This is a continuation of My Story: A Bodybuilding and Fat Loss Body Transformation,
I had to lose the weight fast. I didn't want to spend the next two years losing weight and fat because my goal was to build muscle and strength. So I had to go back to the drawing board and come up with a new routine and fat loss diet. And that's what I did.
Luckily, the books I read on how to build muscle also taught how you can lose weight. In bodybuilding, there are basically two main phases: bulking phase and the cutting phase. The cutting phase is the cycle where you drop the fat that you've gained from bulking up with a calories surplus diet. So in bodybuilding-speak, I set out to "cut."
Losing Fat
Though I did get a lot stronger, getting to a near 300 lbs on the bench press, I knew I had to do something about my 39 inch waist. I re-examined my training and dietary regimens since I kept daily journals and logs of all workouts and what I ate. I looked at what worked initially, what went wrong, and went on my first fat loss program to lose the extra fat I was carrying. And so my fat loss journey began.
Basically I put together a program what all the information and knowledge I've gained from reading the books and magazines I had. I came up with a balanced diet of 40/40/20 carbs, protein, fats ratio, reduced my calories down to 2,700 calories gradually, started running 3 miles every other day, and maintained my strength training program with a focus on keeping the workouts shorter since I was doing additional workouts with running and cardio.
Then I threw in 2 HIIT high intensity cardio sessions. So I was working out 5-6 days a week, but each workout lasted no longer than 30 minutes. I trained at a high intensity, trained frequently, paid more attention to what I ate and the quality of foods I put into my body.
And then after 5 months of hard work, I dropped down to a lean 156 lbs and back to my current waist size. I was looking good. I had lost 50 lbs in a little over 6 months of consistent hard work. Over the course of that 6-month period, I compiled my own training and nutrition manual for body transformation. The contents of that manual is shared throughout Project Physique here. Many of the articles and posts you find here are based on my own training and dieting experiences over the years I've been active for fitness.
And throughout this fat loss period, I had also gotten a lot stronger and made a lot of strength gains. Strength is the foundation of fitness. This is a basic universal fact, a principle that is tried, true, and tested.
My next goal was obviously to continue building a better body. To get even stronger. And get back on course to building muscle.
Building Muscle Again
By this time I even had a six pack. But I wanted more muscle. I wanted a more muscular body. This time, I set out to do it right. So over the course of the next 2 years in college, I bulked up slowly and gained another 20 lbs, shot up to 192 lbs. Again I gained some fat, but this time not as much as when I started. So I dieted and cut down to 174 lbs...this time refining my dieting and training routines aimed specifically for maximizing fat loss in the fastest time possible. Then slowly I worked my way back up to 182 lbs , now staying with the same 32" waist size at 11% body fat.
And now I'm at a lean and muscular 184 lbs. And I still haven't stopped. I'm still continuing to train intensely, find out what works best and better, experimenting with new routines, analyzing the results, and just having fun following a fitness lifestyle.
Because in the end, the fitness lifestyle is all that matters. It's the journey that brings success.
Now I had my setbacks and things didn't go as smoothly but in the interest of time to spare you all the little details, I remained persistent with a strong self-belief that I could achieve what I set out to do. It's all about taking action. Testing. Finding what works. Finding what doesn't work. Continue doing what works. Dumping what doesn't work.
As you see, I've been through both sides of the body transformation journey with weight gain, muscle gain, and fat loss. I experimented with many routines, programs ,and diets along the way in the last 9 years. The articles, training programs, strategies, and techniques you find at Project Physique is based on my compilations from the training manual of the past 9 years.
The 4 Rules of Body Transformation Success
And so to sum this all up, for transforming your body, I've discovered there are 4 truths leading to goals, results, and successes,
I'll keep this brief so you can think it through and over 
1) Knowledge
Knowledge is about applicable training and dieting information. Know what to do and why you're doing it. The facts. The "how to" and the "what" of bodybuilding and fat loss. You have to first acquire the knowledge, the facts, and the information first before doing something. And this was what I did when I bought all those books and magazines during the first summer starting.
And then I came up with a nifty little equation that conceptualizes all goals of fitness, be it building muscle, strength, or losing weight,
I call it the Fitness equation
- Exercise + Nutrition + Rest and Recovery = Muscle Gains and/or Fat Loss
2) Consistency and Focus
You have to remain consistent and focused on what you're doing. It's about positive planning, but more importantly, positive action. When you come up with a workout program and diet, go out and put them to use. Follow your program and train hard. Train intensely. And train smart. Don't give yourself excuses.
3) Action
Action is action. Take action and train hard, eat properly. Achieve your goals.
4) Training Modalities
This pertains to using a variety of exercises and routines that incorporates body weight exercise, strength training/weight lifting, cardio/HIIT conditioning. By using a combination of at least 2 training modalities, you'll greatly magnify your results, especially for fat loss.
Overall, all this information is nothing new. It is out there in bits and pieces scattered around but I've deciphered and weeded out a lot of the useless info and formulated some clear plans for you to follow with the training and dieting programs here on this site.
I don't consider myself, or at least call myself an expert. An expert comes across as a know-it-all. Rather, I see myself as a fitness enthusiast, contantly experimenting, improving, learning, and keeping up-to-date. The fact is, anyone can be an "expert" too with experience, eating right, and being consistent with their workouts. Practice what you preach.
Hopefully you'll find the information on this site useful. Don't hesitate to leave me any feedback, comments, or questions.
Email me at ZQH245@gmail.com or ZQH250@gmail if you need any help on starting a fitness program for fat loss or building muscle.
To your success!
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