and I'm finally working within the parameters that are giving me great results. Muscle is built slowly (1-2) lbs per month if I'm doing it all right. I have good days and bad days. Occasionally I skip a workout day and recently I have been just doing whatever exercise that I've wanted at workout time. But I am certainly making great forward progress. I have at times felt stronger, but I have never felt the growth that I have had lately. I workout very hard for 30 minutes. I usually choose 3-4 exercises and do 3-4 sets and 5-15 reps trying to stretch well and lift heavy. I am very good at sticking to pre and post workout nutrition. I do not like working out heavy early in the morning because I usually pull something. I'm eating 3000+ calories a day right now but sometimes that too is hard especially if I avoid garbage. I weigh 182 lbs at present. I am working toward 190. I hope to be there by middle to late June.  At that time, I will probably begin a fat cutting month or two and then begin bulking again. I would like to reach 200 and then cut fat back to 190 by my goal date next January. That means I would have added 20 lbs of muscle in a year. It's a very optimistic goal but I think it could be possible.

The Plan-
Workout 3-4 times per week. Usually a day on then a day off.
Eat 3300 calories per day
I am going to make a list of exercises that I do and have a good rotation.
Make goals for each muscle group so that I will not skip muscle groups


Sorry for the intermittent posts. It's busy here with great weather and of course family first. Thanks for checking up on me. I am more confident than ever that this will be a success.

Keep moving toward your goals. One day at a time.

Feed the Wolf!!!
Bradley

MUSCLE UP GOAL-BAM! New Goals Reached

284 days 

until Saturday January 25 2014

a Saturday 9 months and 9 days from today

I am growing. I am realizing new strengths now more than ever. I have truly created a new habit by working out almost everyday now. Mentally, getting up and working out is part of my day that I look forward to. I am not always in the "mood" to exert a high work load. But, by building a routine of changing clothes, stretching, eating a preworkout snack, getting my journal/workout log and headphones ready and thinking about what I'm going to do. My body will usually get on board and get fired up. I am still limiting my workouts to about 30 min. This prevents any anxiety about working out because it takes almost no time, it lets me workout at a higher intensity, and keeps my body from breaking down muscle for energy while I play. I will say that many times I get to the end of my workout and start to do just another set or another exercise and I have to make myself get out of the gym. Once I'm warmed up, I want to burn every muscle I have got and make progress but I don't think that is the best method right now. I want to gain  weight and add muscle mass.

 Since I have started eating 3300-4000 calories per day my physical strength has shot forward. My pull-up max has moved from 8 to 12 reps continuously. My entire upper body feels stronger and I am noticing an decrease in flexibility from the new growth. My weight is in the low 180's now and I am hoping to get above 185 in the next couple of weeks. I am rapidly losing my cut look due to the caloric increase but my results later will be more pronounced if my muscles have grown.

This past week I realized one of my key goals when starting this program. I did my first sloppy muscle up. the next day I did another and the third day I did 2. I am very excited about this accomplishment and look forward to improving my form and number of repetitions. After putting in so much work, I was beginning to wonder if I'd ever do it and then BAM! I'll try to put a video up soon of me doing one so I can look back on how rough they were in the beginning. Steady progress my friends. Little by little. I'm only 2.5 months into my transformation and steady on course. 2013 will always be the year I got serious and made it happen.

Thank YOU for your continued support. Keep your goal in the front of your mind and make any progress towards it daily. It's tough when you expected results already and they are not visible yet, hold the line, keep moving forward. The world is yours to take.

If you see someone in the gym that looks out of place, say something encouraging. Imagine that they are putting themselves out there to be better. Make a positive difference in their life by being a friend. It might be all they need to change the course of their life. How amazing would it be to give that Dad or Mom 5 or 10 more years with their family by being healthy just by making them feel welcome and in the right place.

Have a great workout!

FEED THE WOLF!!!!
Bradley

Goals- Here are a few short-term goals. I will re-post everyday and add dates to them as they are accomplished.

10 Consecutive Pull-ups (12 Consecutive Pull-ups 7 April)

1 month of Excellence in Training (February 2013)

1 Month of Excellence in Diet (February 2013)

10 Good Handstand push-ups (7 against a wall on April 16 balance improving with strength)

1 behind the neck pull-up (March 31, 2013)

1 muscle-up (April 12, 2013)

Explosive Pull-up/ Toe Touch

Body Fat 10% (Got close to 12% before starting bulk)

Human Flag

Pull-up with behind the back clap

Kuki Push-up

Body Fat 6%

One-arm pull up

One-arm leg raises on bar

All Kinds of Gains, 10 Pull-up Milestone

293 days 

until Saturday January 25 2014

a Saturday 9 months and 18 days from today

Weight: 178.6!!!

Good Morning Friends! It's a very exciting morning for me. Despite the reduction in the blogs, I am still wholly dedicated to my task and making great progress. April 7, marks the end of a couple weeks of "bulking" and the results are coming in. I weighed  this morning and I am happy to say my weight has climbed to 178.6. I was about 168 last month when I cut most of the fat off. I have noticed a slightly less dramatic ripped look but my abs are still visible meaning much of that new weight is muscle. In addition to that, I reached another milestone yesterday while working out....I finally made it to 10 consecutive pull-ups, up from 7 when I started.

Just a quick look at my strategy right now, I am working out for 30 minutes or less and targeting 3-4 muscles. Some days I have done two of these sessions. During the workout, I go heavy on the weight in order to stimulate the muscle as much as possible in a short time. After my workout,  I immediately begin eating heavy and get my body back into anabolic (fat storing, muscle building) mode. Nutrition has been focused on 3300 calories a day. I try to get 20-30 g of protein with each snack and I'm shooting for 200 g of protein per day. I eat simple carbs 30m-1hr before a workout to prevent catabolic consumption of my muscles. (Cata­bolic reac­tions are the break­down of organic mol­e­cules for energy.) 

This all seems to be working for now. I am not sure how much bulking I will do before another cut but as of now, the muscle gains are good and fat percentage is down so we keep going. I'm still working hard on my "muscle-up" and looking forward to being strong enough to do those on the pull-up bar. Handstand push-ups are also going great with 10 reps now not a big problem. I just want to be able to do them freestanding. Have a great day and stay after your dreams. We are doing it now. 

In any moment of decision, the best thing you can do is the right thing, the next best thing is the wrong thing, and the worst thing you can do is nothing.

Theodore Roosevelt

Stay at it!! Stay focused!! 
Feed the Wolf!!!

Thanks for checking in friends, I value your support and I'm very excited about where we are going.
Bradley

3300 Calories and 30 min Workouts- Ectomorph

302 days

until Saturday January 25 2014

a Saturday 9 months and 27 days from today

Wow, time flies. I've been at this for two months already. I feel like I'm making progress but March was rough with the injury, but that is in the past. Now, I am strong and rolling along. Limiting my workouts to 30 mins right now and very heavy weights. I try to choose a weight that I can only lift 6-8 reps and I'm only doing 3 sets. Hopefully this will limit the amount of muscle I burn for energy and help me to gain some mass. I've been eating 3300 calories a day now for several days. I seem to recover faster from the workouts now and I honestly feel a change. I think not bulking has been my problem for years. I workout hard and burn up any new muscle I had gained. I am limiting cardio right now for the same reason. Although I really enjoy running and look forward to cutting when I can do more of it. I don't know how much weight I should try to gain before I switch back to cutting. I was 175 when I started initially, lost down to 168 which made an amazing difference in my abs and definition, and yesterday the scale was around 180. I think this is good progress. Right now its time to go get after it for a bit. Think I'll do some legs, shoulders, and biceps today. 

You don't wait for motivation, you go out looking for it with a club. 

Thanks for checking in on my progress. 

Hope your training is rocking along. If not, what are you waiting for? Start.

Feed The Wolf,

Bradley

Great Workout!

308 days 

until Saturday January 25 2014

a Saturday 10 months and 2 days from today

Just finished a short but great workout at home! I even did many pull ups with no problems. I'm inside now eating like a horse! No, not corn and oats but close. Protein pancakes with my son with lots of syrup. Let the growing begin. I'm gonna weigh tomorrow and see where I am. Third day of bulking again, eating too much is tough. It is so great to be able to make progress. I'm very content today.

Maybe.....

      I had a short workout this morning and miraculously did not injure anything. Learned a few things in my research. I am an ectomorph. The body type that refuses to grow and burns all calories that enter. I am lucky in that I can cut fat quickly as noted by February's success and quick retrieval of my abs. But, this means I will have to eat like my life depended on it in order to grow out of this slender body. I have set the daily caloric goal at 3000 calories again starting today. Additionally, I learned that my two hour workouts are most likely burning up any new muscle that my body has built. My new focus will be short workouts with weight that will only permit 6-8 reps and only 3-4 sets. I'm really fascinated with how much science has learned about building muscle. I realize I have a world of stuff to learn and I'm actively seeking a more rigid plan to mimic. Reflecting more on my recent injuries, I have also noted that both of them were in the morning before my body truly woke up and became limber. I should be able to combat or prevent to some degree any future maladies by waiting until later in the morning for my workout so that I am adequately flexible and by doing several minutes of warm-up stretches and light exercises. Feels great to be back. (Fingers crossed) I'll weigh soon and post it. I'm curious of what my weigh is doing. I expect it to be about where it's always been around 175.

Bradley

Super Underwear!!!

330 days

until Saturday January 25 2014

a Saturday 10 months and 24 days from today

Weight: 177 
Workout today-Full Body

3/1/13

I have new underwear and I'm gonna do 10 Pullups today! I haven't tried my max consecutive pullups in a week or two. I have a goal of doing ten all at once. Today might be that day. With my new superman drawers how could I go wrong?

SUPER motivated this morning. Woke up at 4:00 am eager to make some serious progress today. With my March training program, yesterday was a recovery day. I will be off every other day for a few weeks. I think I will do cardio on my off days. I have ate 3200 calories for the last couple of days and it's as hard or harder than trying to cut weight. I think I will reduce to 3000 calories. I'm pretty sure this is still a surplus and it will probably feel a lot better. My weight has shot back up just from the heavy eating. I'm ready to tear down the house this morning! I have already drawn up my workout grids and I'm itching to get into my zone. I no longer feel like a slob. I have been training hard for a month and I feel like an animal. The way I am supposed to feel. Strong, confident, and focused. I could not be happier with my results or my initial decision to engage this head on.

Time to get after it. Review your goals for today. If they are not clear, write them down. Review all the reasons you want this and make your move! If not today, then when my friend? Life is short. Be about it.

Live Excellently,
Burn the Ships,
FEED THE WOLF!
Bradley

Goals- Here are a few short-term goals. I will re-post everyday and add dates to them as they are accomplished.

10 Consecutive Pull-ups (Up to 8 on 17 Feb)

1 month of Excellence in Training (Feb 27 2013)

1 Month of Excellence in Diet (Feb 27 2013)

10 Good Handstand push-ups (At 3 against a wall 17 Feb)

1 behind the neck pull-up

1 muscle-up

Explosive Pull-up/ Toe Touch

Body Fat 10% (Scale says 13.9% Feb 19, Reliable?)

Human Flag

Pull-up with behind the back clap

Kuki Push-up

Body Fat 6%

One-arm pull up

One-arm leg raises on bar
Increase to 180 lbs

One Month Down, A New Strategy Arrives

332 days

until Saturday January 25 2014

a Saturday 10 months and 29 days from today

Weight: 172 
Workout today-Full Body

2/27/13

Learned some new things-

A beginner (someone who has not been on any consistent program for more than 6 months) will realize the most gains from a workout schedule that works each muscle group 3 times per week. Below is an excerpt from Link to info below

So, Is A 3-Times-Per-Week Training Frequency Optimal?
For certain people… hell yes. For others, not so much. Specifically…
If you are a beginner with any goal, a 3-times-per-week training frequency is the MOST EFFECTIVEway to train.And by beginner, I mean anyone who has been weight training for LESS than 6 months consistently and intelligently. (My full definition of what I consider a “beginner” to be is here: Beginner, Intermediate or Advanced.)
And as usual, this is not just my opinion. It’s the opinion of every single qualified expert, trainer and strength coach with half a brain.
In fact, it’s actually a fact backed by science and real world results.Literally all research and scientific studies looking at the effects of different weight training frequencies in beginners came to the same conclusion: training each muscle three times per week is the most effective way for a beginner to train, regardless of their specific goal.
So, if you’re a beginner with any goal (build muscle, lose fat, increase strength, or improve your body in any way), a 3-times-per-week workout frequency is indeed optimal for you.
- Article from AWORKOUTROUTINE.COM

The second piece of information is bulking. I have seen some numbers that suggest trying to stay lean and build muscle at the same time will most likely give me mediocre gains over the course of a year. In order to see max results over the long term, I will need to "Bulk." This means ingesting an extra amount of calories each day to add muscle mass to my body. The catch is, they cannot be garbage calories. I must still stick to eating healthy lean proteins and complex carbs or I will just put on fat instead of muscle. I must also be putting in the work necessary to make these calories needed for muscle repair.

So, in light of this new information and the completion of my first month of the program, it is time to set a new goal for March. During the month of March, I am going to do more ALL over body workouts for max gains while increasing my daily caloric intake to a surplus. I am estimating my new daily requirement to be 3200 calories per day. My starting weight  for this phase is about 172 lbs. I am very excited to move forward with the new focus. I would like to reach the weight of 180 during the month. The bulking will require cutting at some point. This means cutting back calories and shedding the fat that came along with bulking. I will bulk for March and do an assessment. I am very reluctant to potentially cover my six pack up again but long term is what we are working for here. 

I'm going to do my first all over body workout. Thanks for checking in on my goal. I hope you are reading this and planning on taking action toward your goals today. Living with discipline has been one of the most rewarding things I have come across in my life. Have a great workout! Live Excellently TODAY! 

Feed the Wolf!
Bradley

Goals- Here are a few short-term goals. I will re-post everyday and add dates to them as they are accomplished.

10 Consecutive Pull-ups (Up to 8 on 17 Feb)

1 month of Excellence in Training (Feb 27 2013)

1 Month of Excellence in Diet (Feb 27 2013)

10 Good Handstand push-ups (At 3 against a wall 17 Feb)

1 behind the neck pull-up

1 muscle-up

Explosive Pull-up/ Toe Touch

Body Fat 10% (Scale says 13.9% Feb 19, Reliable?)

Human Flag

Pull-up with behind the back clap

Kuki Push-up

Body Fat 6%

One-arm pull up

One-arm leg raises on bar
Increase to 180 lbs