I have written and erased this article a few times now. I had started to write this as an informational blog to try to educate readers, but then I thought that maybe if I took the angle of speaking about my own experiences and of a couple guys I know it would be easier to write this.

A few years ago I was like everyone else and I’d defend steroid usage up and down, all day long. Nobody wants to think that what they’re doing can have any negative health consequences. A guy smoking 2 packs of cigarettes every day doesn’t know he can get lung cancer until he’s told he has it. Someone shooting heroin doesn’t think they can overdose until they buy a stronger grade or shoot a little too much. Someone who has used steroids for several years doesn’t know they can negatively effect their health until things start getting out of whack.

The issue with hormones is it’s seldom one of these deals where you inject this one day, and the day after you die. You can’t point your finger at something and say “Yep, he took steroids so this is what’s going on here.” The negative effects creep up very slowly and they usually don’t become an issue until later in life. Do I believe steroids can cause negative health consequences? Yes, BUT ONLY WHEN ABUSED AND HEALTH GOES NEGLECTED.

Size not steroids is the culprit

But I want to dig deeper into this thing first. You can’t say it’s just the steroids, it’s a little more involved than that. Let’s take 2 different guys for example, the first guy takes steroids and floats around 180-200 lbs in fairly lean condition year round. The second guy balloons up to 250 lbs and stays that size for the next half of his life. The 250 lb individual has increased his risk of health complications from body stature alone, not just steroids.

Sure, steroids may have helped him get there, but it’s now the effects of increased body mass and stress on the heart that becomes the health culprit, not the fact that this guy used steroids. The heart has to work harder to pump blood to the body because of his size, and throughout a number of years at this rate, he has increased the likelihood of a possible stroke or a heart attack.

Now, in some people who were genetically predisposed to be larger individuals anyways, this may not always be 100% accurate. But this is bodybuilding, and most of us were not genetically predisposed to become the size that we become. Organs in the body have to work harder to process things when more and more things have been introduced into the body. Be it food, drugs, caffeine, alcohol, chemicals in soda or whatever, the body has to work to process anything we put into it.

Bloodwork

So again, overall consumption becomes an issue as well, not just steroids. So what is the key to knowing how far you can take it? It’s called getting LABS DRAWN ON THE REGULAR. Whether you use performance enhancement or not, I believe anybody over the age of 30 should be getting regular bloodwork done, ESPECIALLY IF YOU USE STEROIDS!! Steroids are not a death sentence, not even when used long term, if you know what the hell you’re doing and when to back off.

Let’s talk about false readings on blood labs. I use the word “false reading” very loosely here, because in a way it’s false and in a way it’s not. If you’re using steroids and go get your labs drawn mid-cycle then things may look a little out of whack. This is only a false reading in regard to the fact you’re taking something that is throwing things off short term, it’s not a false reading in that the measures shown aren’t really what they say at that given point in time.

When you come off your cycle then your labs will look better almost 90% of the time. Well when you never come off cycle then guess what? Your hematocrit that reads high is sure as hell isn’t lying. Your elevated blood pressure is really high as hell, it’s not just some fluke or something. You’ve gone several years now with these values possibly elevated, and that my friends causes damage.

Before you go freaking out on me, let me explain a few things here first. Much of this depends on what you’ve used, how your body has reacted to it, and how much you took. A guy who has used 200 mg/wk of nandrolone for 20 weeks straight while maintaining good blood pressure, cholesterol levels and liver values, is in far better shape than that same guy who blindly uses 200mg/wk of nandrolone but is predisposed to elevated blood pressure from it. It becomes an individual thing to some degree, which is why you can’t generalize everyone who used steroids as a walking death sentence. But, the misinformed and stubborn ones are most often the ones with negative health consequences.

Have some stability before you take steroids

When a guy comes to me and asks me if I think he should use steroids, I don’t tell him yes or no. I prefer to educate them on the reality of it and what they’re looking at down the road. The first thing I ask him is “Where do you work and do you have health insurance?” If this guy tells me he has some stability in life and can go to a doctor if he needs to, then I tell him to go for it. If this guy is a 19 year old kid who has no health insurance and no clue as to what the hell he is going to do with his life then I advise against using them.

He’ll probably be perfectly fine and a lot like everyone else. He’ll hit a few cycles and get some results, and then he’ll probably move on and won’t take the gym as seriously as he gets older, or when he settles down with a wife and kids he’ll just quit altogether. He’ll be one of the guys who talks about, “Yeah, back in the day I tried dbol, tren, and test” but he’ll get over it and move on and his hormone levels will come back to normal range.

HOWEVER, if he is someone who stays in the gym throughout the years and continues to use steroids into his 30’s and 40’s, but doesn’t have the financial means to get blood labs drawn, or proper health care coverage, he just may be a walking time bomb. It’s nice to think that you’ll make health a priority and get regular labs done and just pay cash, but 90% of people just can’t afford it and aren’t going to do it without heath insurance. So much of my answer to someone who asks me about steroids is based on that factor right there.

I know a guy right now in his mid 40’s who is going to die if he doesn’t get a kidney transplant. I’m talking about the walking picture of health and fitness his whole life. This is a guy who always ate clean and always stayed in the gym. But he always ran a bunch of gear, used recreational drugs, and never went to a damn doctor. This guy went downhill so fast it would make your head spin. I didn’t see him for a few months, and then one morning in the gym he pops up and he was so thin and frail looking I thought he must have had AIDS.

He didn’t speak to me that day and I later found out why. Nobody feels like talking when they think they’re on their deathbed, especially when they were known for being a picture of health and fitness before their life went to shit. Now, of course recreational drugs can play a major role in this, but who knows the specifics of it? He could have been someone who never came off orals, and I’m guessing that bloodwork wasn’t in the picture for him. This was a national level bodybuilding competitor who probably never went off gear. The point to this story is get your damn bloodwork done if steroids is a part of your lifestyle, so if you need to back off you know when.

A good friend of mine was just referred to a kidney specialist last week. He calls me up and tells me this, and starts asking all these questions about kidney values. Then he asks me what he could still use as far as steroids and what dosages I thought he could get away with. He is talking to me in terms of “If I can just make it another 5 years.” He is talking to me in a way that say’s he’s accepted the fact he is going to die soon, and if he can’t bodybuild then he’d assume to be dead anyways.

There were a lot of old timers that were like this, and many took their own lives when bodybuilding was over with. It drove them absolutely nuts that they were falling apart and they ended it before they suffered. Sometimes this isn’t always a deal where you have something happen and in a blink of an eye you’re dead. No, I’d almost say those may be the luckier ones. A lot of guys suffer through a lot of bullshit before they finally tap out.

Bodybuilding is still new

You have to remember that bodybuilding is still new. A lot of old timers from the 60’s and 70’s are just now starting to die off. They rarely make 70 years old and the ones who make 70 years old are lucky. Now we have a new breed of bodybuilders who are taking far more drugs, far bigger dosages, and far longer cycles. Well what comes to my mind is if the old timers rarely see 70 years old, then what is the time clock for a newer guy? Even with advances in the medical field something just tells me you can only fool mother nature for so long.

Now, on the other side of the coin we have health issues that come on from low testosterone. I know another guy who has been in the gym for 40 years, and has juiced up a total of 30 years now. He went off everything once for a period of 3 months due to a non-related medical condition. Guess what happened? His bloodwork went to hell, but then went back to normal when he resumed testosterone replacement therapy!! Low testosterone is terrible and I’d dare say the lack of energy, anxiety, and stress, is worse than being on testosterone for the rest of your life. So you definitely cannot just rule this out and deem testosterone replacement therapy as the anti-Christ here.

From my experiences in bodybuilding and performance enhancement, every decade yields a twist in the way you eat, train, and even use performance enhancers. Yes, I’ve only been at this 2 decades now, but I’m already wise enough to know it’s going to change at 40 years old, again at 50 years old, and so on. But the thing is I already know what to do to manipulate things and how to train as an aging male.

I have too many friends and acquaintances in their 40’s, 50’s, and 60’s who I know on a very good level, so I know what it’s all about. I’ve seen it just in my time with bodybuilding alone, but I’m talking about some guys with 30 and 40 years of bodybuilding and steroids under their belt. One thing I’ll tell you is the quality of their lives is much better than their “normal” counterparts, because they are doing it right.

So how do we do it right? I’ve devised a list of things to pay close attention to in order to maintain your health while using steroids and aging;

#1- Protein goes up when cycling, it drops when maintaining. Too much protein makes your kidneys work harder, and it can also make you sluggish. It’s a wise idea to lower it once in awhile, and it’s my belief that .8 grams per pound of bodyweight is all that is needed to build quality muscle for most people.

#2- Dosages need to be lower as you age, but done with compounds you can run out for longer durations without negatively impacting labs to any significant degree. My drugs of choice as I’ve gotten older and on TRT (testosterone replacement therapy) would be low dose deca, NPP, primobolan depot, anavar, masteron, and moderate dosages of EQ.

#3- Anyone on replacement therapy should be donating blood on a regular basis. Donating blood keeps things in check; especially red blood cells and hematocrit. Women statistically live longer than men because of their menstrual cycles; their bodies lose blood and the creation of new blood pulls toxins from their vital organs. It’s a wise idea to donate blood on the regular if you commit to TRT or steroids for life.

#4- Calories should be consumed at maintenance level to slightly below maintenance levels 80% of the year. There is no more gaining 20 lbs of muscle mass from cycles or ballooning up with water weight and fat gain. Your metabolism is getting slower and it doesn’t take as many calories to do the job. You will find yourself more energized on fewer calories than packing them in all the time.

At this point you’ve gained what you’re going to gain in terms of size (unless you’re new to it) and your efforts are better spent constantly refining what you have into better and better quality. I call this “old man muscle” and this is that grainy ass, hard as nails muscle you only see on vets who have been at this for years and years. It’s quite impressive. 90% of veteran trainers or middle aged men have absolutely no reason to consume over 3,000 calories per day.

#5- Repetitions should become higher than they were in the beginning. It’s fine to occasionally drop to lower reps, but remember that your tendons and joints haven’t gotten as strong as your muscles have. The first rep of any set is the most dangerous rep, and the last rep is the safest. Whoever says you cannot benefit from high rep training is full of shit. I have found that a slower rep speed and reps frequently taken into the teens has done me a world of good as I’ve continued to train and use steroids along with getting older. Volumizing the muscles and pump becomes more important than lifting heavy as you get older. Your joints will thank you!!

#6- Sleep becomes more critical as we age. Sleep typically gets worse as we age also. Due to lower GH levels in our bodies, our sleep seems to just go to shit as we age. Stress, responsibilities, monotony of day-to-day routines, and lack of hormones can have a serious damper on sleep quality. I’M GUILTY AS CHARGED TOO!! Try to make it a priority to be in bed at the same time each night and if you need to use something to help you fall asleep then use it. Whats worse, taking an ambien tab to fall asleep or going on no sleep and walking around like a zombie? Hey, I’m not saying to become a drug addict here, but if you need to pop a pill to go to bed once in awhile then fuck it, pop one.

#7- Cardio, cardio, cardio!! Look, holding muscle isn’t difficult if you’ve been a muscular stature for a long time. You can literally do just a couple sets per muscle group each week and you’re probably not going to lose jack shit in terms of muscle size, especially if you’e using testosterone. When you get to that point in the gym where you’ve been training for 45 minutes- 1 hour and you ask yourself “Should I continue to weight train and skip cardio or go do cardio?” then you need to go do cardio. Even if it’s just 20 minutes per day 3-5 times/week just make sure you’re doing it. Your heart will thank you and so will your lungs. You may find yourself looking much more impressive than just set after set after set in the weights.

#8- Get to a manageable bodyweight that is a good combination of muscle/definition but not overboard. It’s a fact, bigger people statistically die younger and people on higher calorie diets die younger.

You guys have all heard of Frank Zane by now. Frank Zane competed around 180-190 lbs, and while certainly not the largest guy on stage he was pretty damn impressive. Frank Zane’s daily diet at this point is about 1200-1500 calories/day. He is heavily involved in meditation and clean living practices. Frank and his wife used to ride road cycles a lot as well. Zane was never concerned with being the biggest guy but everything was quality.

Frank is a far cry away from the shape a lot of older guys are in now health wise. He was always smart about things. Yes, Frank Zane used steroids, he wasn’t nicknamed “The chemist” for nothing. He taught chemistry if I’m not mistaken, but I’m sure his nickname wasn’t just because of that, if you get my drift. But at some given point in time he had to get smart and let a lot of it go. When I say a manageable bodyweight, I don’t mean you need to be a walking skeleton, but it’s a wise idea to try to get into the low 200’s if you can.

Serge Nubret was 200 lbs at 6′ tall, and anyone who says you cannot look muscular at 200 lbs and 6′ tall would change their view real fast if they went and pulled his photos up. So I’m about 5’9″ myself, there is absolutely no reason for me to be walking around at over 220 lbs as I get older and try to stay as healthy as my look.

But let me let you guys in on something here; LOSING WEIGHT IS AN ABSOLUTE BITCH WHEN YOU’VE HELD IT FOR SO LONG!! For me to get under 220 lbs it’s like pulling teeth!! I have to diet my ass off to get anywhere under 220 lbs, and if I went back to “normal eating patterns” I’d throw it right back on. Guy’s, this is even with no steroids outside of 150mg/wk of testosterone as per replacement dosages. I’m advocating manageable bodyweight in terms of heart health, cardio health, and flexibility. Nobody wants a knee replacement because they had to walk around at 275 lbs their whole life feeling like king shit. You’re not king shit with arthritis and bad joints.

#9- Enjoy life a little more!! How many times did you do away with a certain activity because you went to the gym instead? Listen, you may have been in the gym on every sunny day for the majority of your life. Why not take up kayaking or hiking a couple days a week? Or how about riding a bike or surfing?

Something different once in awhile doesn’t hurt, for God sake don’t go to your grave missing out on other beautiful things life can offer besides a nice looking body!! One of the biggest reasons people get depressed as they grow older is because day-to-day activities get downright monotonous and repetitive. The sad part is most people can’t figure that out!! They’re too busy trying to make money and stressing out over stupid shit that really doesn’t mean as much as they think it does in the whole scheme of things.

#10- DON’T PUT YOUR HEALTH IN SOMEONE ELSE’S HANDS!! The medical industry wants you to stay sick!! If you’re sick that means they make more money, and if you stay sick it’s even more money. Do you know how many classes most general practitioners take on pharmacology in school? ONE!! They take 1 class on general medicine, that’s all.

Don’t go in for a fucking follow-up if there aren’t labs involved or an issue has subsided. What the hell for? So they can ding your insurance just a little harder and you get 2 minutes of some doc’s time? “So how you doing now?” he’ll ask you. “I’m doing fine” you’ll say. “OK, great!! See you next week!!” He’ll hurry you along because of the 4 other appointments his secretary has scheduled for the same time.

Don’t buy into it all and don’t put your health solely in the hands of someone else!! Do you know how many people die that way? Learn from others who can educate you and do your own research. If someone specializes in a particular area then listen to them, sort of like I specialize in fitness and hormones!! But at the end of the day, nobody should care more about you than you. And nobody should be held more responsible for your health than you!!

Fitness with aging doesn’t have to be a difficult endeavor nor a horrible experience!! I get all these guys in the gym who want to bitch to me about how hard it is. This guy today tells me how hard it is for him because he has to eat what his wife cooks. REALLY? Do you have any idea how stupid that sounds to me? If she wants to get fat then by all means, but the bitch isn’t force feeding you with a shovel. Grow a set of balls and tell her you want to start cleaning up your diet. She’ll think you’re cheating on her, but then again if she is some fat bitch who eats nothing but pasta and garlic bread then maybe you should.

Or all of these guys with back issues who refuse to train lower back or hit abs. There are ways to train around injuries and strengthen areas to protect yourself. Man wasn’t made to have some terrible injury and the body not try to correct itself. Stop being lazy. If you can’t do deadlifts then fine, do hyperextensions. If you can’t do hyperextension then take yoga classes to gain more flexibility and stabilizer strength, then go do hyperextensions!!

I’ve deadlifted heavy as hell for the past 20 years straight and I have zero back issues BECAUSE I DEADLIFT. Go figure, I train myself to pick heavy shit up off the floor and I remain injury free!! It’s funny how that works huh? The way I see it, you have 2 choices here; either stay strong and healthy or stay broke and hope the health insurance plans don’t get any worse than they already are. I know which one I’ll choose!!

For more on anti-aging and testosterone replacement therapy, be sure to pick up “Straight from the Underground” which is scheduled to release very soon!!

Click here to be notified when Straight from the Underground is released!

The post Steroids, aging, and paying attention to your overall health appeared first on John Doe Bodybuilding.

Looking back on growing up there were some pretty funny things I went through.

One summer I landed a job landscaping with the meanest old motherfucker I’ve ever worked for. The guy seemed pleasant at first because he really needed help, but I would soon realize that this guy was a miserable fuck who was absolutely terrible to work for.

The day would start at 6:00am and this guy would pull into my driveway in an old truck with no power steering to pick me up. We would then drive 30 minutes back to his house to pick up his equipment (dump truck, backhoe, trailer, skidster, etc.) and drive another 40 minutes from that location to the job site. My pay didn’t start until I got to the job site.

The job was tearing down a giant barn, leveling out the property and planting grass. My job was to haul shit off and throw it into a pile while he sat on a machine all day.

After the barn was tore down the real fun began; removing the foundation. At this point my job was to basically stand there in the hot sun all day with a sledge hammer, and whatever he couldn’t break with a machine I was told to go hit with a sledgehammer so he could pick up the pieces.

Actually, I wasn’t just told to do it. I was pretty much cursed at 90% of the time. The funniest part about it was I could never hear him over his machinery, but I could see his mouth moving and could read curse lips rolling off his tongue all day long. I thought this old bastard was going to have a stroke at any given moment!!

When enough concrete was loaded into the dump truck we would go to the landfill. Every time the old bastard caught a yellow or red light he would slam on the brakes and yell out the longest string of profanity you’ve ever heard. I would bite my tongue sometimes trying not to laugh at him and how miserable he was. The guy didn’t speak to me in the truck and he never talked about anything other than yelling about what he needed to have done.

I was pretty much a low paid slave that held a sledgehammer most of the time. The guy had nobody else working for him. It was just me, and I quickly learned why; I was probably the only person dumb enough to work for this guy longer than a day.

This miserable old prick would constantly break his machinery, shred tires on his equipment, and anything and everything that could go wrong during his day usually did.

Lunchtime was even better, I wasn’t allowed to leave and I sat on a chair next to him eating a sandwich while he ate his lunch. He didn’t speak to me. For 30 minutes I would sit there eating and nothing was said between us, until one day…He talked about how upset he was about something someone had done to him.

“You know, I own some of that land that the sand quarry is at. I park a lot of my equipment there, and the other day I was back there picking up my bulldozer, and some STUPID SON OF A BITCH TOOK A SHIT ON MY SEAT!!” I busted out laughing when he told me that. He looked at me with a death stare and said to me, “And the fact that you think that is funny really pisses me the fuck off!! IT REALLY PISSES ME THE FUCK OFF.” I had nobody to turn to, and I couldn’t walk away. I resumed eating my sandwich and apple and kept my laughter to myself. That was probably the most awkward moment of my life to this day.

One day he got his backhoe stuck and had no choice but to let me try to drive it out as he pulled with his dump truck at the same time. We were unsuccessful and he had to have a heavy duty tow truck come pull it out. On our next trip to the landfill all he pretty much talked about was how the last guy who worked for him probably could have gotten it out of the mud, but I wasn’t as good as that guy so that is why he had to call the tow truck.

If there is any bright side to this story whatsoever, it was probably me getting a good suntan and getting in better condition from swinging a sledgehammer at thick cement all day. There holds a special place in my heart for the music video from Pantera titled “Primal concrete sledge” LOL. But yea, you get the idea by now; working for this guy downright sucked ass!!

One of the last days I worked for that miserable old fuck, he was using his tiller on what would soon be the new yard in place of the old barn. He ran over a long strip of metal and it got bound up in his tiller to the point it shut off. He jumped off the machine cursing and raising all hell as he always did throughout the day. He tried to pull it out and he quickly realized he couldn’t and had no idea what he was going to do.

I had enough of being cursed at that summer and was about sick and tired of listening to this old man with the shittiest existence I ever saw. Standing there in dirty jeans and no shirt on, it was time to show that old fuck just who he was cursing at all summer.

I walked over to the tiller and he then said to me, “What the fuck are you doing?” I looked dead in that bastard’s eyes and said to him, “Something you can’t.” I reached into those tiller blades and with every ounce of strength I had I started to pull. I pulled to the point I was almost seeing stars, and finally that long piece of strip metal came loose from the machine. Then I said to him, “Your last guy wouldn’t have done that.”

The old guy actually told me he was proud of me that day. That was the last day I worked for that old fuck.

I think I knew the guy probably came from a time when he was treated like shit and people acted a little different than they do now. I tried not to take it personally and some days I actually felt bad for him. I’m really not sure why I didn’t quit right away. Maybe it was because I knew he needed me.

I bet the last guy that worked for him was treated like shit too. And I have a pretty good hunch that the next guy after me got the same story I got in his truck the day his backhoe got stuck; “The last guy I had working for me would have done that, but not you.”

The end

The post Story time with John Doe appeared first on John Doe Bodybuilding.

Everyone wants to know what the best way is to get a large and defined body. The ones who don’t know always ask me what they can take. What is the best protein powder? What is the best prohormone? What is the best steroid cycle?

Who knows, I really couldn’t tell you. However, I can tell you something that will yield far better results than anything you could take, and that is eliminating self-destructive behavior. I will explain to you how to recognize self-destructive behaviors and give you 10 tips to achieve your best physique while avoiding those behaviors.

Self-destructive behavior is part of everyday life and it’s everywhere around you. You probably don’t even consider many of the things you do to be self-destructive. Let me explain what I mean here.

Let’s start with sleep. Most people (myself included) just don’t get enough sleep. One of my hangups is caffeine and it definitely disturbs sleeping patterns. Since I have cut my caffeine intake down to only 1.5 cups of coffee per day, I have noticed that I’m able to sleep much better.

Ask yourself why you’re losing sleep. A lot of people lose sleep over bullshit like social media and internet surfing when they should be in bed. They are losing sleep over meaningless things and it’s hurting progress in the gym. One of the biggest reasons for this is lack of social activity now. Everything has gone electronic and social media and text messaging have replaced actual human interaction, not to mention destroyed social skills among many people. That constant urge to check your facebook account just may be the need for social activity that has been replaced with technology.

Drinking alcohol can also inhibit good sleeping patterns, and so can nicotine. Not only is a 6 pack of beer bad for you on a regular basis, it certainly isn’t helping you sleep restfully at night. I could drink a 6 pack of beer and then get a solid 8 hours of sleep but the next day I’m still dragging ass. Why is that? It’s because alcohol may help you fall asleep but it doesn’t keep you asleep in a restful state.

Diet would be the next major factor. Most people eat a diet that is self-destructive in almost every way, shape, and form. Throwing your potassium to sodium ratio off on a regular basis is not healthy, and eating bullshit is a perfect way to do it.

Although I don’t follow a Paleo-type diet year round, one of the first things I start to notice when I go back to Paleo eating is how much better I rest at night. And sometimes instinctive eating along with the Paleo diet can work wonders. By instinctive eating, I’m talking about forgetting the common 6-7 meals per day deal and eating only when you’re hungry.

Allowing your body work the way it wants to and listening to those signals is a great way to not only get in shape fast but also improve your mental clarity. Sometimes worrying about what you’re going to eat every 2-3 hrs can get old really fast, and it can become an obsessive compulsiveness that just isn’t healthy.

I have trained so many people who refuse to accept their own accountability and want to blame it on the routine or what they’re using and it actually has very little to do with it. They continue to live a destructive lifestyle. Sure, throwing in workouts definitely helps, but as long as they continue to self-destruct it will never happen for them.

The quickest way to get in the best shape of your life is to take responsibility for your own actions on a daily basis. Your body is like a bank account and every day you can make deposits or withdrawals. When you start taking more withdrawals than making deposits, your body gets worse. If it really was money we were talking about, you’d go broke. An average body is one that operates like an average checking account. There are deposits and withdrawals made but the balance is always nearing zero from paycheck to paycheck. The guy who saves his money and takes responsibility for his own financial well-being will get ahead. The human body is no different.

Now, here is where the confusion can set in. Believe it or not, working out too much or being too obsessed with it can be self-destructive in its own way. You can get to a point where you stop enjoying life and you become this drone. Sure, comments keep coming in about how good you look, but what does it matter if you feel like shit all the time?

This is when having a couple beers to unwind is not self-destructive. But drinking in excess is definitely destructive. The biggest way to combat this challenge is to allow yourself one small self-destructive thing per day. For me it would be cream in my coffee or the occasional wintergeen dip. Dipping is a horrible habit and I don’t suggest it. I’m just being honest here. I’m not perfect; I’m human just like you are. But if I can allow myself one dip per day then it helps to keep me on track. It’s far better than eating bullshit or smoking and it knocks the edge off. Sometimes it may be a cigar, but at least with a good cigar I don’t inhale it and it allows me to relax. But I’m not out there smoking a pack of Marlboro’s and getting blitzed every night. Yes, an occasional Michelob Ultra or a Miller Lite is something I do, but it’s not enough to affect my progress. It keeps me sane and it allows me to continue on a diet without going off course. When you’re eating so tight all the time it can get to a point where you just need something for you outside of the gym and health arena. If you can control this then great, if you cannot then you need to find something else.

Last night for my cardio I hit the trails on my mountain bike for an hour. This gets me out of the gym and allows me to do something fun and active without getting burnt out on a stairmaster or a treadmill. Maybe try hiking or kayaking one day instead of going to the gym. I would pick 1 day per week where you get outside and do something active but different. This helps prevent a self-destructive behavior gym-wise and helps improve mental sanity.

Also, there is something else I want to mention about overtraining here. Sometimes what guys think is overtraining is actually the total opposite. They’re tired because of day to day monotony, not the gym. You’d be amazed at how many times I felt tired and overtrained, but then went outside and did something different than the gym that day, and when I was done I felt recharged and fantastic. Most of the time I will wake up the next day feeling more energetic than if I took the day off and did absolutely nothing. Yes, I believe in overtraining, but I also believe in day to day monotony and the mind occasionally plays tricks on us too. So get out of the gym here and there and you may be surprised at how much better you feel.

Again, self-destruction is in everything around you. You just need to know how to recognize it and make changes to avoid it. Self-destruction lies in procrastination, internet porn, social media, and daily vices and habits.

As I said before, I’m not perfect either, but I’m probably much more committed to making deposits in my account than most other people wondering why they cannot get the results they’re looking for. If I were to put a natural guy who mindfully avoids self-destruction against someone who uses steroids but is self-destructive on a daily basis I believe the natural guy is going to get far better results. It’s rarely a case of who is using what. One guy is putting in the time at the gym, eating clean and avoiding self-destructive behaviors while the other is showing a half-assed commitment. I’ve seen so many guys who claim that what they’re using is fake or just not working for them, but these same ones cannot break away enough from self-destructive habits to get any sort of results if their lives depended on it.

Here are 10 tips to achieve your best physique by avoiding self-destruction and becoming more anabolic!

Tip #1 – Get proper sleep

Be in bed by a certain time to allow you to get a full and restful night of sleep. Whether you’re tired or not, get in the bed and read a book or watch TV to get tired.

Tip #2 – Eat clean and healthy

When you eat, ask yourself if it’s good food or bad food. (Of course cheat meals do not count, and everyone needs a reward once in awhile for hard work and dedication!)

Tip #3 – Use health supplements rather than those claiming quick results

Rather than dropping all of your extra money on common supplements, start by getting basic vitamins and supplements that promote health more than quick results. (fish oil, flaxseed oil, cranberry extract for kidney health, digestive enzymes, etc) You would be surprised at how turning to health supplements may work far better than certain jugs of caffeine or powders claiming ridiculous % increases in 1 week. (Yes, some supplements have their place, but go with health supps before anything else.)

Tip #4 – Cut back on daily habits that hinder good results

Examples of daily habits that can hinder your results are things such as too much caffeine, over-reliance on protein powder over real food, alcohol, tobacco, internet porn, social media, procrastinating activities that promote laziness, and probably a huge list of others I can’t think of off the top of my head right now. If you can avoid them then more power to you, but if not, then at the very least cut them back as much as you can!

Tip #5 – Get out of the gym to avoid monotony

Pick one day a week where you get outdoors and do some non-gym form of activity. Even if it’s an activity that’s not physically demanding such as fishing, it’s far better for mental sanity than only going to the gym.

Tip #6 – Have a “therapy day”

Pick one day per week that is what I like to call “therapy day” where instead of bashing the weights you take a day to do nothing but stretch or take a yoga class, a deep tissue massage, pedicure (no, taking care of your body isn’t “gay”), sit in sauna or hot tub, etc etc.

Tip #7 – Give your body a chance to detox

Pick one day a week where you try to drink more water that day. I’d also lower protein intake drastically that day. One day of low protein will not hurt you a bit and it’ll give your body a chance to flush itself out and you may feel more energetic. Excessive protein can make you sluggish at times. It’s good to back off and let your system catch up and flush itself out.

Tip #8 – Learn a new activity

This could be anything from taking a martial arts class to learning how to play the guitar. Learning something new can give you new excitement and motivation when things become null and mundane. Even I get burnt out with the gym sometimes. When you’re new to it all it’s hard to get burnt out because results are coming much faster and it’s new and exciting, but after several years of smashing iron it can often get to a point where it’s harder to set goals and see yourself moving forward.

Tip #9 – Take a break from supplements or steroids altogether

I’m not talking about getting off testosterone replacement if you need it, but if you’re someone who has always relied on something then it’s a good idea to take a break from it. Sometimes coming off a cycle can make you feel like someone gave you your life back again. The added stress on your body from changing or mental effects based on increased hormones are now gone. It can make you think a lot more clearly and it can give your body a much needed break. Another thing this does is it trains you once again to do the best you can with just food and proper training and rest. A lot of guys become these paper tigers once they use steroids long enough. They would just assume give it up altogether if they had to quit using shit to do it. This is the biggest reason my articles focus more on nutrition and training rather than performance enhancement. Yes, anabolics can certainly be a part of the game, but I never wanted to be one of those guys who solely relied on them for results. I started bodybuilding with practically nothing, and I can continue bodybuilding with practically nothing if I had to. I don’t want to become a paper tiger when it comes to building muscle. Even supplements can get old. Popping numerous pills on a day to day basis can get old really fast and sometimes you just need a break…FROM EVERYTHING.

Tip #10 – Set a realistic goal and a realistic gym time-frame

Let’s be real here, you probably have a job, a heavy class schedule, or a family, or all three. No matter how bad you want to train like Arnold Schwarzenegger did and try to look like that, ask yourself if it’s realistic. Rather than spending a hard three weeks in the gym pounding it out for two hours a day, or doing twice a day workout routines, why not tell yourself that you will allot yourself one hour per day to smash it with your body and call it a day? When you are in the gym and your hour is up, you call it a workout and go home. Someone who can make these kind of deals with himself is going to get far better results based on consistency alone. I’ve seen so many guys over the years who can dedicate themselves for periods of a couple months, but then completely fall off rather than doing something realistic. Look at guys like Dorian Yates if you need motivation. Dorian trained 3-4 days a week and was probably in the gym for no more than 45 minutes a shot, and that was good enough to make him Mr. Olympia six times! (Of course other things were in the mix too, but you cannot discredit his training and certainly can’t discredit his intensity!)

So there is a quick list of 10 things you could start doing right now to get on the right track to getting a bangin’ body! I bet if you did those 10 things for a period of 10-12 weeks you’d look like a totally different person.

Stop worrying about what you are going to use or racking your brain over stupid things and start taking some personal accountability. I understand it’s hard, especially in the world we live in. Everyone is trying to keep up with the rat race and it can be distracting at times. Find your path and stick to it!

The post 10 Tips to Achieve Your Best Physique by Avoiding Self-destructive Behavior appeared first on John Doe Bodybuilding.

As you may have picked up from reading a few of my past articles, I’m very skeptical about a lot of supplements. The ones I do write about are supplements that I feel work and supplements I have personally used and felt like I achieved results.

A lot of reviews you read from people you have to take with a grain of salt, because they are from people who have no reference to compare things to. I however, have that reference. I’m not here to bullshit anyone, I use steroids and I have a prescription for testosterone through my Doctor. My body does not make it’s own testosterone and I need it to live like a normal human being.

I was sent a couple supplements from these 2 labs to try out.

One was called “OSTA-SHRED” by Hard Rock supplements, and the other was called “Anafuse” by Vital Labs. To my knowledge these products need to be ordered online and cannot be purchased in stores yet.

Without getting too scientific on you, the “Osta-Shred” is a new type of muscle building supplement called a SARM (selective androgen receptor module). What a SARM does is it acts on different pathways than a testosterone derivative or a typical androgenic steroid, and it gives you all of the benefits without the side effects.

Unlike most prohormones out there (which most are banned now) a SARM does not knock your normal testosterone production in the dirt. You have no issues with recovery at all when you discontinue use!!

SARMS are most commonly sold as a research liquid and they are extremely expensive to buy, and having known little about the I had never used them, up until a supplement pill form was sent to me to try 8 wks ago.

Of course I was extremely skeptical and having been a veteran gear user myself…

I didn’t put a lot of faith into the 2 supplements I was sent to try out.

After being on the Osta-Shred and Anafuse for that first week, my preconceived notion that they wouldn’t do shit quickly changed.

Most prohormones make me feel like shit, these did not!! I felt incredible on them and noticed an increase in sex drive and well being just in one short week!!

The only other thing I was using was 150mg/wk of testosterone per my doctor, nothing else. I will put that on my son’s life that I was using nothing else besides 150mg/wk of test.

On the stack I noticed a slight increase in strength but nothing crazy until week #2. The biggest thing that was happening is I was getting dryer.

The Osta has a built in anti-aromatase/water cutter in it called Arimastane which works like a fucking champ. I was noticeably dryer in that first week.

The built-in AI works.

I had to drop my 1/2 mg 3x/wk dosage of arimadex while using Osta-shred because I had a bad reaction and broke out in hives one day, and that can commonly happen when estrogen levels get TOO LOW.

The 1/2mg 3x/wk of prescription arimadex topped with the Arimastane that is included in “Osta-Shred” was too much and knocked my estrogen down too low. You do need a little estrogen to complete a healthy balance of hormones, you just don’t want too much.

So I know the product sheds water weight and reduces E1 and E2 levels FOR A FACT. I would compare the Osta-shred to a moderate dosage of Winstrol, I’d say it’s comparable to about 30mg/day of winny in terms of solid results.

Week 2 marked much more noticeable strength increases on the stack.

I’m going to be honest and tell you the strength increases weren’t huge, but I was dieting along with them.

HOWEVER, I was much stronger in caloric deficit than I have been most commonly in the past. I typically never use things like 125 lb. dumbbells or 10-12 plates/side on leg presses while dieting, especially after I get a few weeks into the diet, but this time I was able to maintain that strength.

Now, on the Anafuse; my original plan was to take 2 pills per day for 8 weeks along with 2 pills per day of Osta-Shred. 2 pills/day Osta-shred is what the bottle says to use, but with Anafuse it’s recommended to take up to 4 pills per day.

I tried both ways and when it went to 4 pills/day I saw a huge difference in strength. I went to 4/day after about 2-3 wks on the stack, and kept it at 4 pills per day.

I don’t really know the science behind this product, but I know the shit worked for me.

From what I was told the Anafuse was geared more towards growing and the Osta was for cutting. I was just told to stack them both and give an honest review.

The Anafuse ran out first, since I only had 1 bottle and I eventually went to 4 pills/day. I noticed a drop in strength shortly after I got off the Anafuse, but I didn’t feel like shit or like I was crashing which is what makes this product so great.

Is your bench press going to go up 100 lbs while taking this stuff? Probably not. But everything you get is smooth and steady and the products don’t effect your mood or give you that brain fog that a lot of prohormones can do.

Honestly I used to feel worse on most prohormones than real steroids!! These products don’t do that.

I would say it’s more like a smooth and steady-wins the race type deal with these supplements. But the best part was I didn’t put on water weight or look blurry. I looked sharp and healthy.

I’m not going to come here and lie to you guys, so I honestly cannot tell you how they would do if one was to “bulk up” or eat 5,000 calories a day on them. Maybe strength gains WOULD BE through the roof. My goal was to cut though, and try to retain as much muscle mass as possible. And the 2 supplements helped get the job done nicely I think.

John Doe Training Video While on Anafuse and Osta Shred

This is a training video of myself. The video was shot at the end of my cycle of Osta-Shred and Anafuse. I weighed 214 lbs the morning of that video shoot, I had started my 8 wk diet around 225 lbs. I only came down 11 lbs…

…but I totally recompositioned my body in that 8 wks.

Now remember, I DID HAVE 150mg/wk of test in the mix from my hormone replacement, but what you need to understand is this is nothing “extra” for someone who doesn’t make their own testosterone. You can’t even really count that, because it’s really no different than a normal guy who makes good testosterone on his own, and then throws in these supplements.

Anafuse and Osta Shred Breakdown

Keep in mind I was stacking them both together when using them.

I used 2 pills per day of Osta-shred for 8 weeks, and 2 pills per day of Anafuse the first 2-3 weeks, but then I kicked it to 4 pills/day and ran the bottle out. When I use it again I’m just going to start at 4/day. 1 bottle of each is all you’d need, but if you were trying to use 4 pills/day of Anafuse the entire 8 wks then I think you’d need 2 of those in that case.

Compared to most liquid SARMS these 2 products are much easier on your wallet, as well as your body and recovery. I kept a pretty good diet along with them, since after all that is really 90% of the process. But after using Osta-shred and anafuse alongside my diet, I can say they definitely work!! The strength retention from the Anafuse combined with the cutting and water shedding properties of Osta-Shred made for a great combination.

If you had to ask me at this point in time what the best legal alternative to taking steroids is, these 2 products are my answer.

Take it from someone who HAS USED STEROIDS before and can actually compare results!!

BENEFITS OF OSTA-SHRED

• noticeable mild diuretic effect similar to Winstrol
• noticeable definition
• doesn’t bother stomach or liver or effect appetite
• works pretty fast without any bloating
• doesn’t bother your sleep
• increased sense of well being
• increased sex drive
• increased energy
• increased recovery

BENEFITS OF ANAFUSE

• better muscle retention in a caloric deficit
• increased drive and recovery between sets (shorter rest periods)
• increase in muscle volume
• smooth and steady strength increases (This isn’t a quick gain of fluid and fat, it’s more similar to primobolan type gains)
• no problems with skin (my skin did not get oily or acne covered while using this)
• Benefits similar to steroids at a fraction of the price
• increase in sex drive
• increase in sense of well-being
• better recovery between workouts
• no crashing when you stop using it
• does not require an anti-estrogen to be ran alongside it

Conclusion

So there you have it, my honest review of 2 legitimate supplements to help with your quest in building muscles and getting leaner. If you’re looking for something effective that isn’t marketed to sell more products to be ran with it (or products for recovery) then these 2 supplements are solid!!

If you’re looking for a legal alternative to steroids then this stack is very comparable, and best of all is you won’t mess with your normal hormone levels when you stop using these products!! It’s like adding nitro to your car, but not inhibiting the cars performance when you aren’t pushing the NOS.

For those who follow me, you know I’d never steer you wrong. The truth comes first, and in this world of bodybuilding there are lies everywhere.

Just remember, your diet and training regimen ALWAYS come first, and are the prime determining factor in results.

Over and out!!

-John

You can buy Osta Shred here.

You can buy Anafuse here.

The post The Best Legal Alternative to Steroids!! appeared first on John Doe Bodybuilding.

You are asking yourself right now whether you should use steroids or not, and you have no idea what to use and how much. You want to stay safe and you want some solid results. What do you do?

Well friend, that is totally up to you and your conscience. But chances are you’re going to do it and I have enough articles already explaining the reality of steroid use, so let’s assume you are going to do a cycle.

Below are 3 different beginner steroid cycles that will pack on some good mass and are relatively safe. At JDB.com I don’t advocate steroid “abuse” or higher dosing than necessary, so what you’ll see below are cycles that would be safe to use and more mild on recovery than much of what you may have already read out there, yet effective as hell at the same time!!

[EACH CYCLE IS FOR ENTERTAINMENT PURPOSES ONLY. JOHN DOE BODYBUILDING DOES NOT ADVOCATE STEROID USE.]

Cycle #1- TESTOSTERONE ONLY

I’ve already talked about the 1 vial steroid cycle enough in the past, let’s get into the beginner 500mg/wk test cycle.

What you’ll need are 2/ 10ml bottles of testosterone enanthate or cypionate. Test E and Test cyp are ok to inject just once/wk so they are convenient and very effective. Also, testosterone is one of the less faked compounds out there, so chances are that what you’re getting is real, unlike many other more exotic compounds on the market.

The type of needles you want that are easiest and safe to use are 23 GAUGE/3ML/1″ syringes and they can be bought online if your local pharmacy will not sell them to you. Laws vary state to state.

You will inject 2 cc’s 1x per week for 10 weeks. You will inject into your butt cheek and the following week the opposite one. hen you stick the needle in, be sure to pull back on the plunger about 1/8 of an inch first, and if you see blood then do not inject because you’re in a vein. Simply re-inject in a different area on the same glute.

The test will take roughly 2-3 wks before it really starts “kicking in” and at that point you’ll notice increased sex drive, increased strength, and increased sense of well being. You may notice some acne coming on. Hey, all I’m going to say is it’s part of the game sometimes, and usually it subsides once you get used to the hormones.

I never ran any anti-e alongside a cycle of just 500mg/wk test. Honestly I never did and I never had any issues with gyno. But everyone is different and if it makes you feel better then use some nolvadex @ 10mg/day. In 10 wks you could experience gains of a solid 20 lbs of muscle off just testosterone alone and this would make for a solid first cycle!!

Cycle #2 – TEST/DBOL

Ok, so you’re dead set on a stack for a first cycle. Is it going to kill you to do a stack your first cycle?

No it’s not. Do I think it’s absolutely necessary? No I don’t, but if you’re trying to make damn good and sure you’re packing 20-25 lbs on the frame in something like 8 wks then be my guest.

What you’ll need are 200 Dbol tabs that are 5mg each, or 100 Dbol tabs that are 10mg each. Theyre are higher mg tabs out there but I don’t like them and splitting them is a fucking pain in the ass, not to mention I personally think 90% of high mg tabs are highly underdosed.

If you have 5mg tabs then use 5 tabs split up during day for just shy of 6 wks (40 days total) or if 10mg tabs then you’re going 2 1/2 tabs/day for 40 days. I like good old fashioned 5mg tabs the best, and I always felt stronger when I split them up throughout the day.

On the test, 1 bottle is fine, and run the “1 vial test cycle” I have on the site, with Dbol in the first 6 wks. 20-25 lbs very easily can be gained off that, and I’d wait to go to 500mg/wk test the next cycle.

Could you go 500mg/wk this cycle? Yes, but why would you when you can already potentially pack that kind of mass on that quickly on what I’ve talked about right here?

You want to take as little as needed to get the job done, this way you can only go up if you need to. You’re only going to gain so much in a couple months anyways, so why use 1,000mg/wk if all it takes is 250mg/wk? It’s pointless!!

As a safeguard you should use 10mg/day of nolvadex alongside this cycle, just in case you’re gyno prone from DBOL. I never was, and I ran countless Dbol cycles with never using nolvadex, but everyone is different and I cannot suggest not using it because if you got gyno I’d feel bad you took that advice.

Just remember, none of the bodybuilders back in the day used anti e’s and VERY FEW HAD GYNO ISSUES!! But like I said before, get it if you want to be 100% sure of it.

If you cannot find tabs then type in your search bar “Research chems, nolvadex” or “liquid nolvadex” and you’ll find research sites that sell it online. It’s easy to find and the liquid versions have always worked fine for me.

You will be running this cycle for 8 wks, first 6 wks on Dbol, then finish out the last 2 wks with just the test cycle. Remember, go look at “1 vial steroid cycle for beginners” on here to see how the test is ran.

Cycle #3 – Deca/Dbol

Deca/Dbol stack has been around for decades and if you can’t gain on this then steroids aren’t for you.

You’ll see no testosterone in here and it’s for cost reasons. Deca/Dbol has been run without test for years and guys make it sound like the anti-Christ, but the reality of it is it’s not bad if deca is kept conservative.

What you will need is 1/10cc vial of deca and 200/ 5mg tabs of Dbol. You’ll be using 5 tabs/day of Dbol split throughout the day(for first 40 days of cycle), and you’ll follow the “1 vial steroid cycle for beginners” only using Deca in place of the test. This cycle is an 8 wk run.

Don’t listen to the jive about how Deca is worthless if it’s not ran at least 15 wks, Deca can do plenty for you in 8 wks, trust me!!

If Deca was worthless for less than 12-15 wk runs then you basically discredit the majority of Golden era bodybuilders who predominately used steroids the last 8 wks before a competition just to help maintain muscle mass while dieting.

WHAT TO USE FOR RECOVERY

You’ll need 20 tabs of clomid here, and you should start your clomid 14 days after your last shot IN ANY 3 OF THESE CYCLES.

Why? Because you want the half life of the drugs to be out of you before you begin, this way it all goes to recovery and it’s not wasted. Run 1 tab of clomid (50mg) for 20 days.

A little old school here, but effective nonetheless. Also know that the 3 compounds mentioned in this article are a few of the most LEAST FAKED steroids on the market, and a few of the most affordable ones. You are better off knowing that you got real shit instead of trying some exotic mystery cycle.

Remember, without the food intake I don’t care what you use, it’s not going to happen!! You need gas for your engine or your car doesn’t run. Gear or no gear, get that diet straight first!!!!

Good luck and happy cycling!!

For more information on performance enhancement, stay tuned for JDB.com’s newest ebook “Straight from the Underground.”

Get real no bullshit advice on performance enhancement from someone who talks personally about what he’s done, not just another guy writing a reference book.

Click here to be notified when Straight from the Underground is released!

The post 3 Beginner Steroid Cycles That Will Pack on Muscle Fast!! appeared first on John Doe Bodybuilding.

John Doe Bodybuilding offers a 75% affiliate commission for any affiliate who sells Becoming the Bull.

Becoming the Bull currently sales for $20, so each copy you sell makes you $15.

So how do you make money?

Very easy.

How to Make Money as a JDB Affiliate in 4 Steps

Step 1) Buy Becoming the Bull here.

Read it, familiarize yourself with it, and follow the diet and training routine.

Step 2) Sign up for the John Doe Bodybuilding affiliate program here.

See more about signing up for the affiliate program below.

Step 3) Make a video review of Becoming the Bull and post it to YouTube.

Here is an example video review:

In the review you just need to give your honest feedback of Becoming the Bull. You don’t need to over-hype the book, just say what you like or even don’t like about it. Honesty is key.

Be sure to paste your affiliate link in the YouTube notes section so people can purchase Becoming the Bull after watching your review video.

Step 4) Collect your money.

Affiliates are paid on the last Saturday of each month. You are paid for the previous month’s sales (minus any refunds).

Note: You may also post a blog review if you are the owner of a blog.

Here is an example blog review of Becoming the Bull.

John Doe’s Win-Win Guarantee

After you post your video review (or a blog review) you qualify for a refund on your purchase of Becoming the Bull!!

After you post your video review to YouTube, fill out the form at the end of this page (including a link to your review) and you will receive a refund for your Becoming the Bull purchase.

At the very least you will get a free eBook, and at best you will make some money from your affiliate review.

How to Sign up to the John Doe Bodybuilding Affiliate Program

1) Click this link –> https://www.e-junkie.com/affiliates/?cl=280838&ev=56f800a973

2) Register for an e-junkie account (if you don’t already have one).

3) Activate your e-junkie affiliate account.

4) Register your affiliate details.

5) Get your affiliate code by clicking the “Get Affiliate Code” link.

6) Select John Doe Bodybuilding from the merchant list.

7) Get your affiliate link to Becoming the Bull. This link will track all sales that came from your video or blog review. Be sure to highlight the link in between the parenthesis (starting with https), then copy your link.

8) Shorten your affiliate link. The affiliate link is long and ugly so use bitly.com to shorten the link. Long links are ugly and short links are pretty. People don’t link to click long links so make it easy for them.

9) Copy your new shortlink and use it as your affiliate link. Be sure to put this link in the YouTube notes section or link to it from your blog.

10) Copy and paste your new bit.ly short link into the browser to make sure it redirects to BecomingTheBull.com.

After you verify the shortlink works you are now a John Doe Bodybuilding affiliate and you are ready to post your video or blog review.

After you post your review you can use this contact form to request a refund on your Becoming the Bull Purchase.

Happy hunting!!!

Becoming the Bull Affiliate Refund Request

Enter your information below and hit “SUBMIT” to receive your Becoming the Bull affiliate refund.

The post How to Make Money as a John Doe Bodybuilding Affiliate appeared first on John Doe Bodybuilding.

When a lot of guys think of a drug like Cialis, the first thing that comes to mind is trouble getting an erection.

They probably think it’s some pill that is made for old men or guys with erectile dysfunction.

This is probably a thought that would come to mind even quicker if they saw it advertised in a fitness magazine.

I can see where it’d be easy to think “yea they advertise Cialis here because all of these guys who use steroids can’t get their dick hard anymore”.

Cialis (Tadalifil) has HUGE, HUGE benefits for the aging male, and especially the aging male who is into hormone replacement and bodybuilding!!

For starters, Cialis works by increasing blood flow throughout the body. This IS NOT just in the penis and strictly a sexual deal here.

Cialis improves blood flow everywhere!!

This makes it heart healthy and the best analogy I could give would be like replacing your air filter every time it gets dirty. This improved blood flow effects many tissues, including the brain.

With improved blood flow comes better pumps in the gym as well. Cialis is a highly underrated addition to any bodybuilding regimen when it comes to nutrient transport and cell volumization!!

Cialis reduces inflammation in the body.

Inflammation is something that bodybuilders constantly deal with due to muscle cell damage and stress.

It has been proven through studies that our measure of inflammation (C-reactive protein measure) drastically improves when taking Cialis, and this is most largely due to Cialis preventing plaque buildup in our arteries. This process reduces risks of cardiovascular disease in a major way!!

Cialis improves testosterone:estrogen ratio.

Cialis improves the testosterone:estrogen ratio by up to 30%. That improvement is definitely beneficial to the aging male and certainly beneficial to those on testosterone replacement therapy.

As some of you may know, long term testosterone administration can cause increases in estrogen balance as well, which is why those using test for replacement usually go on arimadex too. You may find that you can get by on less arimadex when you’re using Cialis. Along with the improved balance of test:estrogen comes an increased testosterone level as well!!

What else does Cialis do?

Well, let’s get into improved blood pressure next. Taking Cialis fights hypertension and can definitely benefit someone with high blood pressure or someone who has normal blood pressure but wants to make it even better. This is yet another huge benefit of using Cialis while on testosterone or any other steroid that can cause BP elevation.

A big fear of prescribing testosterone to patients is increased risk of prostate enlargement. Cialis reduces these risks by relaxing the smooth muscles of the prostate upon regular administration. This is primarily how it works as a sexual drug as well.

Another benefit of Cialis (and definitely a benefit I experience) – it almost acts like an anti-depressant.

I just feel better when I’m on it and before I read about this benefit I was questioning it myself, because it seemed like I was always in a better mood when I was using Cialis.

So as you see, Cialis is so much more than just a sexual performance drug!! When I got on it daily the first thing I thought was “holy shit, why aren’t more bodybuilders talking about Cialis in their cycles?”

I mean, it’s a relatively inexpensive addition to any cycle and it’s too cheap not to use it alongside hormone replacement!!

What dosage do I take if using Cialis daily for long term health benefits?

A dosage of 5-7.5mg/day is all you need!!

This is enough to get all of the benefits I’ve mentioned, and it’s enough to get harder and better quality erections too. From my experience on it, orgasms feel stronger too.

I’m sharing this information because I had no idea of all of the benefits of Cialis until my Doctor told me about it and I looked more into it. I always thought it was just some sex type thing myself.

But now that I know the real deal and how great this is long term, I’m proud to be a Cialis user!!

>>You can buy Cialis online here.

———

MEDICAL DISCLAIMER: Superdrive Publishing Ltd., publisher of John Doe Bodybuilding, makes no representation or warranty regarding the accuracy, reliability, completeness, currentness, or timeliness of any information provided.  This article is provided for information, entertainment and convenience only – it does not constitute endorsements of any situations or medical tactics or advice. All information contained herein should not be used as a substitute for the advice of an appropriately qualified and licensed physician. The information provided here is for educational and informational purposes only. In no way should it be considered as offering medical advice. Please check with a doctor and/or licensed medical physician. NO LIABILITY WILL BE ASSUMED FOR THE USE OF THIS ARTICLE AND/OR ADDITIONAL POSTINGS HEREIN.

The post The Big Benefits of Cialis for Bodybuilding appeared first on John Doe Bodybuilding.

Raw meal organic protein powder

This is an actual organic meal replacement and I feel more full after I drink it and it gives me energy. I definitely feel a difference between this product and other protein powders. I like vanilla spiced chai and chocolate.

Merkur straight safety razor

I got sick and tired of buying expensive disposable razors that gave me half assed results, so I decided to buy one of these a few years ago and never shave with anything else. You have to go a little slower at first until you get the hang of it, but this razor leaves my face much smoother than a disposable, as long as you keep the shaving cream wet and slick.

Bump Patrol shaving cream

I tried the fancy shave creams and soaps that you mix up with the brush in a cup, and honestly they’re inferior to bump patrol. Bump patrol kills all other shaving creams and it’s a gel that stays slick on your face. With other “old fashioned” shaving creams, halfway through shaving I had to wet my face again to keep it slick or I’d get razor burn. This stuff isn’t like that, it stays slick and the chemical makeup of it is much different and leaves your face cool and smooth when finished.

EK5055 Kitchen scale

This is a great kitchen scale to use for your food. It weighs in different units of measurement and unlike most digital scales that take hard-to-find watch style batteries, this one takes 2/ AAA’s. The batteries last a very long time and the scale is so easy to use!! I don’t use a scale all year, but it’s great when dieting and this way I know EXACTLY how much of something I’m consuming.

All Day Energy Greens

1 tablespoon of this is equivalent to 5 servings of vegetables and fruits and its all natural with no chemicals additives or synthetics. I feel a difference when I take this stuff and sometimes if I don’t have time to eat vegetables I will just drink a serving of this and be done with it. It actually doesn’t taste that bad and it makes life convenient.

Beta alanine by Allmax Nutrition

I occasionally take a teaspoon of this before a workout to get the blood flowing and increase vascularity/pump during workouts. It can make your skin tingly so my advice is to go light on it until you get used to it. 1 jug will last you forever because it’s 125 servings.

BANG by VPX energy drink

Normally I drink coffee for preworkout energy, but if I don’t feel like taking the time to drink a hot cup of coffee, or just want something different, then I will grab a can of this stuff called “BANG” by VPX. I really like this stuff, it tastes good and it gives me good energy, but not the shakes/jitters that other energy drinks can give you. This is smooth energy and I feel good after I drink it.

Yeti stainless steel cup

I love this stainless steel cup. Yeti is probably the best company in the world when it comes to keeping things cold or hot for a long time. Yeti stainless drinking cups will keep your water cold all day long. I could put some ice and water in this cup in the morning, and by evening time it’s almost just as cold as it was that morning. Same goes for coffee in the morning, I pour my coffee into this and if I don’t drink it all, you can bet by afternoon time it’s still hot!!! It’s crazy how well this company makes products that insulate this well. The cups are not cheap, but they are well worth it. I don’t really carry around bottles of water, they are a waste of money. Good old faucet water, ice, and my 30 oz. Yeti cup is all I need!!

Sony MDRXB450AP Xtra Bass headphones

These are the headphones I have been using in the gym with my phone and I like them a lot. The sound quality and bass are fantastic and they rival $200-$300 headphones any day of the week!! There is a built in in-line microphone that just takes a click of a button to open up and take phone calls. So when you’re training, you can listen to your music and when someone calls it stops the music and rings in on your headphones, and to answer the call you don’t even need to touch your phone. You simply reach down a couple inches from your chin and at the click of the in-line mic button you can answer your phone (if using a smartphone.) You simply need to talk normally with the headphones on and whoever you’re talking to can hear everything crystal clear. These are awesome headphones for the money!!

Fat Gripz

I purchased these awhile back to help improve forearm size and strength. I bust them out every so often on arm workouts, and they basically turn any bar or dumbbell into a 2.5” diameter grip, so you have to grip harder to lift the weights. I would go with the legit “Fat Gripz” brand, I’ve seen knock off brands and they were not as comfortable in my hands. Some of them were almost too big to be very effective, go with these Fat Gripz, you’ll love them!!

Anafuse & Osta Shred

“Unlike any other muscle builder, Anafuse does not affect your natural hormone production in any way, in fact it adds to it to produce muscle mass like never before, thus the Alchemy. You will not have to worry about losing your gains due to your body restoring its natural testosterone production – No PCT Required!”

“Osta Shred’s key ingredient Ostarine represents the beginning of a new breed of supplements, as it does not fully interact with the receptor, but instead selectively interacts with it, choosing the receptors that produce positive effects like muscle gains and fat loss, and does not interact with the other “bad” receptors so that you are able to experience the muscle gains and fat loss without the nasty side effects!”

Read my review on Anafuse and Osta Shred here -> The Best Legal Alternative to Steroids.

Myo-X by MHP

“MyoT12, the active ingredient in MYO-X, has been shown in a clinical study to reduce serum myostatin in study subjects by an average of 46% in 12-18 hours with just a single serving. 100% of all human clinical test subjects showed significant reductions in myostatin. The average serum myostatin declined to 12.6 pg/mL with every subject responding positively. This was a staggering average 46% drop in myostatin from baseline across all subjects! Finally, at the 24-30 hour time point with a mean value of 28.1 pg/mL, the average myostatin level completely normalized. MYO-X represents a major advancement in muscle building science.”

Read my review of Myo-X myostatin inhibitor here -> Myo-X by MHP – The Real Deal.

The post John Doe Bodybuilding Approved Products & Resources appeared first on John Doe Bodybuilding.

Here’s a question from a reader…

What do you recommend for joint pain especially rotator cuff and elbows due to overhead movements and bench presses? This is annoying especially since I am an active guy. Thank you.

First off, drop heavy overhead pressing for good. It’s absolutely worthless other than ego lifting.

The overhead press is the most dangerous thing for rotator cuff and A/C joint because over time the cartilage in the joint wears down and it becomes bone on bone.

The overhead press pinches the joint the most, and heavier weight pinches it and wears it away much faster.

As for elbows, I’m guessing the pain is right behind the elbow where the tricep tendon might be? That seems to be the most common place for it anyways.

If the pain in the shoulder is more in the joint or the front of the deltoid then my best guess is it’s A/C joint impingement. When this becomes bad enough a shoulder scope is going to be needed. This is outpatient surgery where they go into your shoulder and clean out the joint by grinding away at it a little and giving it more room to move around more freely.

If the pain is more towards the rear of the shoulder then you may be dealing with a labral tear. An X-ray would show an A/C impingment because you’ll see where the ends of the bones look frayed and ratty looking. A labrum issue will require an MRI, and this usually requires a regular X-ray first and then the Doc calls for the MRI (basically a nice way to get more $$ from you).

A couple questions I would ask from you are:

#1- Does it bother you in your sleep? and
#2- is it only bad when under weight, or is it bad all the time?

I had A/C impingements in both shoulders and it sort of felt like an arrow was stuck in my shoulder, and the pain radiated from the front straight through my shoulder. sleeping on it was terrible, and every morning I awoke it felt stiff and sore.

You need to back off heavy weight for starters. For chest ditch bench pressing with barbells for awhile, and stick to machines or some light-moderate dumbbells. Forget a low rep range for now, keep your chest pressing in the teens and 20’s for reps, and cut out overhead pressing altogether and just do lateral raises and rear delt raises. Cut out front delt raises as well.

For triceps definitely quit doing skullcrushers. I would stick to primarily tricep pressdowns with the rope for higher reps. Think of your sets more like pump-up sets than heavy weight that grinds and tears the joints up.

Don’t worry, you will not shrink down or anything. And it’s probably not for good, we just want to back off so you can heal and do not need any surgery if at all possible.

Definitely start taking glucosamine for your joints, and something else to consider is GHRP-2 peptide, for it’s tissue regenerative and joint healing properties, along with a low dose of Deca Durabolin every week. 100-200mg/wk should work. I’d go 10 wks like that and see if the pain doesn’t go away.

___________

#Image credit: Devitt upload test” by Devitt395 – Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons.

The post What to Do About Shoulder and Joint Pain appeared first on John Doe Bodybuilding.

Here is an email I got from a reader regarding how to train for someone who is “skinny-fat”:

Dear John Doe, I have bought and read some parts of your book yet have I found information regarding diet and training program for skinny-fat body type. I am basically a skinny (lacking muscle) 19 y.o man but I have high body fat percentage which are shown from the excess fat in my belly area, chest, waist, and bottom area. I would really appreciate it if you spare some time to talk about this topic.

Being skinny is your genetic makeup and the fat part is lack of activity and/or poor diet. So “skinny-fat” in all reality is an ectomorph body-type and the good news is this; once you change your metabolic rate through weight training and diet, you’ll turn it around relatively quick!!

Muscle is a fat metabolizer.

A more muscular person will burn fat at a faster rate, even in a resting state. Your body will become a furnace and start burning through whatever you put in it!!

So the approach someone who is skinny-fat needs to take is to focus on building muscle. There is no reason to start dieting down when you’re skinny as hell to begin with. Focus on eating healthy but eating enough to gain muscle and I promise you that your physique will start turning around.

There isn’t any specific recipe I would give someone who is skinny-fat.

I would keep it at the 80/20 rule and eat 80% clean and 20% more freely.

You may be skinny-fat because you HAVE NOT eaten enough and you’ve eaten at the wrong times. Your body is probably storing everything it can as fat because it thinks you’re starving, but your genetic structure hasn’t been altered enough to appear any different than a skinny guy who is gaining body fat. Weight training can change that, and eating a few more meals/day will prove to be beneficial.

A frequent feeding plan is what I’d give someone who is skinny-fat.

I would not start them off on something like intermittent fasting or dropping their carbs. The diet would be plentiful in food and the activity level would be high in their routine. I’d probably put 20-30 min of cardio per session in there 2-3x/wk directly after weight training.

Being skinny-fat is more about activity level and packing on muscle than it is about dieting super tight 24/7.

I met with a guy a couple nights ago who is about 180 lbs and more on the thin side. He eats very clean and he is around 11-12% body fat, if I had to guess. He wants to compete in a bodybuilding contest and knows nothing about dieting. I asked him to send me over an example of a typical day of eating.

This is what he sent me;

Breakfast – 1 cup of oatmeal, 3 whole eggs, chicken thigh

Snack – cashews (and sometimes a protein shake)

Lunch – veggies, chicken, and sweet potato

Dinner – chicken/veggies

I eat a couple boiled eggs here and there if I get hungry.

Well I commend this guy for eating clean, it’s simply not nearly enough food for someone who is trying to build muscle, and probably not enough food for a lot of guys trying to diet. When you break this diet down you’re looking at about 1700-1800 calories a day.

Now, if you think you’re skinny-fat, take a look at your diet. This is someone who is eating clean but simply not eating enough. My guess is there are a lot of “skinny-fat” guys out there eating half this amount and not eating as clean.

Therefore, their bodies are in starvation mode and this is where the “skinny-fat” look comes from.

Now this guy above has a routine that is regimented, so at least he is doing that much. He does not look bad, and he does plan to compete in a few months.

How many skinny-fat guys out there are eating in a way that is not regimented? So one day he hits 2,000 calories/day, the next day it’s 1,600, the next day he eats pizza and may hit 3,000, then he only eats 1,000 calories the next day because he is full from pizza (not to mention his metabolic rate is slower than a snail).

What you think is “skinny-fat” is a need for a swift kick in the metabolic ass by changing up your eating regimen and hitting the weights harder.

The two go hand-in-hand. When both pieces of the puzzle come together then results begin to happen. When only one piece is there, results do not happen!!

An increased food intake along with meal frequency will give more fuel for the gym, and more muscle gained means more fat burned at a resting rate!! So they both work together.

I do not categorize someone who is skinny-fat as someone who needs to deplete and start dropping things from the diet. I would add more to the diet. Below is an example of something I would suggest for a “skinny-fat” person;

meal 1 – (upon awakening) 4 whole eggs, 1 cup oats, 1 cup skim milk

meal 2 – 6 oz chicken, steak, or fish, 1 cup rice

meal 3 – protein shake in water, piece of fruit, 2 handfuls of mixed nuts

meal 4 – 6-8 oz chicken, steak, or fish, 1 cup rice, salad with dressing of your choice

meal 5 – 1 cup of oats, 3-4 slices of pineapple, 2 handfuls mixed nuts

That diet is a good starting point for you. I’d also suggest totally ignoring the scale for a couple months. The scale could do anything the first few weeks. It may drop 10 pounds or it may go up 10 lbs.

Don’t be afraid of a weight jump while you’re doing this.

You are throwing a curve ball at your metabolism and it may take a few weeks to get accustomed to it. It doesn’t mean it’s not effective, but sometimes it takes time.

This is like when I start a diet. When I start dieting, the first thing that happens is I gain a few lbs. the first few days. I suppose it’s because everything is more regimented, but I know that I’m getting leaner.

You want a look that is healthy and a total body recomp here, not make yourself more skinny-fat!!!

I would throw in a couple cheat meals/wk if you needed to and I wouldn’t worry about it. As you get larger and more muscular, your bodyfat is going to change.

At the very minimum, your bf% will stay the same when the muscle:fat ratio changes, but will look different on your frame. What I mean by this is the way 12% body fat would look between someone who is 150 lbs and someone who is 200 lbs. The larger individual is going to look leaner even with the same body fat level. But chances are, your bf% is going to go down along with the increase in size of your muscles.

I hope this has helped answer some of your question on dieting for thin people who have a higher level of body fat than average. This can be confusing at times and you need to be careful on who you listen to.

A lot of inexperienced people would assume tell you to diet your ass off on nothing until your stomach goes away, but I say go the route of eating plentiful but keeping it mostly clean. The nit-picky diet for shredding up and getting that perfect 6 pack will come in due time.

But right now, I would stay away from restrictive diets or diets like intermittent fasting. Don’t be fooled, you need energy for the gym.

Once those muscles start popping, watch that fat start dropping!!!

-John doe

PS – Be sure to buy Becoming the Bull if you haven’t already.

The post How to Train When You’re “Skinny-Fat” appeared first on John Doe Bodybuilding.

Readers, if you didn’t know, John Doe Bodybuilding offers private bodybuilding coaching, training, meal plans and guidance.

Why should you train with John Doe’s guidance?

The real question to ask is why wouldn’t you?

Listen, this bodybuilding stuff has taken me years and years to learn, and I had to pretty much learn it all myself. I never had any guidance and it was all trial and error for a very long time.

If only someone had shown me some better ways to eat and train, I would have had much better results in a shorter time frame!!

I would not have placed 2nd to last place in my first competition, and I would have known that I was under-eating and grossly over-training!!

If you read some of my articles here, you can tell I’ve been around the block a few times in this arena.

What’s it like to train with John Doe?

Well for starters, before we begin anything I get some details about your life and your obligations. I get in your day and look for places to plug in meals, and I make the routines realistic and easier to stick to.

I make bodybuilding and eating work with your life, not the other way around!!

I’m not going to tell you exactly what you want to hear all the time, but you’re not signing up for a counselor either!!

I’m going to give it to you straight, and if you follow my layouts then YOU WILL look like a different person in as little as 8-12 weeks.

Another benefit of training under my wing, is I know how to work through injuries. I have helped countless clients in the past who have came to me with back issues, shoulder impingement, bad knees, partial tears and ruptures, among a host of several other injuries.

I can teach you how to work through an injury or around an injury so you don’t have to sit on the sidelines any longer!!

No matter how torn down or weak you may be, I aim to help you build back up and crawl out of the darkness and back into the light.

I’ll tell you what else I’m going to do for you. I’m going to save you money. I will tell you what you should take and what you don’t need. I’m not here to kill anyone’s bank account for bodybuilding so let’s make this thing manageable.

I’m pretty old school and I believe in the value of hard work and discipline when it comes to anything in life, ESPECIALLY THE GYM!!!

If you’re not willing to put in the effort and you’re just looking for a pill you can pop, you’ve got the wrong guy!!

But if you’re ready to take this shit to another level and are willing to put in the sweat equity, then I will show you the way to push the envelope more.

A good trainer is not only your trainer, but he is your teammate as well. I am receptive to what people tell me and I take everything into account when I develop a diet or training routine.

Chances are you probably at least know a little bit about yourself. You may already know that you’re carb sensitive or maybe you don’t do well on carb deprived diets; I take things like that into consideration!!

What you’re going to get is a detailed blueprint of everything you need to be doing while you’re training with me. There is no guesswork involved, it’s pretty basic; you do the program and you get the results.

How much you decide to deviate from that is up to you.

Introducing…

PROJECT SHREDDED!!

Project shredded is a 12 week program where the goal is to get absolutely diced as hell!! I’m talking 6 pack abs, vein city, and muscle striations that look like an atlas road map!!

I want you to make a commitment for 12 weeks to get in the best shape of your life, and let’s do the damn thing!!

No more excuses, no more guesswork, no more lies, let’s get rolling and transform your body.

How can you get involved in Project Shredded?

Well, first off I’m slashing my normal 12 week price of training from $575 down to $399. Second off, you will contact with me is as often as we need to in order to get you where you want to be!!

When we can’t skype or phone chat, it’ll be email contact, but you’ll have someone keeping tabs on you throughout the entire process. I want photos every few weeks and I only want those who are willing to commit.

Project shredded will begin on June 1st and run 12 weeks.

There will be prizes awarded to the top 3 contestants.

• 1st place will receive 6 months of additional training and guidance for free!!
• 2nd place will get 4 months
• 3rd place will receive an additional 8 wks.

I’m limiting PROJECT SHREDDED to the first 30 applicants, and all applicants will be trained to win, no favoritism!!!

Get Pre-registered today and get ready to start cutting!!!!!

Project Shredded FAQ:

How do I sign up for Project Shredded?

Click here. First 30 are accepted and then the program is closed.

Can I enter the Project Shredded contest if I don’t train with Coach John Doe?

No, only participants in the PROJECT SHREDDED contest are entered into the contest. Readers may submit their own progress photos but only Coach Doe’s clients stand to win further coaching.

Who vouches for Coach John Doe?

Victor Pride goes to John Doe for bodybuilding and diet and training (see here).

>> Sign up for PROJECT SHREDDED here before it’s too late.

The post PROJECT SHREDDED; and Why You Should Train with Coach John Doe appeared first on John Doe Bodybuilding.

Protein powder definitely makes life more convenient, no doubt about that.

But sometimes convenience that is too over-emphasized in any routine can lead to some half-ass results.

As a beginner this may seem hard to understand, because you would think that expensive products would yield better result and we think that more is better.

“If I drink 5 shakes a day then I’ll be bigger than the guy only drinking 1.”

It’s actually quite the opposite!!

I sat down to grab some dinner one time with a guy who is an IFBB professional bodybuilder. His dinner was an open face meatloaf sandwich, french fries, and a light beer. This was most likely his cheat meal here, but as we ate dinner we talked a lot about dieting.

He mentioned to me that he had a brand new tub of protein powder on top of his refrigerator that he hadn’t touched in over 2 wks, he preferred REAL FOOD.

One of my co-workers was talking about a new PR on the bench press of 535 lbs x2. That’s right, I said 535 lbs x 2 reps, UNEQUIPPED…..RAW.

By the way, the guy only weighs about 210 lbs. A couple other guys standing around us vouched for him, telling me they witnessed it. “I haven’t had a protein shake in about a month” is what he told me.

Now, is the guy ripped to the gills? No he is not. But he is definitely not fat either. Trust me, he definitely stands out from a crowd at only about 5’6″ and 210 lbs, and his upper body strength is incredible. But he doesn’t usually even use protein powder.

Protein powder is cheaper than eating food

Ok, now let me talk about myself and give you my view on it. I use protein powder myself. I use it because it’s a way to realistically get my daily protein requirements in without breaking the bank. When you really think about it, protein powder is usually cheaper than eating.

Yes, it’s more convenient but convenience isn’t really the reason I drink 1-2 shakes/day. It’s really just cost purposes, I spend so much money on food outside of just protein powder, that protein sort of tallies it down a bit for me.

Think about it for a second, if you were to spend $30 on a jug of protein and you could make that last you 2 wks if you had 2 scoops per day, then that $30 in 2 wks is more than likely going to be cheaper than chicken, fish, or beef.

Let’s be real here, food has gotten extremely expensive nowadays!!

So yes, I use protein powder, more for cost than anything.

Protein powder as a treat

Here is another reason I use protein, it’s sort of like a treat to me. When you’re dieting really hard and eating so plain, you can really start going crazy. Well, if you had something small to look forward to each day that tasted just a little better then wouldn’t that make it easier to stick to your gameplan and get more results?

If you could blend up some ice, a scoop of almond butter or peanut butter, and throw in a couple scoops of protein powder, don’t you think it’d be almost like a daily treat? You’d be awfully surprised at how we start looking forward to the small things as we get hungrier and more ripped looking!!

So I’m not going to lie to you guys, that is another good reason to use protein powder right there.

I mean what is worse? Eating pizza or drinking a protein shake once/day?

Protein powder in competition

I have used protein powder in every competition prep I’ve ever done.

The first contest I learned the hard way that more shakes does not = more results.

I drank shakes all the time, and I ended up losing more muscle mass than was necessary. The next competition I trained for I actually smartened up a bit and used them the way they were intended to be used, as a SUPPLEMENT AND NOT A STAPLE!! I ended up looking much better too.

The difference in protein powder quality

Ok, enough of the explanation as to why I still choose to use protein powder as a supplement, let’s explain the difference in protein powders and which ones are superior to others.

Some protein powders are absolute garbage and in some cases you definitely get what you pay for.

I’ve used protein powders before that did absolutely nothing for me but send me to the bathroom. The reason for this you may ask? Well, it’s actually 2 reasons.

1. It’s full of binders and fillers and very little real product. Your body does nothing more with it but take it in and quickly excrete it.
2. Your body cannot fully digest the product and the part of the protein goes to the intestines where it sits there and ROTS. That’s right, as nasty as this sounds the protein actually ferments in your intestines and this is what causes bloating, gas, and diarrhea. Pretty nasty huh?

So what protein do I use and how much do I spend on protein powder?

Well, I don’t use the most expensive protein and I don’t use the cheapest either. I look for a protein that is the best value for a reasonable price, and one that I can use as a staple pretty much all the time.

If I can buy in bulk I will (ie; a 5lb jug versus a 2.2 lb jug) but honestly speaking, most of the time it’s a 2.2 lb jug that I factor into my grocery costs every couple weeks. A 2.2 lb jug usually lasts me about 2 weeks.

So I’m spending roughly $60-$80 per month depending on what I’m using. I am not going to buy the most expensive protein on the market simply because I’m looking for the one I can use over and over again with consistency and without breaking the bank.

You have to remember, there are a lot of other expenses that come into play with my bodybuilding regimen. Things like my testosterone replacement, Cialis, HCG, arimadex, bags upon bags of fish, chicken, and packs of steak, and everything else that goes into my total monthly expenses on my body.

It becomes a monthly bill like a car payment, and you can think of your body as a piece of shit car or you can think of it as a Ferrari. I don’t know about you, but I treat my body like a Ferrari.

The 2 different protein powders that I like and find to be beneficial.

1) The first protein powder I like is Dymatize Elite.

I have used Dymatize Elite now for about the past 7 years. I don’t use anything fancy like the sustained release one, I just use regular Dymatize Elite.

I have used this protein powder right up into a competition because I never got bloating with it, it didn’t send me straight to the bathroom, and I achieve a very hard look when I’m using this product. This is a good value for the money and one I’d highly recommend, ESPECIALLY WHEN CUTTING!!

Remember, consuming protein powder with either a healthy source of carbs will slow down it’s digestion and carbs are protein sparing. So drinking your shake and having a cup or two or rice is definitely beneficial. If you are restricting your carbs then try consuming a healthy fat source such as flax oil, coconut oil, or almonds alongside you shake.

But you really cannot go wrong with this protein powder here.

2) The second protein powder I like is RAW MEAL.

RAW MEAL is an organic type protein powder that is more filling and more like an actual meal. If I’m not focusing on getting super lean and I’m looking for a protein that fills me up more like an actual meal then I will use RAW MEAL.

I honestly feel fuller and more energized after drinking this. It doesn’t feel like I drank a shake, I feel like I actually ate something after drinking this. It’s pretty thick and you do need to drink it relatively quickly after mixing it.

The taste isn’t quite as good as some of the other protein on the market, but the benefits are great!! So this is a protein I like to drink if I’m simply maintaining or trying to build, not necessarily competition dieting. Again, you get what you pay for and you’re not getting a bunch of fillers and garbage with this one either.

I tend to use RAW MEAL more if I’m following a Paleo diet or cutting carbs a lot lower, simply for the fact my body feels more satiated after consuming it and it seems like I operate better on lower calories if I have this one in the mix.

So there you have my take on protein powder.

I use protein powder like it should be used, as a SUPPLEMENT.

So my best advice to you guys is find one that you can use as a staple protein, but don’t over-consume it.

A 2.2 lb jug should last you a couple weeks if you’re using it strictly as diet supplementation.

This is solely from my own personal experience and based on what I’ve found works well for me and I think it would work well for you too.

Over and out!!

– John

>> You can buy Dymatize Elite whey protein here on Amazon. 

>> You can buy RAW MEAL here on Amazon.

The post How to Use Protein Powder the Right Way appeared first on John Doe Bodybuilding.

You have 10 more days to get in on PROJECT SHREDDED!!

I just got word that Strong Supplements will sponsor this 12 week body transformation!!

Strong Supplement Shop will be awarding a $250 gift card and a t-shirt to the winner of Project Shredded.

2nd and 3rd place finishers will also win t-shirts from Strong Supplements.

Don’t forget, 1st place also receives 6 months of free training with me (over $1,000 value), 2nd place gets 4 months free training, and 3rd place will get 8 weeks free training from me.

If you’re serious about transforming your body then you need to get in on this.

I have slashed my normal 12 wks of training from $575 down to just $399!!

We will communicate as necessary and everyone will be trained to win, the rest is up to you.

I only want those who are willing to put in the blood, sweat, and tears to try to win this competition.

If you’re looking for someone to tell you it’s all going to be ok and sympathize with you for being out of shape, I’M THE WRONG GUY!!

I want the ones who are seriously ready to make some major changes and transform their body and their life!!

Project shredded will kick off on June 1st, and then it’s time to let the games begin.

I want updated photos and I want progress.

Nothing is off limits here, whatever you need to do in order to get lean then feel free!!

There are no rules here, other than the one who makes the biggest changes will win.

Come fat, come skinny, come lean and just want to be leaner,

I’m looking for the one person who I can look at and say “That doesn’t even look like the same guy!!”

And in 12 wks of training you CAN DO IT, BUT IT WON’T BE EASY.

I will set nobody up for failure.

I’m excited to get this rolling!!

>>SIGN UP TODAY AND MAKE THE CHANGE!!

The post Strong Supplement Shop to Sponsor PROJECT SHREDDED!!! appeared first on John Doe Bodybuilding.

You can check out John Doe Bodybuilding on YouTube here.

Benefits of High Rep Training:

Ab Training:

Taking a Break from Bodybuilding:

Funky phase of Dieting:

Beginner vs Advance Weights Used:

What to Expect When Competing:

Food:

The post John Doe Bodybuilding on YouTube appeared first on John Doe Bodybuilding.

Some of you may have seen my review on Anafuse and Osta-shred.

I was very skeptical about those products, as I am with a lot of supplements, but I got awesome results when I was using them!!

As a seasoned performance enhancement user I’m always skeptical about supplements and rarely think they ever stack up against the real deal, but when I said they were the “best legal alternative to steroids” I wasn’t lying.

When I used anafuse and osta-shred I came off everything except my Dr. prescribed testosterone replacement therapy – the results I achieved from 8 weeks of using those 2 supplements far exceeded anything I’d get out of just hormone replacement (which is simply enough testosterone to make me have high end of normal levels).

Knowing that those 2 products work, I got in contact with the supplier, Strong Supplements, and asked them which products would be good for people I am training for a competition for the next 12 weeks.

I was told to wait for a phone call and I would be speaking to a guy who was on the pro support team, and he could recommend the best stacks for the few people I was training to go into a competition.

[Strong Supplements is great, they definitely steer you in the right direction and cater to individual needs based on what it is you’re trying to accomplish.

Most supplement companies probably wouldn’t advise you against certain stacks if it meant you’d be purchasing more, but not these guys. If you don’t sound ready for something they advise against it and recommend a more suitable option.]

They sent me some stacks for my 3 clients who are getting ready to compete, and they sent me a few new ones to try for myself.

I’m only going to talk about the ones that I feel the effects from, as one of them I cannot give a full review until it’s all said and done.

The 2 products I do want to talk about are:

1. Hypershock rage by myogenix (pre-workout mix)
2. Joyful Joints (joint support)

Hypershock – a pre-workout formula that works

I’m very skeptical about pre-workouts, as some of them make me feel like shit and it’s almost too much. They increase my breathing rate and sometimes have a negative effect on my gym performance.

In the past I’ve stuck to just coffee and an occasional can of pre-workout I would buy from the supplement store nearby, on an “as needed basis.”

I’m not a guy who is normally going to drop money on a container of pre-workout powder. HOWEVER, after using hypershock I would.

Hypershock pre-workout formula:

I was told by Dave over at Strong’s pro support team that hypershock wasn’t like most other preworkout formulas.

He told me that this one was more balanced and that the jitters and “crackhead feeling” wasn’t going to be there like it would with some inferior products.

The guy was certainly right, because this has proven to be smooth energy that carries with you for a few hours.

You don’t just get jittery and awake and then crash – the stuff seemed to be something like 5 hour energy on steroids!!

I was with a buddy of mine and we both mixed a couple scoops with some water. As we were drinking this stuff he was reading the label and we were laughing our asses off.

The label read something like “within 10 minutes of drinking this you will experience an intense rage to want to work out.”

I about spit my drink out of my nose as he was reading it to me.

As most other supplements that leave us skeptical, we were literally laughing our asses off at the label claims and assumed it was mostly bullshit.

I kid you not, BEFORE THE DAMN DRINK WAS EVEN FINISHED, it was like someone gave me a shot of nitrous to my engine.

I looked over at my buddy and told him “dude, this isn’t a placebo…… I’m wide awake and ready to go kill it.”

You have to understand something here, I was tired as hell and could have taken a nap right there before using this shit.

But I wasn’t jittery feeling like other preworkouts leave me and the energy just felt better.

So we drive over to a friends house, and this guy was asleep. I banged on the door and told him to wake his ass up. He answers the door rubbing his eyes and I told him to get ready because we were going to go work out.

He explained to me how tired he was and my other buddy is like “Take a scoop of this shit, you’ll be awake in no time!!”

By now this had become entertaining to us, all we joked about for the next few days was “the furious rage to want to work out within 10 minutes.”

But the shit definitely works, no doubt. Like it was said to me and from what I’ve experienced so far, it just feels more balanced and steady and it doesn’t wear off.

Joyful Joints – joint support

One of the other products I was sent was something called “Joyful Joints”.

Joyful joints has been the absolute best joint formula I’ve ever tried.

And I’m not just saying this because it was sent to me to try.

Just one serving of joyful joints contains:

• 1500mg of glucosamine
• 750mg of MSM, a built in digestive enzyme
• 167% of your daily value in vitamin C
• 600mg of Cissus Quadrangularis

This product is an all-in-one super stack for your joints!!

As a bodybuilder who has been in the gym for almost 2 decades pounding out weights and putting my body through hell, if I felt 100% injury free it’s like something would be wrong, hahaha.

I’m usually always dealing with some bullshit injury, whether it was shoulder impingement a few years back, that goddamn tendon behind my elbow that bothered me a lot when doing tricep extensions, or my freaking knee – something always seems to be acting up.

Within the first 3 days of using Joyful Joints the pain in my knee had completely gone away, and my tricep tendon felt about 90% healed.

I was actually able to do skullcrushers pain free for the first time in months, and everything felt good all around.

But the great thing about this stuff is that it wasn’t just my joints that were bothering me that felt better, it was like EVERYTHING FELT BETTER.

It felt like I was the tin man who finally got some oil!!

Just walking around and lounging feels more relaxed than it used to feel. I really can’t explain it, but it’s this feeling like someone took some age off my body and restored me to a more youthful day when shit just didn’t bother me.

I think Joyful Joints would really be good for joint support when dieting too.

When dieting really strict there is a tendency to feel “dried out” where joints and tendons just hurt more and you cannot typically train quite as heavy.

I think throwing something like this into the mix would allow you to possibly train heavier and feel safer when in caloric deficit, or even training heavy as hell and introducing your body to new and heavier workloads.

I would think powerlifters would definitely find this product useful since they are training very heavy and explosively.

I cannot yet comment on the other product they sent me because that one will probably take time to see results from (if it actually works).

But these two, aftershock and joyful joints, are things that you can notice immediately which is why I’m already giving you the scoop on them.

Train hard!!

-John

>> You can buy hypershock rage here.

>> You can buy joyful joints here.

Look, it’s nothing to be ashamed of if you’re in college and broke.

My brother lived off very little for 8 years of his life and now he is a very successful research pharmacist and money isn’t much of an issue to him anymore.

But he lived off very little and I can remember my mother giving him $20 or $30 and saying things like “You need to make this last a week.”

If he wanted to drink, it was almost always the cheapest shit he could buy, and sometimes it would come down to a choice of either drinking at a party or being able to eat the next day.

There is no doubt that with tuition, books, and housing – college can make you financially strapped for quite awhile.

I have never been a broke college kid because I wasn’t a college kid. But I have been broke before and a budget is a budget, right?

So here’s how you eat when you’re a broke college student and you want to build muscle.

What is the most important thing when it comes to gaining muscle?

FOOD!!

Get bodybuilding supplements out of your head for a minute and let’s break it down to the basics.

You need to find a way to eat on very little money before getting involved in anything else right now.

How much protein do you need?

I DO NOT BELIEVE it takes as much as 2 grams of protein per lb. of bodyweight to gain muscle. This has never been proven, and to be perfectly real with you, it has never been proven that your body utilizes more than 0.6 – 0.8 grams of protein per lb of body weight.

So this means that you probably don’t need as much protein as you think.

Best protein sources for a broke college student:

Ok, so we aren’t going to be eating fillet mignon and caviar here.

The best thing to eat on a limited budget would be ground beef and cans of tuna fish.

6 oz of ground beef per serving is what most guys will need to eat, so basically if you by one lb of ground beef you are going to have two hamburger patties (4 oz will probably be lost from the heating process).

I would consume one of these hamburgers a day, and then two cans of tuna fish at another sitting. You can cook 2 hamburgers at a time and save one for the next day also.

For breakfast it would have to be whole eggs, probably about 3-4 whole eggs.

Forget egg whites, you can’t afford to eat as many as it’s going to take on a daily basis. Just eat them whole.

If you are in school and are fortunate enough to have a meal plan or “card” to eat at a cafeteria then hopefully you can get eggs.

Aside from eggs in the morning, a hamburger patty, and a couple cans of tuna fish, the rest of your protein will come from protein powder.

Yes I believe real food is better, but it’s not always cheaper.

Protein powder is a cost measure as well as convenience. A $30 jug of protein with 25-28 servings is a lot cheaper than 25-28 servings of chicken or fish.

Carb sources for college students:

The good thing is carbs are cheap. Potatoes, rice, oats, it’s all cheap.

Are Ramen noodles horrible to eat?

Actually not really, if you leave out the sodium from the flavoring. You can buy Ramen noodles for like 10 cents a pack.

Do I think it’s the best carbohydrate? No, but it gets the job done if you’re trying to build muscle and you need calories!!

Veggies for college kids:

As for veggies, on a budget you can forget the expensive “microwave in the bag” vegetables.

Get a large bag of frozen broccoli and throw some in a bowl and microwave it. Actually, I’d microwave more than what I needed and put some in a freezer bag and then put in the fridge for the next day as well.

How to cook in a college dorm:

I’m willing to bet that if you just dedicated 30 minutes a day to meal prep every other day, you could do it!!

And some of you may have healthier choices at your local cafeteria that you could also take advantage of.

So lets say you live in a college dormitory, hopefully you have a small fridge and a microwave.

A George Foreman grill is a GREAT TOOL to use for convenience.

You can throw your ground beef on there and cook your rice or potatoes in a microwave, problem solved!!

You wouldn’t believe the gourmet food that some prisoners know how to make with just a microwave!!

The point is this; where there is a will there is a way!! No, it’s not the most convenient way to eat, but nothing in life is exactly the way we want it.

Lets break down the food choices and expenses for a minute here…

These are American prices and I’m not sure what the cost is in your country if you live outside of the U.S. Hopefully there are viable options for you and you can substitute some of this if you need to.

Best food for broke college students:

3 lbs of ground beef: $3.99/lb for 90% lean from Butcher or wholesale store- 3 lbs per week will get me 6 days at 1/2 lb per day- $11.97

24 pack of ramen noodles: 1-2 packs per day and I have 2 weeks worth. Cost: $13.99 per 24 pack.

One bag rice: One bag of rice should last all week. Cost: $2-$3 per bag.

5 lb bag of potatoes: One 5 lb bag of potatoes should last all week. Cost: $3.99 per bag.

18 pack of Eggs: Eating 3 eggs per morning should last 6 days. Cost: $3 per 18 pack.

One 2 lb jug of protein powder: One jug (around 28 servings) at two servings per day will last 2 weeks (2 scoops post workout). Cost: $30 per 2.2 lb jug.

One jar of natural peanut butter: $3 per jar, eat as needed.

One bag of frozen broccoli: $3 per bag, eat as needed.

One large container of oats: $3 per container, eat as needed.

Total cost for two weeks of food: $70

You could buy all of this stuff from amazon, have it delivered and save even more money.

If you add that up then you will see it comes out to just over $70 and a few of those products will last you almost 2 weeks.

It’s ok if one of them lasts for six days and not seven days. You will probably want a “cheat meal” or a “free day” in there also.

As you go you can collect condiments such as sauces, ketchup, salsa, or anything else you want to add to your food, or seasonings for your meat. And of course those things you won’t need to buy every week.

How to survive being a broke college bodybuilder:

Be honest with yourself about all of this…

Being strapped for cash is one thing, but don’t be one of these little bitches that is always crying about “Poor me, I’m just a broke college kid”…

…and then you are buying an $80 keg of beer every weekend.

Sometimes excuses are easier than facing reality.

Stop being a lazy fuck and start preparing your food.

I would suggest any sort of part-time job money that you could make that would help make buying these things easier.

There is no shame in trying to make extra money to live a fit and healthy lifestyle.

So don’t think that just because your priorities are different than most everyone else’s that you’re wasting your time and efforts.

Without health, there is no wealth.

Without health, there is no wealth.

— John Doe Bodybuild (@JohnDoeBody) June 13, 2015

If you do it right then you’ll see that you may spend the same (if not less) on healthy foods rather than eating garbage all of the time.

Remember, building a good physique is over 90% nutrition!!

And no, you don’t need to live in the gym.

If all I was allowed was two days a week to work out, I could still have a lean and muscular build.

You can too, if you know how to do it and make it a priority.

There is no amount of money in this world that you could give me to be rich but out of shape.

Don’t be one of these guys who throws everything away to live like a fat slob, with nothing but a healthy bank account to show for it!!

Over and out!!

-John

I have no idea how Super Mandro is legal.

It works so well that it probably won’t be legal for long.

But let me start at the beginning…

You may have read my article on Hypershock Rage and Joyful Joints.

In that article I spoke of something else that I would review once I got a little further into it – and that something else is Super Mandro.

I’m going to be 100% honest with you on this product – I’ll give you the good, the bad, the ugly, and the absolute SICK on Super Mandro!!

First, I was sent Super Mandro by Strong Supplements. I received Super Mandro for free and this is my honest review.

If I think something sucks then I won’t talk about it, if I think it rocks then I’ll share it with you.

I told them I wanted something for body recomposition and Super Mandro is what they sent me.

So I started Super Mandro along with my 150mg per week testosterone dosage.

When I started using this I was 216 lbs first thing in the morning.

It’s been only twenty days; I weighed 231 lbs this morning.

That’s right, I AM UP 15 LBS IN 20 MOTHERFUCKING DAYS!!!

I wouldn’t believe it if you told me either. But here is the thing; I didn’t even change the diet.

And here is the other thing; it’s all dry gains!!

People normally gain this kind of weight on Anadrol-50 or Dianabol and it’s sloppy weight. Not on this shit!!

The first week I noticed a slight increase in strength and a few lbs on the scale. I didn’t feel much different other than a little stronger in the gym

Now for the second week on Super Mandro; major increases in strength across the board and more mass gain.

However, I was aggressive as hell and as irritable as ever.

Seriously, I felt like I could snap at a moments notice and break someones neck.

If you are someone who is aggressive by nature then you may want to avoid this one. This is not for the weak and not for the first time supplement user.

Super Mandro is extremely potent and I honestly have no idea how it’s not illegal.

What kept me on this stuff was two things;

1. the insane rate of size and strength I was achieving
2. knowing it was only a four week cycle.

I had days where I was literally dumping pills out and counting them to see how many days I had left so I could stop using it and keep from killing someone!!

Pissed off is an understatement on Super Mandro, but the gains are so fucking insane I had to stay on it and at least see it out.

I have 10 days left on super Mandro and I have no idea how much more I can gain in another week and a half. I’ve already slapped on 15 lbs of dry weight in just 20 days.

Now, if you decide to order this stuff I’m going to caution you on a couple things.

First off, it has to be run with another base as recommended. You definitely want to run it with Dermacrine or Andro the Giant.

I’m serious on that! I was running it alongside 150mg of testosterone per week and I experienced a loss of sex drive and slight lethargy.

DO NOT USE WITHOUT ANOTHER TEST PROMOTING BASE LIKE ANDRO THE GIANT!!

DO NOT USE WITHOUT POST CYCLE THERAPY LIKE DERMACRINE!!!

At the very minimum you want to use the add-ons that Strong Supplement recommends, especially for your 30 days of PCT!!!

I’m being brutally honest here guys, this shit can be rough.

It has taken a little dedication to stay on this stuff and the insane gains are what is keeping me using it.

In 10 more days it’s over with and honestly there is no fucking way I could tolerate it any longer, I want to tear someones head off on this shit!!

I believe this product is very similar to the old 1-AD everyone was gaining like crazy on (before it was banned).

But you know how it goes, go ahead and ban something and a new product comes out that is even more effective than the first. That is exactly what Hard Rock Supplements has done with Super Mandro!!

One of the key ingredients in Super Mandro is Bergamottin, a compound that allows more of this product to be absorbed into your system without being broken down, and the product hits you faster.

From my understanding this is a chemical found naturally in grapefruit, which is why medicine bottles advise you not to take meds with grapefruit juice, because it acts more potent. But hey, when it comes to muscle more potent isn’t a bad thing right?

So there is my honest take on Super Mandro, and I still have ten days left on it.

A while back I did a review on Osta-shred and Anafuse.

I’m sure some of you would like to know the difference between the two and my personal opinion on them in comparison to Super Mandro.

Super Mandro vs Anafuse / Osta-Shred

If I was looking to strictly cut up and use something on a little more long term basis that was smooth and steady, I’d have to go with Anafuse and Osta-shred.

You’ll get a good and hard look from those without the side effect of wanting to snap 24/7.

However, if you’re wanting to gain mad size and strength in the quickest amount of time possible; Super Mandro wins this one.

You’ll be a motherfucking beast on this shit, but it’s not for the weary, trust me on that one!!

PROOF: Here’s a photo of me up 15 lbs in only 20 days and wanting to kill!!

Train insane!!!

Over and out,

-John

>> You can buy Super Mandro here.

I was left this comment by one of my readers…

“Hello John! Thank you for posting no nonsense street smart info that actually works. This is the month of Ramadan. Around a billion people fast (eat and drink nothing) from dawn till sunset. I have found no information on the internet about how to eat to during bulking phase and how to use it to one’s advantage to lose fat. Looking forward to an interesting post on this subject. Thanks..”

…and decided that it would be an excellent article to help people who participate in Ramadan, as well as any other bodybuilder who could use periods of fasting to their advantage.

Ok, so I needed to do a little research here to see what the translation of “fasting” and “Ramadan” really meant here, and what the boundaries were involved with this.

Ramadan (/ˌræməˈdɑːn/; Arabic: رمضان‎ Ramaḍān, IPA: [rɑmɑˈdˤɑːn]; also transliterated Ramazan, Ramzan, Ramadhan, or Ramathan) is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, and is observed by Muslims worldwide as a month of fasting to commemorate the first revelation of the Quran to Muhammad according to Islamic belief. This annual observance is regarded as one of the Five Pillars of Islam. The month lasts 29–30 days based on the visual sightings of the crescent moon, according to numerous biographical accounts compiled in the hadiths.

The word Ramadan comes from the Arabic root ramiḍa or ar-ramaḍ, which means scorching heat or dryness. Fasting is fardh (obligatory) for adult Muslims, except those who are suffering from an illness, travelling, are elderly, pregnant, breastfeeding, diabetic or going through menstrual bleeding. Fasting the month of Ramadan was made obligatory (wājib) during the month of Sha’aban, in the second year after the Muslims migrated from Mecca to Medina. Fatwas have been issued declaring that Muslims who live in regions with natural phenomenon such as the midnight sun or polar night should follow the timetable of Mecca.^[

While fasting from dawn until sunset, Muslims refrain from consuming food, drinking liquids, smoking, and engaging in sexual relations with one’s spouse. Muslims are also instructed to refrain from sinful behavior that may negate the reward of fasting, such as false speech (insulting, backbiting, cursing, lying, etc.) and fighting. Food and drink is served daily, before dawn and after sunset. Spiritual rewards (thawab) for fasting are also believed to be multiplied within the month of Ramadan. Fasting for Muslims during Ramadan typically includes the increased offering of salat (prayers) and recitation of the Quran.

Here is my best answer for how to eat and train during Ramadan;

The best approach that I would take during Ramadan would be to increase calories leading up to this month of fasting.

Once the month started I would do 2 meals per day, one before sunrise and one after sunset.

These meals would consist of around 1,000 calories each for most individuals.

Bodybuilding meals during Ramadan

Ramadan Meal #1 (before sunrise):

• 8 whole eggs (480 calories),
• 1 cup of oats (dry measure, 300 calories)
• 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil ( just over 200 calories)
• unlimited vegetables

This comes out to roughly 50-60 grams of protein, 60 grams of carbs, and 25-30 grams of fat, putting you right at 1,000 calories here.

For the second meal I would do a large portion of meat.

I would incorporate an 8-10 oz portion of chicken, fish, or beef in meal #2, then I would include a heavier carb such as 12 oz of potatoes or 2 cups of cooked rice.

Use an ounces to grams conversion calculation chart if needed, here in the States we use ounces. You are looking at roughly 600 calories there so far.

The additional 400 calories would come from a fat source such as 4 tablespoons of natural peanut butter or 2 1/2 servings of almonds or cashews.

I do not count veggies as normal carbs since they are more of a fibrous carb and filler, but veggies alongside either meal #1 or #2 would be unlimited, as long as I was hitting the food amounts listed here first.

Ramadan Meal #2 (after sunset):

• 8-10 oz of chicken or fish or beef
• 12 oz of potatoes or 2 cups of rice (cooked measure)
• 4 tablespoons of natural peanut butter or 2.5 serving of almonds or cashews
• unlimited vegetables

You are looking at roughly 60-70 grams of protein in this meal, around 60 grams of carbs, and about 30 grams of fat. These are roundabout numbers here.

Now, from what I understand there are certain guidelines on eating beef.

Some Muslims can eat beef as long as it was cut fresh and the cows throat was cut for slaughter, while other forms of slaughter are not allowed, and some Muslims may avoid beef altogether.

That is fine whatever your practice is, chicken or fish would be fine as well.

One thing I’d be certain to do during Ramadan would be to include 2 servings of BCAA’s with both.

John Doe recommends Vital BCAA powder by Vital Labs.

The BCAA’s will help you retain muscle mass during fasting.

Although you are only consuming 2 meals per day here, you will only lose bodyfat if you do this right.

The protein intake along with the branched chain amino acids is still enough to maintain good muscle mass here, and carb intake is still enough to keep a pump and be protein sparing here, since carbs are protein sparing (meaning carb intake assists protein in going further on less grams of protein).

It has actually never been scientifically proven that the body utilizes more than .6-.8 grams per lb of bodyweight and suggested protein intake has been totally exaggerated over the bulk of the past 20 years, even suggested intake for bodybuilders.

Working out during Ramadan

Onto the workouts during this phase of fasting; I would continue to train hard, but I’d lower my volume.

There is simply no reason to train more than 3 days per week when it’s harder to get excessive caloric intake because of the fasting.

This will also help with recovery from workouts and allow you to keep more strength.

A good workout split during Ramadan would be something like this:

• day 1 – push day
• day 2 – pull day
• day 3 – legs

I’d keep my gym time to under an hour and I’d follow the workouts in Becoming the Bull.

Cardio during Ramadan

As for cardio, I wouldn’t think it’d be absolutely necessary during Ramadan.

The fasting and workouts should be enough to start dropping a good amount of bodyfat and what we don’t want to do is promote too much hunger and make the process harder than it needs to be. At least that is my take on it.

This is an approach that could be beneficial to anybody for a 30 day period, not just Muslim people who practice Ramadan.

The advantage of doing this for a period of 30 days is you are creating more insulin sensitivity and when you get back to a regular eating regimen you are going to be in ANABOLIC OVERDRIVE!!

This means that your body is going to throw on massive amounts of size and strength in a very quick time frame.

We are talking about size and strength gains that a steroid cycle would yield, gains of 10-20 quality pounds within the following 4-6 wks would not be unrealistic following Ramadan, if done properly.

Sometimes eating every few hours and just dumping calories into our bodies all the time can make us stagnant, and it can stall progress.

There comes a point with bodybuilding that leads to having to take 2 steps backwards to take a giant leap forward!!

I would use this period of fasting to set myself up for serious size and strength increases!!

Also, look at the level of discipline that this requires.

The discipline alone would be a good enough reason for even the average guy to try duplicating Ramadan and see what sort of size and strength he could slap on shortly afterwards.

Whoever you pray to, stopping to pray during the day or just clearing your mind of all the nonsense is never a bad thing.

Sometimes we end up obsessing over things to a degree that becomes unhealthy to us.

Look at this 30 day period of fasting as a positive thing, not a long and miserable process.

And when you start throwing on slabs of muscle the following month, take some before and after photos and send them in!!

Train hard!!

-John

So you’re poor and you want to get shredded.

Look, I’ve been there. A lot of us have been there, and sometimes it’s just life.

I’ve been poor before, and I can remember certain weeks where I was forced to try cutting up because I just didn’t have the money to eat a lot.

I can remember having to pretty much fast for a few days one time because I was that broke.

I can remember gathering up change in my car to try to buy a 99 cent burger from Burger King so I could have dinner that night.

Now, I have found that at times in the past I had spent more money actually dieting than I had eating more lenient.

When your bodybuilding becomes more regimented and you start keeping track of protein intake more – things can sometimes take a steep hike financially.

When you’re trying to retain all that muscle mass you will find that the quantities of food you need to eat actually become way more. More food, more feedings, but less calories overall.

There are all different kinds of ways to diet, some are easier than others and some are more effective than others. A lot of it really depends on your size and your body type.

A professional bodybuilder who is carrying around 275 lbs of muscle may be eating 4-5 lbs of meat everyday. while other gym goers are getting by with 1 lb of meat everyday.

I’m not going to give you something unrealistic here, and I’m not going to give you something that is going to take every last dime you have just for your grocery bill.

I’m going to simply give you a realistic way to get shredded on very little money, PERIOD!!

This is a diet that I came up with for 2 reasons; the first being cost and the second being simplicity.

When you are doing something over and over again day to day, it needs to be something that you can stick to.

The first thing I decided was to buy another George Foreman Grill. I used to use one of these a long time ago and it eventually tore up and had to be thrown away.

The George Foreman Grill just made sense to me because it was quick and easy, used less power than an oven, and didn’t make my house hot like an oven would.

Not to mention, it’s faster than waiting for an oven to heat up, and less of a mess than dealing with a glass dish.

It’s been extremely hot here lately and I’m sick of an oven jacking my house temperature up.

So I picked up the basic 2 burger grill George Foreman grill.

The next thing I decided to do was to take an old school approach to dieting.

I was going to hit a diet similar to what bodybuilders back in the 1970’s did, before the days of a microwave and other common luxuries of today.

The sad part to me is these guys had such excellent physiques back then, with half of the conveniences we have now, and hardly any supplements.

I think at the end of the day it’s just hard work!!

So what would my approach be to the “Old School” way of dieting and getting shredded?

Well, for starters I was going to begin cutting carbs again and incorporating more fats into my diet. This would work for me because I hadn’t done it in awhile.

So I wasn’t going to shy away from things like a few slices of bacon with breakfast, whole eggs, sausage links, and cottage cheese. Because the cost of meat is expensive, I would do 2 cans of tuna fish for one of my meals rather than a fish fillet or a chicken breast.

Not to mention, cans of tuna do not need to be heated up, and if I got sick of it then I’d throw it on a salad with a little dressing such as balsamic vinaigrette. Fruit is also something else that I’d incorporate into the diet, since it was cheap and easy, and didn’t need any prep work.

So basically the only real prep of the diet was cooking my breakfast and then cooking my serving of meat on the George Foreman grill in the evening. Because I was only eating meat once/day then larger portions were perfectly acceptable. Basically I eat as much meat as I can fit onto the 2 burger grill at one sitting.

Because carbs were dropped down a lot more, foods such as natural peanut butter, almonds, and avocados were added back in as healthy fat sources. When carbs come out, fats usually need to be added back in, or when fats come out then carbs usually need to be added back in.

This diet is pretty much an affordable, old school way of doing things.

Sometimes it’s easier for me to buy my food just for that day, or a couple days at best. It’s easier to figure up exactly how much I need to eat, and sometimes it keeps me from overspending.

So here is a typical days shopping list when I’m eating on the old school cutting diet.

The John Doe Super Market Shopping Cart

• dozen eggs
• 1 lb of meat, usually lean ground beef or ground turkey
• 3-4 avocados
• 2 cans of tuna fish
• pack of almonds
• pack of bacon
• bag of apples
• container of blueberries
• couple small tubs of cottage cheese

That is probably about $30-$40 right there, but most of what is on that list will last me a few days, other than the meat.

A typical old school John Doe cutting diet & meal plan

1. 4 whole eggs with cheese, handful of blueberries, 2-3 slices of bacon
2. 3 pork chops (about 16 oz), apple
3. 50 gram Dymatize Elite protein shake in water, 2 tablespoons natural peanut buttter with chia and flax seed added
4. 2 cans of tuna fish over a salad with balsamic vinaigrette, avocado
5. 2 servings full fat cottage cheese, 2 handfuls of almonds

Those 5 meals would just be an example of something I may do on a random day while I’m doing the old school cutting diet.

I would try keeping my cheat meals to 1 time week.

I do not freak out over eating EVERY SINGLE 2-3 HOURS!! If I have to go 4 or 5 hours between meals then big fucking deal.

I no longer obsess over shit like that and guess what? It sure hasn’t hurt my build any!!

One other thing I would suggest getting, especially if you’re a college kid or living the dormitory life, is one of those single burner hot plates that plug directly into a wall.

Hot plates are great because they allows you to boil things, such as hard boiled eggs or the occasional batch of rice or boiled potatoes for when you want to carb back up a little in case you are going flat.

Hot plates basically look like a single burner off a stove they plug in to any 110 watt plug.

Just because you don’t have a kitchen doesn’t mean you cannot totally kick ass and get your nutrition in, no matter where you are!!

If you’re financially strapped then so be it, sometimes we have to go through some shit in life to get to a better place. If you can make the sacrifices necessary to do this then I’m sure you can be pretty successful at almost anything else you’re working on in life!!

Drop this idea that everything in your life has to be comfortable!! I’m so sick of hearing everyone’s bullshit about how hard life is for them. This is tough for anybody, it’s tough for me too!!!

Everywhere I go now I have to listen to someone crying about a bad back from a shitty mattress, some stupid food allergy that is most likely a figment of their fucking imagination, or a back injury that they completely avoid rather than working through it and fixing the problem.

Human beings were not made to have a hardship and be forever condemned to a life of getting fucked in the ass!!

Maybe somewhere along the way we got weak?

Yea, I think maybe so

Anyways, sometimes this is how I diet, straight up old school!!

And since I’m a fan of old school bodybuilding then why not right?

Let’s keep it real here and stick to the roots of preparation and hard work!!

Train hard!!!

-John Doe

I often get questions about women.

Some of the questions relate to how bodybuilding ties in with women, also how to find the right woman, and how to find a “fit chick”.

So I’m going to take some time out and address these questions and basically give you my outlook on it all.

Beauty eventually fades as we grow older.

However, it’s nice to always remember the person the way they were when you met them.

Do you want to be 80 years old and remember the beautiful girl walking along the beach with you? Or would you rather remember some ugly, zit faced nerd who only gave you some pussy because you were the only guy desperate enough to pay attention to her?

I know which one I’d want…and have.

Attraction is a must to start with.

But it definitely helps if you’re attractive yourself. It’s tough to go out and hit on dimes when you look like a tub of lard, despite what kind of money you have. Women will take your money, but they’ll laugh at you behind your back and you won’t get any respect.

Have you ever seen that God awful show “The Real Housewives of blah blah blah?”

You know, the show where the husband stays gone pretty much all the time and some worthless whore is spending all of his money? Why would you want that life or even want a grown woman who comes to you begging for money like a spoiled brat every day?

There comes a fine line between being financially secure and getting respect, or just being an ATM machine who gets no respect. I’ll be damned if I had to shell out money on a new car just to get my dick sucked, and that is basically where these guys are at, if I had to guess.

It’s not all about money.

Actually, money is simply the bi-product of a man who can provide. A man should be able to provide; that doesn’t mean spoil some worthless slut just to get her attention.

There are plenty of women out there who drive a nice fancy car, live in a mansion, and would rather wake up and head straight to the spa with her “girlfriends” instead of making you breakfast.

How long do you think this would keep you happy? Meanwhile, there are other women out there who would love a guy who would just spend time with his family and go out for a picnic lunch to the park together.

It often saddens me when I go out in public and take a look around – I never see families together anymore.

Think about every place you go nowadays; how many mothers, fathers, and kids do you actually see spending time together?

I think there are days where I don’t see any. I don’t care how hard money is for people, there are things you can do with your family that don’t cost much.

The problem is people don’t care anymore and the influence to be selfish is stronger now than the influence to establish relationships. I see a lot of lonely and insecure people out there now. People chatting it up with everyone but alone on the inside.

So back to the money thing; I would encourage you to try your best to excel and grow to a financially secure level, but don’t stress over not being rich or think that being rich is the only way to land a decent lady. It’s actually quite the opposite a lot of the time.

You should try your best for you anyways, then the field of pickings is a little more fruitful when it comes to a quality woman. Yes, it’s not always about money, but a quality girl doesn’t want a guy on welfare either.

Sometimes the wanting is better than the having.

I know right now that a lot of these spoiled whores are looking at my family when we go out places and are jealous they don’t have what I have. Sure, there husbands may be able to buy them nice things, but nice things never replace time together.

Let’s talk about the type of girl you may want and where you can find her.

Well, you probably want a girl who is active for starters. Nobody wants a slug who sits around all day long. This isn’t just a downer, it’s a health issue.

Would you rather be having sex into your 50’s and 60’s because you have an active and healthy partner, or would you enjoy masturbating until you die because you have a fat wife with messed up hormones and a need to watch TV over giving you the time of day?

So I’d suggest looking for girls in places active people go. Places like the gym, parks, nature trails, the lake, these are the places you may want to start looking.

Online dating is also not a bad idea and is more popular nowadays as well. I’d just go to a pay site where people are a little more serious and not a free dating site with the rift raft.

But the nice thing about online dating is you can find out about a person before investing too much time into someone who isn’t a good match. You’re not a loser just because you are meeting women online.

Here is another good point on women who are into fitness. It shows that they are willing to put in work to see results that do not come on a short term basis.

Fitness can say an awful lot about a person’s character. This may be the type of woman who is more willing to work things out with you when you get into an argument rather than go suck some guy’s dick the very next day and then you’re old news.

This may also be the type of girl who is content with a small starter home and realize that one day you guy’s will be in a better position and maybe get a larger home you both want, or live in a nicer neighborhood.

Church is always another option when it comes to meeting women. Honestly, I wasn’t raised in church myself, but at least women who stay in church usually have better morals.

Think about it; who is more likely to cheat on you, a girl out at the bar every weekend for “girl’s night out” or a girl who is in the house by 9 pm on Saturday night so she can wake up early and get her kids ready for church the next day? I think we all know the answer to that one!!

Now, here is where a lot of guys over complicate the process. We think we have all of this shit to prove to women when we talk to them.

It’s like this stupid fucking game of “how much shit can I talk before I’m worthy enough for you?” This is absolutely ridiculous!! Why would you stand there and jabber on for 20 minutes to some girl you don’t even know, trying to “prove yourself” to her.

You may be trying to prove yourself to some moron anyways, who isn’t worth the time of day. Not to mention, her response is mostly based on the way she feels that day and has nothing to do with you at all. So why bother?

My advice; start conversation in a nonchalant way just to get the bait and hook throw out there.

Now, you may not be hooking the fish right then and there, but after a few times of talking again, she’ll have a comfort level with you that is good enough to agree to spend time together outside of whatever facility you see each other in. This may be church, a coffee shop, or possibly the gym.

If the chances of seeing her again are rare, then throw a giant worm on that hook and throw it right in her face and don’t be a pussy. She bites or she doesn’t, and if she doesn’t then who cares….NEEEEXXXT!!!

I’m sure some people may view me as some internet personality who is some expert on everything. I’m no expert guys, I just talk about my life experiences in ways I hope can help other people.

When I met my wife I didn’t have a lot, and she didn’t either.

I was moving from job to job as a fabricator and she was working in a business she started with her mother that was basically falling apart. I can remember waking up in the morning and having to turn on the oven and have to crack the door to it, just so I could try to heat part of the house.

There were many of Christmas seasons where we had very little money to spend, but we always had great holidays!! Some of my best memories are when we had hardly anything but still had a good time. This is the type of girl who isn’t going to leave you.

The one thing I can say is I get a lot of respect from who I’m with. She is there when I’m down and out, and she appreciates things I can do if I have extra money; but she doesn’t expect it.

When trying to find a good match for you, it’s often very important to look at her family.

Is her mother an anti-social bitch who degrades her husband all the time? Does she partake in family trips and activities or would she rather sit at home on her ass?

I would seriously try finding someone who comes from parents that have qualities you’d like to see in their daughter.

My brother just dodged the biggest bullet of his life when he broke off his engagement and split with his girl. Nothing was ever good enough or her, she wasn’t very social, and she never did a fucking thing for him!!

In the 7 years they were together she probably cooked about 4-5 times total. She wanted a new puppy, so my brother got her one. My brother was the one waking up twice every night to let it outside, she never did it ONCE.

You think this would make a good mom to your kids? Her mother? Divorced, miserable, and a healthy monthly income from ex-husband who will bust his ass working until he dies.

Look at what a woman is willing to do for you.

I don’t see women doing JACK SHIT for men anymore. These things do not have to be big. Small things like cooking you dinner, giving you a massage, picking up something from the store that you like, surprising you with lunch at work; they can really be whatever.

All you are looking for is a woman who has a giving nature and cares enough about you to do something for you once in awhile. This will be the same type of woman who will provide for your kids, and not dump them off each weekend to go out drinking like some dumb-ass slut who never grew up.

Start paying attention to what she does for you RIGHT FROM THE START.

When I got in my car on the first date with my wife, she reached over and unlocked my door for me. I started watching from day 1!!

Ok, now get this idea of a perfect woman out of your head. Nobody is going to be perfect and they will have habits that piss you off. You know what pisses me off about my wife? She likes to take a sip out of a drink and put it back in the fridge uncapped.

So sometimes it’s easy to spill if you open the fridge or dig through there. This has been happening since day 1.

That is the biggest thing that pisses me off, so I’m not doing too bad I guess. But I leave hair in the tub from shaving my body (which she cleans for me) and I do not do dishes usually (which she does for me).

So when I buy my wife a $500 Coach purse it’s really like saying “thanks for cleaning the dishes up and my body hair in the bathtub.” But no woman is going to be perfect, trust me on that one.

TWO BIG THINGS TO LOOK AT WHEN CONSIDERING MARRIAGE

1. Does she rack up debt and have terrible spending habits?
2. Is she a whore or a flirt?

Everything else other than those 2 issues you can work through.

As long as those 2 issues are not part of the equation then chances are you can have a meaningful relationship with that person.

10 WAYS TO ELIMINATE BULLSHIT FROM THE BEGINNING

#1 – Call her instead of texting, if she doesn’t answer then send a text.

If you don’t get a reply until later and she says something such as “Sorry, didn’t see this” the bitch is playing games…CUT HER ASS!! You think I’m fucking stupid bitch? You girls have those phones glued to the hip

#2 – Come up with a date and a time and YOU PICK THE PLACE AND SUGGEST THE TIME.

Be assertive here, don’t be one of these pussy guys who lets a woman decide everything. They really don’t want to make the decisions, they’d like a man with enough balls to do this once in awhile. If she cannot give you a straight answer such as “Yes” or “I can’t do it that day, but how about…?” CUT HER ASS!! If she cancels at the last minute for any other reason besides her kids…you guessed it…CUT HER ASS!!

#3 – If she constantly checks her cell phone while she is out with you….CUT HER ASS!!  

Obviously you’re not important enough to give her attention to, and if it’s this bad from date #1 it’s only going to get worse. It’s other guys she is talking to anyways, and it probably won’t stop….CUT HER ASS!!

#4 – If she is one of these girls who tries you right from date #1 on what you’re willing to spend…CUT HER ASS!!

I once had a bitch low enough to tell me she forgot her purse and asked me if I’d buy her a pack of clove cigarettes on the first fucking date!! Come on, just be honest and tell me you’re broke. But it was ok, because I basically got my dick sucked for a pack of cloves from a hot looking bitch who was broke. But yes, not marriage material…CUT HER ASS!!

#5 – If she is into cats, CUT HER ASS!!

Look, it’s no secret by now, chicks who are into owning a bunch of cats are just strange. I’ve ever met a girl with a bunch f damn cats who wasn’t fucked every which was from Sunday. Just avoid cat women, you’ll be a better person for it.

#6 – Look out for pill poppers!!

If she is one of these girls who is “off her meds” or talks about shit she takes to “keep her normal”, avoid this one like the plague!! Chances are you’re dating a bi-polar lunatic who may break out your car windshield with a bat, or try cutting off your penis with a hunting knife….CUT HER ASS!!

#7 – Attempt to get a piece of ass on date #1.

Listen, although very debatable, this is important here. You don’t necessarily WANT SEX on date #1, but you want to see how far she’ll go on date #1. If she doesn’t give it up, this is a good sign. This means that this girl isn’t going to spread her legs to just anyone. And chances are if she likes you, she’ll continue to see you even though you went for it. I’ve never had a girl who quit seeing me because I went for it early. If she DOES GIVE IT UP, hit that shit with a vengeance, have fun with her, but know she isn’t marriage material. NEVER!! I would have fun with her in the meantime, but don’t stop looking for someone better. When you find better…CUT HER ASS!!

#8 – Look at her friends.

If her friends act like stupid whores, then chances are birds of a feather flock together, and you my friend, have a whore too. Although not marriage material, I would make it my personal goal to get a piece of ass from the girl, and then run through the circle of friends too. Think of this as hitting a new PR on your bench press. When you’re done they’ll probably all hate you as well as each other, but it’s ok, being whores was really the only thing that bonded them together anyways and they’ll have a new flock of whores to hang out with soon enough. No harm, no foul.

#9 – A WOMAN’S HOUSE IS LIKE HER VAGINA.

There are no truer words than the words I just laid out Gentleman!! If you walk up in some chick’s house, and the carpet is stained to hell, the sink is full of dirty dishes, and there is dirty laundry everywhere, I guarantee you her pussy stinks and she doesn’t take care of it!! Now, believe it or not, there are actually some women out there with Vagina’s that are odorless and tasteless because they know how to take care of them. The problem is that most of us guys are so desperate for sex that we often put up with an unkempt vagina for the sake of trying to get an orgasm. (Well, most do, I sure as hell don’t) I’ve dumped women before because of unkempt vaginas, and if her house looks like a frat kids house, her pussy stinks!! CUT HER ASS!!

#10 – DOES SHE KEEP YOU INTERESTED?

Look, let’s forget sex for a moment here. Does this girl have anything meaningful to say? Is spending time with her actually fun? Is there anything about her that stands out from the rest of the boring girls you’ve dated? Honestly speaking, most girl are extremely boring to me. They’re boring because they are too insecure to have fun and actually be themselves. I would much rather have some girl who threw on a pair of jeans and a T-shirt and just went out and had a good time with me, over some nervous chick who took 2 hrs to get ready and couldn’t get her hair right. Women want guys with confidence right? Well why the fuck can;t we want the same thing? How about a girl who knows she is attractive and can just go out once in awhile without having to be dressed to the 9’s every time, just to attract attention from strangers who don’t fucking matter anyways.

STAY AWAY FROM GIRLS WHO HAVE ALL GUY FRIENDS!!!

Don’t buy into this bullshit for a second.

If you hear some stupid bitch tell you “I can’t stand most girls, all my friends are guys” or “I just get along better with guys” then what you’re dealing with here is a whore in disguise.

You can’t bullshit a bullshitter. I’m a guy, I like pussy. The only reason I would want to be friends with a girl is to get pussy. The only two types of guys who are friends with a girl are gay guys and guys who want to have sex with them, but are stuck in the friend zone.

Do you have any idea how many guys are with women who “just have guy friends” and are about 1 out of 7 different guys this chick is screwing on a regular basis?

Hope you don’t get  an STD my man!! Perfect marriage material right? “Hey sweetie, watch the kids for me all weekend if you can, I’m going to the beach with my guy friends!!” Yep, real fucking realistic there Pal!!

So that is pretty much my take on finding a quality woman.

I would also not be afraid to go outside of America on this one and explore some other cultures.

There are women in other ethnic groups (such as Asian), who were raised to appreciate and respect men a lot more than “The Real Housewives of Greedy as Fuck America”

Guys, remember, this is all a numbers game. I’ve talked about this before, it’s a volume game. If you were a car salesman and you only spoke to one customer every week, how many cars would you actually sell? Probably not as many as the guy talking to 50 people each week.

You need to throw your hook out into the lake every chance you can. This is a lot like fishing too, you can catch small fish you throw back all the time, but the big trophy fish are harder to catch.

When two people click it shouldn’t take a lot of work.

Yes, over time it takes work to make a relationship strong, but it shouldn’t take work to get along.

If it feels difficult from day 1 to hold conversation, laugh, or have a good time, then chances are you’re with the wrong person and I wouldn’t waste my time. This doesn’t mean this is a bad person, they just don’t compliment your character very well.

I’ve had women who have brought out the absolute worst in me before. They had turned me into a hateful monster when in reality I was just with the wrong person and too dumb to realize it.

Today is a new day. You could go through today like every other day that is exactly the same, or you can cast your line into the water a few times.

When you live like a man with nothing to lose, you have everything to gain.

Start winning!!!

-John