Title Page
Dedication
General Disclaimer
An Honest Sale
Welcome
My Story
Who the Guide is Written for
Why Take the Plunge?
Defining Your Goals
Realistic Expectations
Gaining Muscle (Bulking)
What do you Mean "Bulk Up"?
Choosing a Gym
Reps and Sets
Splits
Rest, Recovery, and Sickness
Choosing the Right Weight
Periodization and Avoiding Plateaus
Advanced Lifting Techniques
Nutrition and Eating for the Bulk
Steroids and Other Performance Enhancers
The Exercises
Breathing
Legs
Arms
Shoulders
Chest
Back
Abdominals
Shedding Fat (Cutting)
Nutrition is Key
Aerobic vs Anaerobic Exercise
Building your Cardio Base
Common Forms of Cardio
Cardio in the Morning, Afternoon, or Night?
Cardio on an Empty Stomach
Intensity
How Fast Should I Lose Weight?
Weight Loss Supplements
Nutrition 101
Cut the Junk Out
Calculating your Caloric Needs
Carbs, Protein, Fat, Vitamins and Minerals
Not Eating Enough (The Lawyer Diet)
Meal Timing, Pre and Post-Workout Nutrition
Processed vs Natural vs Organic
Portion Size
Supplements
Cheat Meals and Cheat Days
Dining Out and Fast Food
Deceptive Foods
Fad Diets
The Ultimate Weapon – Cooking in Bulk
Tools of the Trade
A Special Note to Hardgainers
Finishing Touches
Tanning
Shaving
Carb Loading
Water and Sodium Loading & Depletion
Oiling Up
Lighting and Photography
Legend of the Pre-Pump
Sample Programs
Bulking Program - Beginner
Bulking Program - Intermediate
Bulking Program - Advanced
Cutting Program - Beginner
Cutting Program - Advanced
Bulking Diet 1 - 2500 Calories
Bulking Diet 1 - 3000 Calories
Bulking Diet 2 - 3800 Calories
Cutting Diet 1 - 2500 Calories
Cutting Diet 2 - 2000 Calories
Cutting Diet 3 - 1500 Calories
Recipes
Ben's Breakfast Burrito
Whole Wheat Pancakes
Steel Cut Oats with Fruit
Quinoa Scramble with Spinach
Oatmeal and Scrambled Eggs
Jerk Salmon
Southern Style Chicken Breasts
Beef Stir Fry Supreme
Dijon Turkey Wraps
High Protein Salad
Healthy Granola Bars
Bulker's Pizza
Greek Yogurt Fruit Parfait
Final Words
Appendix 1 - My Before and After Gallery
Appendix 2 - Ultimate Cheat Sheet
Copyright
Your roadmap to achieving the body you want.
Benjamin Pierce
This book is dedicated to my father James Pierce.
Thank you for showing me the true meaning of hard work. On days that my body aches and my mind tells me to hit the snooze button, I remember the long back-breaking days you endured providing for our family, and suddenly my challenges seem less formidable.
Any exercise program has the potential to cause physical injury. Before undertaking any new exercise program or drastic change in your diet, please consult with your physician and have a full medical with blood work performed. If at any time you do not feel well or become dizzy during exercise, stop immediately and consult a physician if the symptoms persist. It is always better to err on the side of caution when it comes to your health.
“A pint of sweat will save a gallon of blood.” — General George S. Patton
I chose not to use any form of Digital Rights Management so that the wonderful folks who purchase this book will not be inconvenienced by it. To those of you who have legitimately purchased this book, I give you a heartfelt thank you for your honesty and support.
To those of you who have obtained a pirated copy of this book, please consider that I have given much of the past two years of my life to put this book together and have spent thousands of dollars in production, software, professional editing and graphic design. If this book serves its intended purposes and changes your life for the better, I ask that you consider purchasing a legitimate copy as a gesture of honesty and goodwill towards independent authors such as myself.
And to everyone: work hard, train hard, and may you realize the absolute best in yourselves now and forever.
Sincerely,
Benjamin Pierce
Thank you for allowing me to be a part of your personal fitness journey.
Before finding any success, I inadvertently spent many years of my life following unproductive workout routines, poor diets, and confusing myself with the immense amount of fitness and diet misinformation that’s out there. But after research and a fair amount of trial and error, I found healthy and effective methods to get fit. Whether you want to gain muscle or lose weight, this book can distill in you the essential information you require to reach your fitness goals.
“Make everything as simple as possible, but not simpler.” — Albert Einstein
This book is organized into seven main sections:
Gaining Muscle (Bulking) breaks down basic mass-building theory and delves into some advanced techniques designed to expedite your gains.
The Exercises are what I consider to be the best mass-building exercises out of hundreds of movements available in the gym.
Shedding Fat (Cutting) provides all of the essential information you need to create an effective cardio program and lose fat.
Nutrition 101 is probably the most essential section of this book. Believe it or not, diet is responsible for 80% of your success or failure, so this section is not to be ignored.
Finishing Touches offers various non-exercise related suggestions that will give you a more polished and lean look similar to competitive bodybuilders.
Sample Programs suggests sample bulking and cutting exercise plans that you can tailor to fit your needs or follow as is, as well as sample diet plans.
Recipes details some of my favorite healthy bulking and cutting recipes. Most of these simple recipes can be quickly cooked in bulk, so if you consider yourself a time-sensitive person, you no longer have an excuse to miss healthy meals.
I went into grade nine weighing 100 lbs and standing an even 5 feet tall. I went into college weighing 120 lbs and standing 5’6, and I went into my first corporate job at age 23 tipping the scales at 125 lbs. My lack of size isn't surprising when you consider that my mom is 4’11 and might break 100 lbs after a large Thanksgiving dinner, and my father was very lean in his youth.
Unfortunately for a kid just starting high school, this lack of size was an easy mark for resident bullies in the school. On top of that, I learned pretty quickly that very few women are attracted to guys smaller than themselves. That left me out of the dating world. Fortunately for me, I didn't have a big mouth, so the bullies quickly grew tired of my pacifist attitude, while the hurt feelings resulting from the rejection of women were replaced by feelings of acceptance from a lot of great friends who saw past my size. I soon hit my academic stride and realized that I was a fast learner, not because I was naturally smart, but because I was disciplined when it came to studying. This discipline would prove to serve me well later in life too.
Around grade 10
In grade 10 my brother got a Weider barbell set and bench for our dingy basement that the neighbourhood kids would frequently come over to use. Not having a huge interest in weight training, but wanting to socialize, I decided to join in on the full-body workout routine with everyone else. That first experience with weight training was one of pure frustration. I had trouble benching 45 lbs or shoulder pressing a 20 lb bar, but the Weider pamphlet that came with the barbell set stated in no uncertain terms that it was not ok to skip workouts, and so I maintained that discipline and consistently kept to the every-other-day routine.
Over the next two months friends came and went from our makeshift basement gym. My brother’s interest had moved onto something else, but I remained constant, never skipping a workout, enjoying the solitude with my Nirvana CD and variety of cassette tapes. Sure enough, over the course of those few months, my lifts got better and I started noticing a bit of muscle. People at school took notice of my slight change of appearance which only motivated me further. Before I knew it I was 110 lbs and could bench well over my body weight. Some of the football players in the school gym even nicknamed me The 110 lb Hulk because I was lifting as much as many of them. Unfortunately I quickly hit a plateau and I stalled out at a body weight of 110 due to my extreme lack of knowledge when it came to nutrition. I had no idea about macronutrients, calorie surpluses, meal timing, or anything else that would keep me growing. My understanding was that you simply lifted weights and got big.
I kept lifting throughout high school and college and eventually made it to 125 lbs by the time I entered the working world. By this time I suffered from an extreme lack of self-confidence, especially around women. Even worse, I was disappointed that all of my hard work in the gym wasn't paying off like I thought it should be. I hit an all-time low when I professed my feelings to a friend about my size, and she told me that although she liked me as a friend, she would be afraid that she'd break me in bed. That brought me to a turning point not long after my 23rd birthday when I took a long hard look at myself in the mirror and didn’t see a shy, undersized guy. I saw an intelligent, hardworking man who was teeming with potential. I was going to make this year the year of change and I was going to put my heart and soul into making it happen.
Ready for a change
The next day I went to the gym and pleaded with the owner to tell me where I was going wrong. He suggested that it might be diet related, but refused to go any deeper into the subject for liability purposes, although he was more than happy to enroll me into the gym’s custom (and expensive) nutrition program. I learned fairly quickly that most gyms would rather upsell you on personal training and expensive programs rather than provide you with simple and honest feedback. It didn't matter though, the seeds had been planted and if diet and nutrition was where I was going wrong, I was going to become a self-made expert on the subject.
Over the next year I filled a bookshelf with books on nutrition, diet, and healthy recipes. I scoured the message boards on http://www.bodybuilding.com and would often spend my entire lunch break reading forum posts, asking questions, and absorbing knowledge like a sponge. The microwave dinners and processed foods that filled my refrigerator were soon replaced by sweet potatoes, chicken breasts, salmon, fruits and vegetables, eggs, and other whole foods. Instead of eating 3 times a day, I ate 6 to 7 smaller meals and I timed much of my daily nutrients around my workouts. Sunday afternoons were spent preparing meals in bulk so that I would have no excuses when it came to eating properly.
By the time I turned 24, I weighed in at a respectable 140 lbs, a weight I had previously thought impossible. I could have been very happy with 140, but why stop there? I continued supporting my workouts with a great diet and by 25 years of age I was 150 lbs. By 26 I was 160 lbs. And by 27 I was tipping the scales at 175 lbs. That's 50 lbs in 4 years, which for a hardgainer sorting through all of the misinformation out there by trial and error, is pretty good.
Bulked up to 175 lbs
Now I'll admit that at 175 lbs I wasn't exactly lean anymore. I was probably hovering at about 18% body fat which isn't overweight, but it's not exactly a beach body. I had bulking down to a science, but now was the time to do a proper cut and get down to some single-digit body fat numbers. For my first real cut, I decided to follow a typical competition schedule for 10 weeks. This meant a carefully planned out meal plan, no cheat meals, no alcohol, and more cardio. For cardio I took a boxing class twice a week and did 30 minutes of Stairmaster as my 3rd cardio workout per week. For weights I eased back from 5 days a week to 4 days a week with slightly less volume. In the first month I lost a few lbs but there was no drastic difference; however, during my second month my fat loss must have kicked into overdrive and I ended the month at roughly 10% body fat, and still had substantial muscle tone.
After 2 months of cutting at around 155 lbs
The last two weeks were admittedly the hardest. Maybe it was because I was in the home stretch, maybe it was because I was slowly creeping into single-digit body fat numbers, but my energy and mood took a significant dive. Despite my moodiness, the final week approached, my excitement levels rose and by photo shoot day I was shredded and ready to go. My photo shoot weight was roughly 150 lbs, which meant I had lost roughly 25 lbs of fat in about two and a half months.
Over the course of 4 years, with much trial and error, I managed to go from a scrawny 125 lbs to a meaty 175 lbs, and then finally lean out to 150 lbs. During this journey, my confidence and self-esteem have both seen a dramatic improvement, and the discipline and work ethic I’ve honed in myself allows me to successfully face all of the other challenges that life throws my way.
No matter who you are or what you think you have working against you, you have it in you to become any person you choose to be. The question then becomes, how much do you really want it?
Goal attained
A lean, mean, 150 lbs
It took me years of experimenting while wading through countless misinformation and pushing through numerous setbacks to finally achieve my goal of adding some serious lean mass to my scrawny 125 lb frame. I look back and wish that I had had some sort of compass to guide me towards my goals in the most efficient manner possible. These days, finding information on the Internet isn’t difficult, but knowing what to believe certainly is. Do you trust a website that’s aim is to coerce you into purchasing their brand of supplements or exercise contraption? And forget Internet forums—almost every post erupts into a flame war with contradicting replies. What can you believe?
This book is written for anyone wishing to make some serious changes to their body and to their health in the most straightforward and most cost-effective manner possible. Whether your goal is to gain muscle, lose fat, or just stay in shape, this book aims to distill only the most valuable knowledge to you in easy-to-understand terms. It doesn’t matter your age, your size, your fitness level, or your body composition: it’s possible to make huge changes in your body and in your life with hard work, common sense, and discipline.
A wise proverb states that a journey of a thousand miles starts with but a single step. I’m giving you the map, so it’s time to take that first step.
When most people think of a body transformation, they see a “before” picture of a scrawny or overweight person and an “after” picture of a ripped, well-muscled, healthy and happy looking individual. This is the physical definition of a transformation; however, the experience runs much deeper than that. One of my favourite quotes is this:
“Life is a journey, not a destination.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson
This single sentence speaks volumes about what I experienced during my transformation. Not only did I change my body, but I became a much better version of myself along the way. My work ethic improved, I formed much better habits, made new friends, gained a newfound level of self-confidence, and most importantly I realized that I could continue living a well-balanced life and still work towards all of my bodybuilding and fitness goals.
By the time you are finished with this guide and you have made many great changes to your body, I’m confident that you will realize you can apply the experience to many other areas of your life as well.
When I began writing this guide, I wanted to keep the tone decidedly not preachy. By now everyone knows the health benefits that come with exercising and eating right. However, I do not feel this guide would be complete without at least a few reasons—some of which might provide additional motivation outside of simple health benefits.
In no particular order, here are my personal top 10 reasons to take care of your body:
Health – “Take care of your body, it’s the only place you have to live.” —Jim Rohn
Energy – The coffee and energy drink markets are billion dollar industries. What if you could produce these kinds of energy levels without stimulants?
Preventing Aging – We all must inevitably accept the hard reality that is aging. How you age, however, is a much different matter. I don’t about you, but I picture myself chasing after my grandchildren in my golden years and tiring them out!
Muscle Memory – Trust me when I say this: it’s a heck of a lot easier to stay in shape than it is to get in shape. Get there once and even if you go off track for a few years it’ll be much easier to get back in shape than to start from scratch.
Dating and Attractiveness – Everyone says they’re in the gym for their health, but I’d be willing to bet that most simply want to be more attractive to the opposite sex. And that’s 100% ok in my books—that’s what got me into the gym initially.
Self-Confidence – It’s a no-brainer to say that the more in shape you feel, the more self-confidence you’ll possess. Note that I said self-confidence—not arrogance!
Living a Well-Balanced Life - This may not always be easy, but having a body that you’re proud of and feeling good physically definitely makes it a lot easier to maintain a good balance.
Injury Prevention – It’s easy to take your body for granted when everything is feeling good. Anyone who’s ever torn or broken something can attest to the fact that you realize just how much more difficult even the most trivial tasks become when you’re injured. Why not prevent injuries before they even occur?
Better Rest – If I miss a few days of exercise, one of the first things I notice is that it’s harder to get to sleep and to maintain a quality sleep. Exercise has a great effect on having a quality sleep, and a quality sleep affects all aspects of your life.
Happiness – It’s a proven fact that regular exercise helps combat depression and leads to an overall greater level of happiness. I firmly believe that your body and your mind are closely related: one can’t operate at peak capacity without the other.
This is about as preachy as I’m going to get, so if you’re currently cringing, feel free to turn the page and enjoy the rest of the book without worry.
If you’re anything like me, you’ve probably already got your gym clothes packed, car keys in hand, and you’re wondering where the workout programs are in this guide (hint: they’re near the end). But before we start throwing iron around in the gym, let’s take a step back and figure out what we’re trying to accomplish first.
If you’ve been going to a gym for any period of time, you probably see a lot of regulars there trying to get into shape. If you were to fast forward a year or two and take a look at those same people, chances are many of them would still be doing the exact same exercises, looking exactly like they did when you first saw them. I was that person for many years, and my biggest problem was that I didn’t have any specific goals in mind. I was just working out, hoping that everything would take care of itself. Unfortunately, like most things in life, doing things without specific goals is the slowest way to get somewhere, if you get there at all.
The first thing I want you to do is write down 3 small goals for yourself. For instance, these would be mine:
Increase maximum bench press by 10lbs.
Shave 1 minute off of my 5 km run time.
Lose 5 lbs of fat.
The thing you’ll notice about these three goals is that they are attainable in a few months of training—not years. The single most important thing you have to remember about setting goals is that they need to be attainable. It’s ok to have a long-term goal such as “place in the top 3 at the regional bodybuilding competition,” or “lose 80 lbs of fat.” However, it’s going to take a while to get there and you’ll only attain that by reaching a series of small, interim goals. Another benefit to having smaller goals is that you get that feeling of accomplishment much quicker, and many times that feeling will be what keeps you going, even on the days you don’t feel like getting out of bed.
As mentioned above, it is very important to keep your goals realistic. One common technique that I’ve always used (and, if you’re involved in business, one that may have already been pounded into your head), is using the SMART framework:
Specific – Make sure the goal encompasses only one thing. Don’t use the word “and” in your definition.
Measurable – You need to be able to measure your progress, otherwise you won’t know when you’ve met your goal.
Attainable – The goal has to be attainable. If your maximum bench press is 150 lbs, you should probably leave “bench press 500 lbs” off of your list (for now at least).
Realistic – Along the same lines as being attainable, if you’re looking to shed 20 lbs, it’s probably not very realistic to have a goal of losing all of that weight in 2 weeks, even though that’s a very realistic longer term goal.
Timely – Make sure you set a specific timeline on your goal. Try to make sure the goal is attainable within 3 months, otherwise it’s too easy to burn out trying to get there.
Take each of your 3 goals and run them through the SMART checklist. Once your goals pass this test, write them down and stick them on the fridge, or in your gym locker, or somewhere else that you can see them often. It’s important to keep your eye on the prize!
There’s no hard and fast rule with regards to how long it should take you to reach a goal. Generally speaking though, I like to make sure my goals are attainable between the 1 and 3 month mark. Change takes time, and most often it is going to take at least a month for you to notice definite improvements. Having goals between 1 and 3 months ensures that I’m never overwhelmed or discouraged, and that I’m going to get a sense of satisfaction quickly, which helps propel me on towards my next goals. It takes a bit of practice to know what’s realistic, but after a while you’ll know what your body is capable of.
With this in mind, here are my initial 3 goals, amended:
Increase maximum bench press by 10 lbs within 2 months (April 1).
Shave 1 minute off of my 5 km run time within 3 months (May 1).
Lose 5 lbs of fat within 5 weeks (March 7).
Many of your goals are going to depend on your body type, so it’s important you know what that is. This knowledge will help shape your workout and diet heavily.
There are 3 main body types. Although you may fall into multiple types, you likely share most characteristics with one body type.
Ectomorphs – These people are typically characterized by being naturally thin, with small bones and a fast metabolism. Ectomorphs are generally referred to as “hardgainers” because they have a difficult time putting on any new mass (muscle or fat).
Mesomorph – Mesomorphs are characterized by being naturally athletic, having little trouble adding additional lean mass (lean mass being made up of muscle). That person you know who barely works out, yet has muscles on top of muscles is an example of a mesomorph.
Endomorph – Endomorphs are generally larger-boned individuals with a propensity to carry extra weight in the form of fat, although this propensity also gives them an advantage over ectomorphs in the muscle gaining department.
The 3 basic body types
So should you give up if you haven’t been blessed with the coveted mesomorph genes? Absolutely not! If you’re one of the other body types, you can still make great gains by following a sound workout and nutrition plan.
If you’re mostly an ectomorph then you have the advantage of being naturally lean and having a much easier time cutting your body fat percentage if need be. For most bodybuilders, dropping body fat is the worst part of the entire process, so consider yourself lucky.
For endomorphs, you have the advantage of being able to bulk up very quickly. Yes, some of that bulk will not be quality muscle, but you will typically put on more muscle in a year than an ectomorph would in 5. You will, however, need to work harder with diet and cardio when the time comes to lean out.
When you’re designing your goals, keep your body type in mind. If you’re an ectomorph and your goal is to add 10 lbs in a month, you may need to re-evaluate things. Perhaps adding 1 or 2 lbs of quality muscle a month is more realistic. If you’re an endomorph and your goal is to add 5 lbs of quality muscle in a month with no body fat, that would be another goal that you might need to take a second look at.
The take-away from this is that no matter what card you were dealt in the genetics deck, look for the positives and use those to your advantage, adjusting your goals accordingly.
Another topic that is important to address is how your financial means will affect your workout.
One of the big complaints I often hear is that people cannot afford to eat healthy, or cannot afford to eat enough food to add quality muscle mass. Additionally, supplements and gym memberships can be quite expensive. What is a student or a recently unemployed individual supposed to do?
Where there is a will there is a way. For example, at most grocery stores you can purchase a huge bag of oatmeal or brown rice at dirt-cheap prices. You can buy enough of these quality carbohydrates to feed you for a week, all for the price of a meal at McDonalds.
Need quality proteins? Find a farmer that sells eggs or buy a large turkey or ham and cook enough for the week.
Can’t afford supplements? The nutritional chapter will show you how you don’t need them.
Can’t afford a gym membership? You can most likely work out for free at school if you’re a student; otherwise there are many good home-based workouts that would kick the butt of the most hardened gym rat.
When it comes to making a significant body transformation, it’s all too easy to assume that only rich celebrities with mountains of supplements and armies of personal trainers and chefs can make real changes. None of these things can replace the most important qualities you need to find within yourself: hard work, dedication, and the absolute refusal to accept any excuse.
Don’t let a lack of funds stand in the way of your ultimate goals. Every problem has a solution, and the qualities needed for real change cannot be bought with money.
So you’ve met your goal and added 10 lbs to your bench press, or you’ve lost 5 lbs of fat.
First off, take a minute to bask in the glory of your success!
Now begin again by setting some new goals to reach. The sum total of these small successes will soon become very apparent.
If you fail to reach your goal in time, don’t fret. This is a perfect learning experience.
First, take a minute to decide if your goal was realistic in the time frame you gave yourself. For instance, if you’re goal was to gain 10 lbs of muscle in one month, perhaps this should have been over a 3 month period, or maybe you should try to gain 3 lbs of muscle in a month. Either way, you now know what your body is capable of and you can adjust your next set of goals to reflect this new knowledge.
If you believe that the goal was realistic, make a list of things you could have done better. Did you miss workouts? Cheat a little too much on your diet? Not get enough sleep? There may even be less obvious reasons why you may have missed your goal: perhaps you’ve been more stressed than usual, or maybe you’re fighting a sickness. Regardless, it’s a great time to make a list of all the factors that might have contributed to you not reaching your goal, and make a plan to come back even stronger the next time around.