"The Want, The Gain, The Cut"

The beginning of my journey of bodybuilding Inspiration for the Hardgainer Vol. 1

Written by Christopher Anderson September 25, 2012

Disclaimer: My article is not intended to prevent, treat, diagnose, cure disease. This is only to share advice and give my experience.

What's the first thing that you think about when you hear the words, weight lifting, bodybuilding, or supplements? We have to admit, when we think about weight lifting, we think steroid use and anger issues are necessary just to have big muscles and impress the ladies. Question is, are these selfconceived ideas valid? Have we as our own individual took the time in learning what supplements that these huge people advertise do? These are the questions I had to ask myself one day as I sat in front of a mirror, wanting better than what I saw and felt. I had to do something about it. I ultimately learned during my research and developing of my own body that there is more than just "being bigger" as a benefit of bodybuilding or weightlifting. Bodybuilding has always been stereotyped as a sport about men and women with extraordinary mass, bulging veins, and tight underwear. And it has always been perceived that if you lift weights on a regular, you will end up looking like Arnold Schwarzenegger or Bev Francis in a matter of weeks- this thought is very untrue. It takes those individuals years of extremely hard work and dedication to get that "strong" and perfect physique. If your goals are to begin a bodybuilding or just gain weight, youre reading the right stuff today.

In April 2010 - 145 lbs

+THE WANT
I was always the skinny kid in school and no one ever really paid attention to me (not like anybody really wanted attention or to be popular in high school!) It was the common thing in every high school; the battle of the fittest. There is that forever burning 'Jealousy of THE JOCKS'- the football players and basketball players, these "bigger" guys who always got the hot girls. I had the "God given" abs but I wanted to have mass! So in my sophomore year I joined the football team. During the training, I watched these huge guys lift rows of 45 pound plates on a barbell, and when it came to my turn to lift, I immediately felt like the spare tire. I stood in my self-accepted feeling of disappointment as the trainers stripped all the weight off in order to accommodate my 'flaw'- being smaller and weaker. So in all, high school sports was a bust. Football was not for me, so I quit before the season started; I never did like basketball enough to join and I felt that I was too light to join the wrestling team. Nevertheless, it was an experience to gain knowledge in body strength and supplementation. I learned about things such as metabolism, pyramid weightlifting and that the colorful looking drinks these athletes had in their water bottles were not Kool-Aid or strawberry milk, but protein supplements. But who wants to spend money on a protein drink? I thought to myself. I graduated from high school at the weight of 135 lbs. Some years later, at about 20 years old, out of curiosity I decided to buy my first bodybuilding magazine (FLEX- Feb. 2007 Issue- I still own the magazine!) At this point of my life I didn't really have my mind set on gaining a LOT of weight or eating healthy. I glanced through the magazine every once and a while, reading whatever caught my eye. And of course, as all of us muscle mag reading folks see most in these magazines (ADS,) I felt I gained a little knowledge about whey protein and its benefits. Assuming that these guys back in high school just got big off the stuff, I went and purchased a tub of the cheapest and generic whey protein. I had my magical body building powder. Little did I know you have to eat more, healthier, drink more water, and exercise in order for the stuff to work! So I started losing weight! EXACTLY what I didn't want to happen. AND I was not eating healthy at all! I would eat McDonalds every day for lunch and drink pop. Then one day while working, I passed out was rushed to the emergency room. I was suffering from dehydration. From that one incident, I decided to leave weight gaining and protein alone. I joined the army and got in shape. I learned about better eating habits. I figured at long as I stay small, eat regular meals I'd stay healthy.

Abs and no mass- In 2009 - about 145 lbs

"Physically fit" -Mom and I at my Army Basic Training Graduation - In 2008 - about 149 lbs

WRONG! At 23 years old, I felt tired and lethargic. I thought, damn I eat healthy but I still feel like crap. My stylistic blood pressure was in the 150's. Healthy in my mind was not eating too much fat or sodium and staying small. My point? Ignorance in health is ignoring a better, longer, and hospital less life.

In July 2009 - about 145 lbs Before my 24th birthday, I finally made the decision to learn what being healthy truly is. I made a firm personal decision to eliminate pop, pork, and heavy beef in my diet. I was also soon married, and my wife followed suite with me by eliminating porky pig and sodie pop. She became interested more about health benefits and studied the vegan diet. She encouraged me to join her diet and did so temporarily. But everyone's body is different. Her reaction was extremely well but my body did not react well to it. I was 155 lbs and went down to 145 lbs in a week. I was not taking in enough carbs so I had to do try something different.

I soon learned about the Mediterranean Diet and brought my blood pressure down from the 150's to the 120's. I felt more energetic than ever. I gained my weight back to 150 lbs, but I still retained a small physique. I officially considered myself a hard gainer.

In 2011 - about 145 lbs

In 2011 - 150 lbs

On April 25, 2012 at 25 years old, I looked in the mirror again and decided to give weight gain another try. I weighed a little more than my wife who has a small physique. I thought who wants to be almost

the same size as their wife? I want people who have hopes into getting into bodybuilding, like me, to be able to say, "I wanna have a shape like Chris Anderson!" I then began to do my research. And I learned well about bodybuilding and health...and I AM achieving my goals at a high rate.

April 25, 2012 - 150 lbs

May 2, 2012 -Pre workout - 158 lbs

The wife and I posing -Post workout - 158 lbs

+THE GAIN
I Changed My DIET When people think of diet, they think of getting smaller. Diet is a general term used to set a boundary to foods that give you wanted results. The first and most important thing I learned is that you could never lose by eating healthier than everybody else and lifting weight on a regular schedule. You can be as healthy and fit as a world class bodybuilder....without having to wear the tight underwear.

May 19, 2012 - Post workout - 160 lbs

Earlier I mentioned the Mediterranean Diet. This diet I've personally strived a little off on the diet in specific, such as the wine intake but still follow the basic elements. My "Diet" per say consists of; -No Pork -No Pop/Soda -Heavy beef limited (steak, corned beef, etc. 2 times out the month at most or before an intensely planned workout -High carbohydrate intake -High fruit and veggie intake -Using olive oil as a healthy fat intake -NO FAST FOOD Please research this diet before you consider mine to get a full understanding of its benefits. It is the top diet in the world in terms of longevity, health, and weight maintenance. I try to eat at the most 4 times a day.

Feeling GOOD! May 24, 2012 - 160 lbs

I Started Taking SUPPLEMENTS Everyone who wants to be truly in top health will have to take natural supplements in some form. Due to society and the economy, we do not eat enough nutrients our body needs to develop on a regular (unless you are rich.) I am not rich, so, I mostly supplement my daily vitamin requirements. I recommend GNC Strength Vitapak at GNC store. If you are looking to gain mass, this is a definite "must buy." Again, nothing works miracles when it comes to supplementation, but they sure damn help in meeting a weight gain goal. My supplementation consists of; -GNC Strength Vitapak (for daily vitamins, testosterone stabilizer [for libito], creatine [helps maintain water in body and can help prevent Alzheimers], and energy booster) -Extra Strength Fish Oil (for joint and cardiovascular health) -A readily available protein source (whey protein containing BCAAs and glutamine, protein bars containing BCAAs and glutamine etc.) I switch in between using water (to maintain current weight) or organic 1 % milk (to gain weight) depending on my weight for the day. +the body does not produce enough protein when exercise is a regular factor in your life. Therefore it is important to eat something nutritional before a workout. You WILL NOT help your body if you exercise and do not eat correctly. IT WOULD BE A WASTE OF TIME! +be aware that BCAA's are only found in meat products or mixed with a supplementation. They are important in the building blocks of muscle repair and creating lean muscle. Supplemented BCAAs also may decrease appetite. Consider this medical finding in your diet. Glutamine repairs muscle as well and can be separately supplemented. -L-Arginine (available in the supplements descripted as Nitrous Oxide boosters. Arginine is chemically turned into N.O. when taken and increases blood flow in the body where it is needed most. Some arginine supplements may contain caffeine, so be weary when combining other supplements that may also contain caffeine. These supplements are the only supplements I have been using. I will have a list of them in detail at the end of the novel.

June 5, 2012 - 165 lbs

June 5, 2012 - 165 lbs

June 5, 2012 - 165 lbs

I started lifting heavy weight Not feeling motivated to excersise? Then your not motivated to succeed. In the beginning it will be hard to stay motivated. It will take more than 3 days of working out to see results, remember that! When you see your gains, I guarantee you will get to the point that you want to work out on your off workout day you scheduled! Take the time to watch Pumping Iron featuring Arnold Schwarzenegger which is free to watch on youtube.com. We all know in that time period, it was acceptable to take steroids to get big gains. But it still took HARD WORK and HEAVY ASS WEIGHT to get those gains regardless. To get bigger in the right places, you have to stimulate muscle growth by weightlifting. I followed the pyramid scale of weightlifting to get an idea on how much weight I should do for a lifting session. On a day I take it easy I go up on whatever I lift by 5 lbs. On a Powerhouse day I increase my lifting weight by 10 or even 20 lbs, so I make sure cant do more than 8 reps in the 3rd set. If I am doing 10 reps on my 3rd set, the weight is too light! How can I grow when I dont work for it? Follow this concept and you are sure to make big gains in little time! I set my workout up on JEFIT, an excellent Android workout app that keeps all your stats and has a visual exercise tab to help you perfect the execution of the move. Please check out facebook.com/TheWantTheGainTheCut or download an app such as JEFIT on Android to see what exercises you would like to incorporate in your workout. Remember, everybody is built differently when it comes to physique.

June 11, 2012 - 165 lbs

June 11, 2012 - 165 lbs

June 23, 2012 - 167 lbs

July 1, 2012 - 167 lbs

My buddy Chris B and I - July 4, 2012 - 166 lbs (yes, I worked out on vacation too!)

The wife and I - July 4, 2012 - 166 lbs

July 31, 2012 - 165 lbs

August 2, 2012 - 167 lbs

+The Cut
If you paid attention to the pictures, you can tell I gained and retained a lot of weight in a short period of time. You might be thinking, is that healthy? Hecks yea! I am faster, bigger, stronger, and amazingly my blood pressure has gone down from 120 to 110! The one negative, if you paid close attention to my pictures is you can notice I was getting a little bit of a belly! The belly effect is common while supplementing with whey protein, especially if you do not work out the whole body. I needed to add more ab exercises to my regimen to head more to my goal of having the body that I want. I used to hate doing sit-ups until I learned about alternative ways to exercise the abs in a more effectively.

August 5, 2012 - 170 lbs

UHOH!! Weight gain is working too well! August 15, 2012 - 173 lbs

AWSOME ABS! This exercise in particular requires a stability ball. Lie on the ball so that your back fits to shape of the ball and your hips are slightly lower than your torso. By stretching your abs slightly beyond its resting length, you will generate more forceful contraction. Hold lightly to the sides of your head, exhale and curl your spine so that your whole back rises off the surface of the ball. Make sure while in the up position that your abs are pulling in toward your spine and your lower back is digging into the ball. Hold momentarily, inhale, and slowly lower yourself back to the starting position. (Muscle and Body -Sept 2012- pg 78) *I superset this exercise with kneeling cable crunches to get a great workout feeling in my abs. This is one of the many workouts I used during my cut- shaping of my new mass. I will explain my workout for your reference at the end of this novel. As of September 2012, I am still in my cut phase. I currently weigh 180 lbs with 15% body fat. You can get an estimate of your body fat online with a BMI calculator or talk to your physician.

CUT DAY! September 9, 2012 - 180 lbs

September 9, 2012 - 180 lbs

September 9, 2012 - 180 lbs

September 9, 2012 - 180 lbs

September 9, 2012 - 180 lbs

September 9, 2012 - 180 lbs

September 9, 2012 - 180 lbs

I sure do have some wacky workout clothes!

Can't forget the legs!

Are you going to make the move to get what you want??

The body is a forever changing thing. Seeing that my body has grown to miraculous proportions in such a small timeframe, I plan to give a monthly update on my development on my video blogs @youtube.com/djone87 or post on facebook.com/ThewantThegainThecut. I am excited to write and talk about the long time results with everyone who is a hard gainer, wants to be bigger and healthier and follows my regimen. I want the people who follow my regimen to post your results on my page and leave feedback on my videos (or make response videos!) Happy lifting!

My Gaining Diet
This diet summary is an example of my regular lift day #Drink water 8 times a day for good health and learn what your carb intake should be!

Morning2 servings of oatmeal (slow digesting carb) w/ brown sugar and fresh fruit (I use blueberries as an additional fast digesting carb if I work out after eating) 1 cup Tropicana Orange juice (Fast digesting carb) 1 Vitapak Strength 2 Fish Oil (900 mg per serving) Afternoon2 scoops Whey protein w/ 1% organic lowfat milk 2 Peanut butter and Jelly Sandwiches Fresh fruit 1 hour before workout 2 Scoop Cellucor C4 Extreme w/ 6 ounces water (N.O. booster) 2 beef and bean burritos 2 cups water 1 serving of a fast digesting carb such as blueberries or a cup of Orange Juice Immediately after workout 6 ounces Grilled chicken breast or tilapia 2 servings of brown rice 2 servings of broccoli or asparagus 2 scoops Whey protein w/ water -OR- Protein Bar drunken w/ water

Dinner2 servings boiled wheat pasta w/ flavored olive oil and sea salt 2 servings green salad (romaine, spinach, kale) 1 tbls olive oil based dressing 2 pieces of toasted wheat bread 1 cup water

My Lifting Routine
*There's no punk stuff here! We lift heavy and hard to get where we wanna be! As Ronnie Coleman says, "Everybody wanna be a bodybuilder, but won't lift this heavy ass weight! But I will!" #if you have medical conditions, please consult a physician before any body shaping activities. This is one week considering the next week you rest at least 3 days. -I spend at the most 3 hours in the gym Monday -Bis, Tris, Calves, Thighs Tuesday - Abs, Chest, Lats, Traps, Shoulders Wednesday- Bis, Tris, Calves, Thighs Thursday - Abs, Thighs, Calves, Lower Back Friday - Chest, Lats, Traps, Shoulders Saturday - Abs, Thighs, Calves, Lower Back Sunday - Off Day *There are studies which support the claim that the upper body takes longer to heal than your lower body *Change up your routine every 2 weeks for maximum body growth *Please check out facebook.com/TheWantTheGainTheCut for details of my workout