It's in the nature of us human beings to draw parallels between a result and what is being practiced currently, but when it comes to physiques you must look into what was being practiced for a long, long time to achieve that physique. Building a great body takes years of intense and specific training.
People tend to forget all the hard work and the nature of the work it takes to reach a high level of muscularity. Here’s how I was able to get there.
1. From day 1 I started with weight training I lifted weights to get super strong. I didn't "tone", I didn't "pump". I knew I had to lift incredibly heavy and be able to master and control big weights, so I trained for it.
2. I kept a training log from day 1. I wrote down every set, every rep, every thought about each set.
3. My mantra was "if I don't manage this set doing x amount of reps I will lose all muscle and never grow new ones". I was serious about it.
4. My workouts were BUSINESS. I was not playing around. I had a mission and a goal. Nothing was going to stop me from it.
5. I ate 6-8 meals - day in and day out. I never missed one.
6. I never did cardio during the same workout as weights.
7. My workouts were based on compound movements and free weights. The only machines I used for weight training were leg press, leg curl. (BTW, cable stations are not machines)
8. I used nutrient timing. I had a tiny amount of carbs and protein right before my weight sessions and the same after my workouts.
9. I psyched myself up before each workout to make sure I was in the right mindset.
10. I planned my workouts and knew exactly what I was going to do every time I was in there. I compared results from previous workout to the one I was about to do. Damn me if I didn't do better.
