I get asked a lot what I did to start training and putting on muscle. I point people to my blog because all I have is my own experience. I've never trained anyone else, but I've documented ALL of my progress. This post shows the numbers of my success and what I did to achieve them.
Read MoreDuring my last 12 week bulk, this is the chest workout that I used weekly. I love this workout for getting the chest exhausted. Using this workout weekly, I was able to increase my working set weight on Bench Press by 30 pounds! I also feel way more confident with dumbbell presses and have been able to climb up in weight on almost every exercise. If you feel like you've hit a bit of a plateau on chest strength or are looking to build up this area, try out this workout to get your chest muscles growing!
Read MoreI've learned so much about training, nutrition, and my body during these last 36 weeks. Tracking your training and nutrition are keys to being able to evaluate and fine tune your training methods. Looking back, I'm so glad that I did this and jumped into the scary zone of doing everything you can to make gains. There were so many moments that I felt terrified that I was just going to gain body fat and that my aesthetics would be far off from what I was trying to achieve. Gaining lean mass is a slow and patient process. You have to trust the journey and be ready for victories and times when things seem to be stagnant.
Read MoreThis bicep and tricep workout is what I am currently using in my routine to gain mass and put on size. This workout is for intermediate to advanced lifters. This routine starts with heavy compound movements and then moves to lighter weight pump sets to get the muscles into hypertrophy and force them to grow. The pump from this workout is insane! Your forearms will feel massive and your biceps will be full.
Read MoreThis back workout is what I am currently using in my routine to gain mass and put on size. This workout is for intermediate to advanced lifters. The routine contains a lot of heavy weight movements and exercises where more weight can be added each week to push for gains. I find this routine very effective at cooking the back and hitting the lower / upper / side sections. Using this workout and following a bulking diet plan, I have seen strength gains weekly. If you do a body part split style of training, try this as your back day workout.
Read MoreThis leg & butt workout is what I am currently using in my routine to gain mass and put on size. This workout is for intermediate to advanced lifters. The routine starts with big compound movements and finishes with fry out lighter sets to send the muscles into hypertrophy and cause muscle growth. This workout is the hardest workout for me during the week, it's an area of my body that I have had to make a priority in order to strengthen my legs. Using this workout and cycling 1 - 1.5 hr a few times a week, I have finally started to feel better about this section of my body. If you do a body part split style of training, try this as your leg day workout.
Read MoreThis video is a long format introduction to how I started my bodybuilding journey and how I put on size/muscle before starting testosterone.
Read MoreWow, did I learn a lot on this bulk. This first 12 week phase was so beneficial to learning about my body and fitness. My goal was to put on size and I definitely accomplished that. I was able to gain 1lb a week, up my bench press by 20 lbs, and increase my caloric intake by 600 more calories a day. Throughout the bulk though I learned a few other things...
Read MoreOriginal record date: May 20th, 2017. This video is part of my transition update series and it marks 3 months on hormone replacement therapy. This update includes mental health updates and physical changes.
Read MoreThis video is part of my series "Endowed" which follows me through my first year of gender transition. I am 10 weeks into hormone replacement therapy in this video and wanted to document the physical changes that I have been experiencing along with some big transition updates.
Read MoreThis video is on the topic of stress and how it often causes me to doubt myself. These doubts often lead to self confidence and shame issues. Throughout my journey to my authentic self, I've experienced many bouts of shame, anxiety, depression, and lack of self confidence. There have been some really helpful self care tools that got me through hard times and this video aims to share those.
Read MoreThis bulk program is going to be challenging for me because I have a hard time with being "fluffy". Anytime my body fat goes up, especially around my waist, my dysphoria kicks up. I struggle with this and it is a hurdle to overcome. I know I want to gain size, strength, and muscle mass but getting there requires a bit of puffiness and less of a lean/tight look. This will be my battle... allowing myself to gain weight and finding the mental peace with it.
Read MoreMy current routine focuses on putting mass on the shoulders. Each time I train shoulders, I focus on overloading them with a difficult heavier (not too heavy) weight and then cooking them with a high rep more isolated movement.
Read MoreAfter ruminating on the decision I knew that I didn't want to drink to alter my state, escape, numb out, or run. I wanted to be able to drink occasionally, end of story. It was the lack of excitement about it that was promising to me. I wasn't itching for a swig. I knew that if I tried it again and it didn't go well, that I could always go back to sobriety. That method would always be there for me as a tool.
Read MoreThis routine is for intermediate lifters. It is extremely effective for strengthening the back and giving a carved out appearance. I have found deadlifts great for achieving a deep valley down the spine and also increasing the cut of the obliques. Try it out and see if you can incorporate any of these super sets into your back workout.
Read MoreI embarked on the 3 week program hoping to learn from the experience and take the lessons forward with me in the arena of health and fitness.
Read MoreAfter completing 9 weeks of a "cut diet" with cheat meals at least once a week and next to no cardio, I decided it was time to try something different for the last 3 weeks of my cut programming.
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