Archive for the ‘Success Stories’ Category

Want more Muscle and a Bigger Bench?

Back in the spring, 4 guys were put through a brand new, 8 week “Max Muscle Build” Program. Their results were phenomenal, each guy put on serious muscle size along with adding 40-50+ lbs on their bench press…each.

I want to introduce you to a good friend of mine Joey Vaillancourt. Joey is a leading fitness expert and the author of the Muscle Building program “Bones to Buff”.

 

Joey had built up an awesome physique, from being a former skinny guy to top Fitness Model Contest Winner!

I had the opportunity to interview Joey recently and he shared some killer muscle building tips!

Check it out!

1. Joey first of all thanks for taking the time to do this interview with me, I really appreciate it. I’m always curious how someone first gets started working out, or their reason why? Why don’t you share with the readers how you began?

“Andy it is my pleasure! Thanks for asking me to be on this interview with you. I have always respected your achievements and your capability to get your clients such amazing results.

When I was younger, in my high school days, I played competitive hockey and I was very athletic. I was never big or overweight but rather small in stature. In sports, the only advantage I had was being fast! But soon being fast even wasn’t enough and as I advanced in my hockey leagues, eventually size became a big factor at play as well. Soon I found myself getting clobbered in the corners and not being able to perform as well as I had been able to prior to advancing to the physical contact leagues. This and other personal reasons let me to quitting my hockey career. I didn’t feel like I had a real chance anymore and since at the time I really didn’t know that I could transform my body I decided I wouldn’t play anymore.

This was a sad time in my life but life went on.

I basically got my start lifting weights the first year into college. I had just moved away from a small town and after moving and settling in more a few months, I began to notice that the guys in my college were BIG!

Now some may have been un-natural, but others you could tell had worked hard for their physiques. This lead me to start questioning if I could actually change my own body. Previous to thinking this way, I had always been told that because of my genetics I was cursed with having the small body I had now and that I could never change that. I don’t blame others for telling me that because in all honesty they didn’t know any better.

But when you start to think for yourself and question things, sometimes good things follow. And that’s exactly what happened!

I began to dig for answers, searched the Internet tirelessly (I gave myself the nickname the ‘former fitness googler’), documented results, tried countless programs and continued setting higher and higher goals.

When I exhausted my questions and no one could answer the new one’s I had, I decided enough was enough, I needed to get formal education to continue broadening my muscle building theories. I then became a Certified Trainer. I mean becoming a trainer was a good thing, but experimenting with different theories before getting my certification really helped me keep an open mind and led me to thinking outside of the box when designing programs.

A lot of programs play it ‘safe’ and are very generalized designs, but not mine! I know what works for skinny guys looking to gain muscle and that’s the program I ended up designing from my experiences.

But I’m getting a little off track J I then went on to setting a higher goal of competing in my first fitness model championships and after 8 months of contest prep (4 months muscle building, 4 months fat loss) I ended up winning the competition and achieving an all time low bodyfat percentage of 3.1%.

At the same time of the competition, I was finishing writing my Bones To Buff Muscle Building Program which I now use as the foundation to help other fellow Hardgainers gain muscle and defeat their skinny genetics!

Now, my passion is still helping others while continuing to set higher goals for next year when I plan on competing at the WBFF competition as well as some new photo shoot plans and as always I continue to write new programs, diets and training plans for my clients.”

2. Did anyone in particular inspire you? Or was there a roll model you looked up to?

“No one really inspired me in particular…I think it was more the combination of feeling a sense of low confidence and seeing how other guys my age were much bigger than me at the time and receiving much more attention from the females because of it…that was a big motivator to step up my game and find a way to change!

But of course, I think Rocky has always been an inspiration to me. I think one of the reasons I looked up to him was not just his physique but also the fact that Rocky was not all that big starting out either…and even in the movies, he was not overly huge…he just possessed a lot of muscle mass on his frame which gave me hope that even though I had a small bone structure I too could pack on muscle mass and look impressive.

That, and his NO QUIT attitude really motivated me to be better in every aspect of life. I never wanted to be ‘soft’ and Rocky’s spirit inspired me to reach higher, dig deeper and go that extra mile when required.”

3. What is the most common problem you see people making in the gym that hold them back from building an impressive muscular physique?

“Haha! Just last night, I was asked by another guy training to help him out with his form and tempo on the deadlift exercise and he basically represented what most people are doing wrong!

So first, most people use way too much weight on exercises and their form is terrible and what happens is that when you use too much weight and you don’t use good form, the stress is taking off the muscle’s and places more stress on the joints which is not what you want when trying to stimulate muscle.

The other one (and again, it has to do with the guy I was helping) is program hopping. Program hopping is basically when someone continually switches programs. The guy I was talking with was on yet again a ‘new’ program. Jeez! Every week he switches and I am sorry to say, he doesn’t see the results he wants.

You see, I am not knocking all programs out there because to be fair, if you follow the program for an extended period of time, there is a good chance you will see some results. The mistake is thinking that by switching programs and combining all different programs you will get better results. A person who thinks like this couldn’t be more wrong. Sure program variation is important, but only after you establish a baseline and progress on your lifts throughout a micro-cycle (6-8 week period). You need to have a reference to progress from and when you can no longer progress in your workouts, then you implement ‘strategic program variation’.

Consistency will always triumph over program hopping and I attribute this flaw to the reason why people have a hard time seeing results.”

4. You’ve built up a very impressive physique, and you won your very first competition! Congratulations! What would you say was the #1 tip or rule you followed that helped you build muscle? With me for example, I worked out a little bit in high school, but didn’t really know what I was doing. My problem was I didn’t realize how much good food I needed to eat to make gains. A couple years later I got back at the weights, and once I figured out that I needed to pack away some serious grub, it really made a huge difference. Was there a moment where something just “clicked” for your self?

“Thanks Andy! Yeah I won the Central FAME championships back in April. For the competition, the difference between me and the other competitors was that I was mentally prepared. Every day that I did cardio, before going to bed and upon waking up I would visualize exactly how that weekend would play out from the drive to the hotel to accepting the award…I decided that I was going to win and visualized it over and over again!

But going back to building muscle, I think I am going to have to agree with you on this one regarding nutrition. I worked out for a few years before getting results and the time that everything clicked and I noticed my body changing was when I added good nutrition to my transformation plan. Before doing that, I never knew how much food I needed to eat and the amount I thought was good enough to help me grow was actually FAR from the amount I really needed.

Our bodies are designed to stay the same…they really don’t want to change. So to provide change and gain muscle, we need to do something different, make sense? We need to lift heavy weights and stress our muscles to stimulate both type 1 and type 2 fibers but we need to provide our bodies with the energy to do this. And if you want to get bigger, you need to eat more to allow that to happen.

It’s not only about the energy to lift the weights but it also has to do with recovery. Our muscle’s don’t grow in the gym as I am sure most people know. So it doesn’t end in the gym, you have about 22-23 hours in the day when your body has to repair that damaged muscle tissue and to do this, it needs building blocks (amino acids) and an energy source (fat and carbs) to do this.

If your giving it everything in your workouts but not seeing the results you want, I can guarantee it has to do with your nutrition.”

5. Give me three quick muscle building rules?

1. Form first, Weight second. Never increase your weights on a lift if you sacrifice form because of it.
2. Nutrition is king! Give attention to nutrition just as much as your weight training.
3. Develop a strong ‘Why’ behind the reason you want to transform your body. If you want above average results, you need an above average commitment level and that only happens if you have a deep desire and that type of commitment is within anyone who has a passion and knows why they want to transform their bodies.

6. Speed Round! Just for fun!

1. Favourite contest food?

 Protein Pancake! Every night my last meal is a chocolate protein pancake. Egg whites, protein powder, stevia, nutmeg and cinnamon mixed together cooked as a pancake and topped with natural almond butter.

2. Favourite cheat food?

There’s SOOO many! Haha. But I think my favorite would have to be Pizza. Although, now I have come up with ways to make pizza that I can eat everyday because its healthy J

3. Favourite exercise?

 Heavy rack deadlifts (4inches below knee) really hits the upper back when doing off of the racks

4. Favourite movie?

 Depends on my mood…when I am trying to get ripped and need motivation on low carb days I would have to say it’s a tie between 300 and any Rocky movie.

5. Favourite Band?

I am a musician as well so I have a very deep respect for artist’s who write, sing and play their own instruments and songs and even though its not ‘cool’, I like country music. There’s an Alberta artist by the name of Paul Brandt.

Wanna do a shout out to anyone?

“Well, I just want to first thank you for having me in this interview. It was my pleasure and I hope we can do it again sometime and I would also like to give a shout-out to my family and girlfriend. They have been big supporters and very patient through the contest prepping, book writing, late nights and low carb days haha! They are always there for me and I think that is important to have social support as well to help you achieve great things and a more muscular body.”

Cool man, that’s awesome stuff Joey!…Really great tips and advice..Thanks again for taking the time to share your story!

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There you go gang! Some really great advice from my good friend Joey.  If you would like to pack on some serious muscle and build a Buff body you can check out Joey’s page here…

===> www.Bones2Built.com

P.S  Joey has some really cool extras on that page just for you!

 

  

I saw this video a while back and thought it was awesome…I ran across it again the other day and wanted to share with you.

If you haven’t seen this before then you have to check it out…

 

In Jason’s own words, when he was asked what that night showed people…”The sky is the limit…give it all the effort that you can to catch a dream, and to never give up.” 

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Latest News!

I would also like to announce the launch of www.BodyRockBootCamp.ca

Check the site out to see a cool video of a BodyRock class in action!

If you’re in the St. John’s area, sign up to the newsletter to receive a free workout!

All the best!

Andy

Receiving emails like this is part of the reason why I love what I do…Carolyn’s hard work, determination and focus brought her to her goal!

Way to go Carolyn! I’m very proud of you. It was an honour to have had the opportunity to work with you in preparation for last falls Heavyweights Classic.

In her words…

“Hey Andy! (No, you are not getting my food log! haha) Once again, thanks so much for all your help- doing the show was amazing and I couldn’t have asked for anyone better to help than you!

I attached my little story that I wrote up…

Carolyn’s Story…

During my early teenage years, I began to eat uncontrollably. By the time I was 15 years old, I was 5’4, 201 lbs. I remember climbing the stairs at school and nearly passing out when I reached the top. I never participated in gym class or any other physical activity for that matter.

My diet consisted of fast food restaurants, mini pizza, canned spaghetti, macaroni & cheese, chips, candy bars, and soda pop. I was made fun of at times, and I knew people used to stare and make fun as I walked by. There was no way I would wear a bathing suit in the summer, most times I would try to hide the fat by wearing baggy pants and large sweaters. I was extremely unhappy with what I had become, and began to realize that something had to change.

One day my Mother showed me how much sugar was in my beloved can of soda pop- from that day I gave up drinking it! Soon after, I decided to go for a walk. Then, every day I would walk home from school, rain or shine. One day my Mom thought I had frost bite because my legs were so cold and red from the blowing snow…that was how desperate I was to lose weight.

At 16, I had made an incredible weight loss of 50lbs! It felt great to be so light! I decided I wanted to keep fit, so my family bought a membership to the local gym. During that time I started weight training, I met my current boyfriend, Jonathan Browne, who helped me tremendously in learning how to exercise properly and motivated me even more to achieve the body I wanted. We built our lives around healthy living, and to this day it is our goal to someday help other achieve their personal fitness goals. Anyway, I kept weight training and losing another 10lbs, I made it down to 140lbs.

It was a struggle over the next few years to keep my weight down. Being a university student, it was hard to keep the grades up, deal with personal problems (one of them being depression at the time) and stay in shape. Although I gained a decent amount of muscle mass, I managed to creep up to 170lbs at age 22. Believe me, losing weight the second time around is about as hard as the first time.

After seeing a couple of bodybuilding shows, and meeting some past competitors, I knew I wanted to compete. I just needed a little more help and motivation. I decided to hire a personal trainer, Andy Pratt of Personal Best. Andy guided me through 22 weeks of hard dieting and training and made me believe I had what it took to compete in bodybuilding. I spent hours upon hours training, preparing meals, and eating, as well as avoiding eating many things that I love.

Finally, the day of the Heavy Weights Classic came (November 8, 2008). My family came to the city just to see me compete in this show. Soon, I was on stage, in front of an audience, wearing a posing suit and competing in my first show. It is hard to explain the feeling when you are standing there, all eyes on you, knowing that you look the best you ever have before. I went from a totally un-fit 200 lb girl, to the 2008 Women’s Middleweight bodybuilding winner. All it took was the willingness to change and the drive to keep going. Who would have thought the fat girl would have made it this far? I still can’t believe it!”

Congrats again Carolyn!

I’ve also updated the clients section of www.pbfit.ca …If you’d like to see some more before and after pics of Personal Best clients, you can check out the link to my my web site here…

http://www.pbfit.ca/Clients.html

See you soon,

Andy

I want to share a story with you that I personally found very motivating.

This story of a Dad and his son, is a great example of what CAN be accomplished with the power of determination and love.

Read the story first and then check out the video…

(courtesy of Sports Illustrated)

“I try to be a good father. Give my kids mulligans. Work nights to pay For their text messaging. Take them to swimsuit shoots. But compared with Dick Hoyt, I suck. Eighty-five times he’s pushed his disabled son, Rick, 26.2 miles in Marathons. Eight times he’s not only pushed him 26.2 miles in a Wheelchair but also towed him 2.4 miles in a dinghy while swimming and Pedaled him 112 miles in a seat on the handlebars–all in the same day.

Dick’s also pulled him cross-country skiing, taken him on his back Mountain climbing and once hauled him across the U.S. On a bike. Makes Taking your son bowling look a little lame, right?

And what has Rick done for his father? Not much–except save his life. This love story began in Winchester , Mass. , 43 years ago, when Rick Was strangled by the umbilical cord during birth, leaving him Brain-damaged and unable to control his limbs.

“He’ll be a vegetable the rest of his life;” Dick says doctors told him And his wife, Judy, when Rick was nine months old. “Put him in an Institution.”

But the Hoyts weren’t buying it. They noticed the way Rick’s eyes Followed them around the room. When Rick was 11 they took him to the Engineering department at Tufts University and asked if there was Anything to help the boy communicate. “No way,” Dick says he was told. “There’s nothing going on in his brain.”

“Tell him a joke,” Dick countered. They did. Rick laughed. Turns out a Lot was going on in his brain. Rigged up with a computer that allowed Him to control the cursor by touching a switch with the side of his Head, Rick was finally able to communicate. First words? “Go Bruins!” And after a high school classmate was paralyzed in an accident and the School organized a charity run for him, Rick pecked out, “Dad, I want To do that.”

Yeah, right. How was Dick, a self-described “porker” who never ran More than a mile at a time, going to push his son five miles? Still, he Tried. “Then it was me who was handicapped,” Dick says. “I was sore For two weeks.”

That day changed Rick’s life. “Dad,” he typed, “when we were running, It felt like I wasn’t disabled anymore!”

And that sentence changed Dick’s life. He became obsessed with giving Rick that feeling as often as he could. He got into such hard-belly Shape that he and Rick were ready to try the 1979 Boston Marathon.

“No way,” Dick was told by a race official. The Hoyts weren’t quite a Single runner, and they weren’t quite a wheelchair competitor. For a few Years Dick and Rick just joined the massive field and ran anyway, then They found a way to get into the race Officially: In 1983 they ran another marathon so fast they made the Qualifying time for Boston the following year.

Then somebody said, “Hey, Dick, why not a triathlon?”

How’s a guy who never learned to swim and hadn’t ridden a bike since he Was six going to haul his 110-pound kid through a triathlon? Still, Dick Tried.

Now they’ve done 212 triathlons, including four grueling 15-hour Ironmans in Hawaii . It must be a buzzkill to be a 25-year-old stud Getting passed by an old guy towing a grown man in a dinghy, don’t you Think?

Hey, Dick, why not see how you’d do on your own? “No way,” he says. Dick does it purely for “the awesome feeling” he gets seeing Rick with A cantaloupe smile as they run, swim and ride together.

This year, at ages 65 and 43, Dick and Rick finished their 24th Boston Marathon, in 5,083rd place out of more than 20,000 starters. Their best Time? Two hours, 40 minutes in 1992–only 35 minutes off the world Record, which, in case you don’t keep track of these things, happens to Be held by a guy who was not pushing another man in a wheelchair at the Time.

“No question about it,” Rick types. “My dad is the Father of the Century.”

And Dick got something else out of all this too. Two years ago he had a Mild heart attack during a race. Doctors found that one of his arteries Was 95% clogged. “If you hadn’t been in such great shape,” One doctor told him, “you probably would’ve died 15 years ago.” So, in a way, Dick and Rick saved each other’s life.

Rick, who has his own apartment (he gets home care) and works in Boston, and Dick, retired from the military and living in Holland, Mass. , always find ways to be together. They give speeches around the country and compete in some backbreaking race every weekend, including this Father’s Day.

That night, Rick will buy his dad dinner, but the thing he really wants to give him is a gift he can never buy.

“The thing I’d most like,” Rick types, “is that my dad sit in the chair and I push him once.”

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I hope you found the story to be as inspirational as I did…

On days when I might lack a little motivation or the drive to get my workout in, it’s this kind of example of strength and will, that makes me think.…

“What’s my excuse?”

Take care,

Andy