Merry Christmas from Aesthetic Muscle!

Merry Christmas everybody! 


Christmas isn't one of my favorite holidays due to all the materialism it promotes but I don't absolutely hate it. I do like the fact that it does bring everyone together and makes many people happy :)


So here's wishing everyone an Aesthetic Muscle Christmas!


I won't be following this today but if want, give my strategy for preventing fat gain on a holiday a try: Thanksgiving Fat Gain - How to Prevent It.

You may also want to read Dr. Andro's blog post on some other things Christmas can bring you besides materialistic gifts :)


Santa is Coming to Town and You Better Beware of His Gifts: Fat Gain, Muscle Loss and Increased Mortality Rates.

Happy Holidays!

Weird Things I See at the Gym

I usually workout at Snap Fitness which is a smaller 24 hour type of gym. However, these past few weeks I was visiting my parents so I was working out at a different bigger chain type of gym known as LA Fitness. My brother has their "elite" membership where he can bring in two guests with him, so it was awesome I got to workout at the gym for free :)


I used to workout at this LA Fitness years ago when it first opened and have worked out at several different LA Fitness locations since then as well. Since moving to Minnesota, I've been at Anytime Fitness and currently Snap Fitness. I chose these gyms instead of the bigger gyms mainly due to location and cost.

My transformation occurred working out at Snap Fitness :)

After working out at a smaller type gym for two years, what I realized coming back to this LA Fitness is that there are a lot more tools, douchebags, and people doing the strangest things at these bigger gyms!


Here are some of my observations during my three weeks at LA Fitness.


Kipping pullups
I've heard about these kipping pullups before. I've read they're a part of Crossfit, something I had no interest in and didn't know what it was until I recently read about it in Men's Health (I still don't have any interest in it and don't really agree with their principles). I've seen a video of someone doing these before and thought to myself "what's the point....these are just extreme cheating pullups". Extreme cheating on anything is pointless in my opinion. I thought it looked stupid in the video, but seeing it done in person was even more ridiculous!

WTF!!! Just as the commenter on youtube said: Fifty-four Butterfly Kipping Pull-ups, yet zero real pull-ups!

Kipping dips
Same thing as the kipping pullups...these looked reeeeeaaally stupid. I don't understand the point of doing these movements if you're going to kip in order to do them!


Large groups working out together
By large, I mean any more than two people together. You normally see these groups in three's but I actually saw a group of four too! These guys do more talking with each other than working out. I don't see how anybody can get a good workout rotating with more than one other person. The rest periods are too long and they end up socializing more than exercising. The worse part is if you need the equipment they are using...you can't really ask to work in and then you have to wait forever until they are done with it!


Socializers
These guys come to the gym mainly to socialize. They might fit in a couple sets of chest and biceps in between their socializing. They wander around and look for people to talk to. Whether the person is resting, doing cardio, or even in the middle of a set, it doesn't matter. These guys will want to talk to anybody....anything to avoid actually lifting a weight.

It's gym time...Not social hour.

Partial rep guy
It seems there's always at least one of these guys at every gym I go to (even my small gym).  I'm not talking about the guys that do partials in order to lift more weight. These guys actually seem to do a total body partial workout...on every exercise they do! It's like their doing it because they think it's more effective or safer for their joints or something. Looks very odd (not to mention ineffective)!


Everyday bencher
There's seems to be one of these guys at every gym I've been at too. Everyday is a chest day for them. They start off with flat barbell bench, usually bouncing big weights off their chest. And they seem to do 50 sets before finishing off with a couple sets of lat pulldowns and bicep curls. LOL!


Ridiculous outfit guy
Whenever I saw this guy at the gym, he was wearing the same thing: cut off jean shorts, under armour headcap, a black string racerback tanktop, and workboots. WTF! Firstly, how can he workout in cut off jean shorts?! Secondly, how can he go out in public like that?! I wish I could have snapped a picture to upload here to show the ridiculousness! This is a specific example but I've seen a few other very odd outfits as well.

It looked something like this but imagine a fat guy instead of Marzia Prince LOL!

LA Fitness...where you might see the weirdest things in your life

Have you guys seen any of these same things at your gyms? What other weird, odd, or toolish things have you seen at your gym?

Velocity Shot Preworkout review

It may seem like the only products I've been reviewing are preworkouts. There's a good reason for this. They are one of the few supplements that show an immediate effect, and these are the samples that I've been receiving :)


So this brings me to the latest sample preworkout I received, Neogenix Velocity Shots  This is the first "shot" type of preworkout that I've tried. It was nice to not have to drink so much additional liquid before working out.  So onto the review...


Taste

Being that this was a shot, it's really not meant to be drunken slowly and held in your mouth but this is what I did for the sake of the review. It tasted like a diluted orange flavored cough medicine, which wasn't exactly delicious. But again this wasn't meant to savored so I'd think I had just took the shot, I barely would have noticed the taste.

Energy

Good thing about this preworkout was I didn't feel any jitters. But I also didn't feel a boost in energy so I thought this stuff wasn't going to do anything. However, once I got to the gym and started warming up, I was hyped and ready to lift! 

Strength

I was able to achieve a new personal best during this workout, getting 160 lbs for 5 reps on weighted dips. I felt very strong during this exercise and for rest of my workout as well.

Endurance

I had great energy throughout the workout and all the way to the end. I never felt tired and felt like I could rest minimally especially during the weighted dips.

Pump

I don't normally have an issue getting a pump and would have to say there was no noticeable additional effects in this area.

Overall

I felt this was a effective for a preworkout and would do the job of making sure I get a good workout in. I would use this product again if I get more samples or can get it on sale :)

Should You Exercise When Sick?

Don't be ashamed to put this sign up

At this most recent Thanksgiving get together, one of my cousins was sick with a real bad cold.  I didn't worry about catching what he had as I hadn't been sick in years and didn't plan on getting sick anytime soon. But a few days later I felt minor pain and itchiness in my throat. I thought it was just from the night before where I had to scream so I could be heard over the loud music at the club :)


Unfortunately, my symptoms started getting worse throughout the day and I knew I had caught my cousin's cold...Damn! So the question was should I exercise when sick?


This is a question that I would have answered "Hell yeah!" to in the past. However, my experiences  with this have taught me that lifting weights when you're sick can actually do more harm than good. 


I've noticed in the past that it would actually take me LONGER to get over the sickness so I would miss even more gym days if I went to workout while sick. Plus the days that I did force myself to go, did not provide very productive workouts. I would feel very weak and also have a harder time breathing so I was resting longer in between sets. These forced workouts just did not feel good at all when I was done.

How the weights feel when you're sick

My symptoms had started this past Sunday so I did not go workout that day. The symptoms got even worse the next two days so I knew there was definitely no working out for me for a couple of days. Today is Wednesday and I feel better but not yet fully recovered. 


I feel like I could go workout but I still have some symptoms affecting my breathing. I am not 100% percent yet and I don't want to do anything that would slow my body's ability to recover from this cold so I decided against going to the gym....almost a whole week off from the gym! :(


Now don't get me wrong and think that I like the use of being sick as an excuse to not go to the gym. I actually hate that I can't go pump some iron, but at the same time I know I need to let my body get better.

Let these guys do their job!

Exercise has been shown to boost the immune system but too much exercise or too intense exercise has been shown to actually decrease immunity. This is what occurs when you workout while sick. A regular weight lifting session when healthy would be good for the immune system, however the same workout while sick would be an added stressor to the body possibly making symptoms last longer and become more severe.


I've experienced this myself in the past. Before when I got sick, I continued to force myself to go to the gym while sick and I just wouldn't get better. It felt like my cold was lasting forever. I think it wasn't until I came down with a flu that I stopped working out and just let my body rest. This forced rest finally allowed my body to recover and overcome the cold!


These days when I get sick, I tell myself to just relax and get as much as I can. The more rest I get, the quicker my body can recover and the quicker I can back in the gym! I also take some extra vitamin C, vitamin D, and plenty of fluids to hopefully speed recovery :)


How is everyone else's experience with workout out when sick?

Thanksgiving Fat Gain - How to Prevent It

Thanksgiving is here and now is the time when people really start to pack on the fat! I know I have done it myself in the past and am trying to avoid the fat gain disaster this year. 


Every year my family and relatives all go to my Aunt's house to celebrate Thanksgiving. Although we are Vietnamese, we do partake in eating Turkey and mashed potatoes. Along with this food though will be other Asian foods such egg rolls, fried rice, crab soup, fried noodles, and other various Vietnamese desserts. 

Can't wait to eat this!

It's easy to see how someone could go overboard with all this delicious food! Because of my goal to stay fairly lean while bulking, I am going to utilize the strategy outlined below in an attempt to prevent fat gain.


My strategy to minimize the fat from building:

• Eat low calories and no carbs the day before (about 1500 calories for me)
• Fasted weight training the morning of
• Fast until mealtime (probably around 12 pm for me)
• Eat meats/veggies first before filling up on carbs and desserts
• Do something active after the meal such as taking a walk or throwing football around.

If I still feel like a fatass the day after, I will then have another low carb cardio day on Black Friday. 


I believe the strategy outlined would help anybody prevent fat gain from the Thanksgiving eating and I am damn sure it will help me :) I think I might even take before and after pictures!

Happy Thanksgiving!

10 Week Bulking Progress Pics

It is now 10 weeks into my bulk and after a low carb, cardio day I am sitting at 172.5 lbs.

This is up 4.5 lbs in 5 weeks which is not quite a 1 lb a week gain but it's close enough and I'm happy to be gaining at this slow, steady pace. I never want to go back to where I was before.

As far as the Anabeta goes, I definitely feel a difference and can see a difference in the mirror using this as opposed to when I was using the T2-Xtreme. I've been gaining more strength in the gym so I believe it is having a positive effect. It actually feels like the T2-Xtreme wasn't doing anything compared to this Anabeta!

Staring to look "bulkier" 

Christmas tree still present...but barely :(

Can still see my abs but definitely looking bigger and chunkier

These most recent pics show I'm looking bigger but also less muscular due to the fat gain. I'm okay with the rate of fat gain at this point as I don't look "fat" yet and can still see my abs. As far as body measurements go, I have gained 1 inch on my waist but 2 inches on my chest! I'm very happy with this as I have been prioritizing my chest during this bulk and it's awesome to be seeing results! :)

Keep checking back! I'll continue to keep you guys updated on my bulk! How has everyone else's bulk or cuts been going?

Beast Mode Preworkout Review

I recently posted about the free Beast Sports supplements samples that were being given away by BEAST Sports Nutrition. In that sample package was their preworkout supplement called Beast Mode. With such an awesome name for a preworkout, I was hoping it would really turn me into a Beast in the gym :)

Taste

The Beast Mode preworkout came in a common flavor, fruit punch. I had mixed the sample packet with 10 ounces of water as directed. When I sipped the drink, my first impression was that the taste was not very strong. This wasn't necessarily a bad thing or a good thing, I just didn't expect it to be so light due to my experience with other preworkouts. 


Along with the light taste, it wasn't very sweet or sour either. It was almost like drinking a very light sugar water. Because of its light flavor, it was very easy to drink down. Another good thing was that it had no aftertaste.


The texture was a little chalky but otherwise it did mix smoothly in my blender bottle.

Energy

Once I finished the drink, I actually started to get a stomach-ache and feel light headed. The light headedness is common for me when I take a preworkout but the stomachache is not. Because of this I thought I was not going to have a very good workout. 


Despite the stomachache and light headedness, once I got into the gym I felt great! My stomachache was gone and so was the light headed feeling. I didn't feel cracked out but it almost felt like I didn't want to rest between sets! My energy lasted well past the duration of my workout. 

Strength

My strength has slowly been increasing since I started bulking and has been really noticeable lately. Because of this it's hard for me to say whether the strength increases I saw this workout were due to the Beast Mode or if I would have gotten the same weight and reps without it.


What I can say is that it didn't hurt and I did reach a new personal best in this particular workout...so maybe it was the Beast mode?

Beast Mode Activated!

Endurance

I felt great throughout the workout session. My strength was able to be sustained until the end and I never felt drained or exhausted.

Pump

I've mentioned before that I don't normally pay too much attention to pumps as I've never had trouble feeling the pump. But for the sake of the reviews I do try to see if there's any difference. I can honestly say that I did feel more pumped this workout than I normally do. Whether this was because of the beast mode or the increased weight and reps is hard to say as well...so I'll just say it was a combination of both :)

Overall

I thought the effects of this preworkout were pretty good. I reached new personal bests and I had good energy and endurance past the duration of the workout.


However, the stomach-ache was a major point of concern. I don't know which of the ingredients gave me a stomachache but whatever it was, it sure didn't feel good. But I also haven't read about any other reports of this either so it could have just been a one time occurrence or maybe just me.


I'd like to think the stomach-ache and lightheadedness was all a part of getting into Beast Mode! :)

Look Good in Your Halloween Costume!

I went out to party for Halloween this past weekend and had a great time. Being that it was Halloween and tons of people were out, I saw plenty of people in costumes. I saw people that looked awesome in their costumes and people that didn't look very good in their costumes.

So what did I notice was the main difference between the people who looked awesome and ones that didn't? 

I could tell the awesome looking people lifted weights and watched what they ate. The awesome looking ones had a good build and defined muscles!

Ryu and Caveman looking awesome in their costumes :)

Having a good build with muscles and low bodyfat is a great thing during Halloween...you could pretty much wear any costume and look awesome. You don't need to worry about being too skinny or too fat or not looking right. Everything will look good on you!

There are a ton of reasons to lift weights: Build muscle, lose fat, get stronger, increase testosterone, be healthier, live longer. And now you have another reason: Look awesome in your Halloween costume!

Lift weights and be anything you want!

If you love dressing up and going out for Halloween, get a head start on next year and start lifting weights now! 

Check out my Aesthetic Bulking Plan on how I'm building muscle and after that check out my 12 week transformation series to learn how to cut the fat! (Scroll down to Search this Blog and type in 12 week transformation)

BEAST Sports Supplement Samples

***UPDATE 10/24/11 5:51 PM***

So I just received my Beast Sports Supplement package today which means I got them pretty quick! I had signed up for them Oct 17th and received 5 business days later.

I didn't get 2 of each like I originally thought but maybe I just misread what I was supposed to receive. Anyhow here's a pic of what came in the mail:

Beast Sports Supplement samples!

Review of the Beast Mode preworkout will be posted soon. Let me know what you guys think of the samples too!

I recently came across a promotion from BEAST Sports in which they are offering customers a free sample pack of 4 of their products. What's great about this is that you get 2 of each!

The free samples of four products are:

• Super Test –  Anabolic Complex
• Beast Mode – Pre-Workout Blend
• 2 Shredded – Thermogenic Weight Loss Complex
• CREATure – Creatine Blend

I'm most looking for forward to trying the Beast Mode preworkout to see how it compares to others I've tried.

I haven't received my sample pack yet, but just got a shipping confirmation today. 

To sign up for the free samples, go to http://www.beastsports.com/beast-samples.html, add to cart, and  use promo code FS1011 at checkout.

Let me know what you guys think of the free samples!

Bulking Progress Pics - 4 Weeks

It's bulking time!

Bulking has been going well so far with my aesthetic bulking plan. Although I feel like I've gained a lot of body fat, the scale and mirror say differently. Obviously, I've gained some fat, but I've managed stay lean and still see my abs. My strength is increasing in the gym on all lifts and I feel awesome.


My weight is currently fluctuating between 168 lbs and 173lbs. My 168 lbs is after a no carb/cardio day and 173 lbs after three straight weightlifting/carb days. 

When I started I was at 164 lbs so that means I've gained 4 lbs thus far which is right on track with what I set out to do...gain 1 lb a week.

Happy that I can still see my abs :)

As far as if the T2-Xtreme did anything, it is difficult for me to tell. Though I have stayed lean during this bulk, I'm not sure if I can contribute it to the intermittent fasting, my low carb days, the T2 or the combination of all of those things. 


What I do know is that the effects are not significant enough for me to notice and so I would not purchase this product again. 


Now that these 4 weeks are over, I'm going to start the Anabeta and use it for the next 8 weeks. I'm excited to see how my body will respond to the Anabeta!


How is everyone else's bulk going?

Christmas tree still present :)

Syntha-6 Decadence Bar Review

If you've ever had BSN's Syntha-6 Protein powders before, then you know BSN makes one of the most delicious protein shakes in the world :)


The company recently came out with their own meal replacement bar named Syntha-6 Decadence bars. I don't normally eat or use protein bars but I really wanted to try this one out to see if it was as delicious as the protein shakes they produce.


The flavor I tried was the Chocolate Caramel Pretzel so my review will be based on that flavor only.

Very decadent looking

Nutrition
One bar contains 350 calories consisting of 30 grams of protein, 9 grams of fat, and 44 grams of carbohydrates with 18 of those grams coming from sugar alcohols. The rest of the carbohydrates come from 1 gram of fiber and 13 grams of sugar. 


The nutrition profile isn't exactly healthy but neither are many of the protein bars out there. These protein bars definitely wouldn't be good to use on a cut but would be something more likely used during a bulk.


Texture
The bar was extremely sticky and chewy but I guess that's to be expected when it involves caramel. It was moist from beginning to end and I never felt any dryness while chewing it so that's a plus. The pretzel pieces also added a nice crunch to contrast with the chewiness...I only wish there were more pretzel pieces. I would rate the texture as excellent.


Taste
The bar was a little on the sweeter side but not too sweet for me. The dominant flavor I tasted from the bar was caramel, with a slight bitterness from the chocolate. My mouth felt the crunch from the pretzel pieces but I would have liked more pretzel flavor, and probably just more and bigger pieces of pretzel to lessen sweetness of the caramel. The typical aftertaste that you get with most protein bars was in this one as well. I would rate the taste as just good.

Inside the wrapper...it had melted a bit from shipping :(

Overall
I have to say the Syntha-6 Decadence bar was good...but I was hoping for better. My expectations of the bar were high due to my experience with their awesome protein shakes but unfortunately, the bar did not live up to the expectations. 


Not to say that the bar wasn't good, because it was...I was just expecting to be blown away which didn't happen. In comparison, when I first tried the Quest protein bars, I was wowed by these bars. So Quest protein bars are still my favorite protein bar and the best tasting bars in the world :)


Anybody have any suggestions of any other bars for me to try? Anything better than Quest protein bars?

Today Is The Day We Stop Making Excuses

This is a great new campaign started by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota, in which they want people to tell themselves "Today is the day we stop making excuses!"

In the commercial they portray the fat and obese doing "lazy" things such as sleeping on the couch and taking the elevator, while they are singing about how they will start exercising and taking the stairs TOMORROW. How many times have we heard that excuse from people in our own lives, and even from ourselves?

When I first saw the commercial I thought, "Wow, this is awesome! I love that they are portraying fat people the way they really are!"

I'm a little surprised this commercial hasn't become a target of pro-fat organizations such as NAAFA. (I'm totally against the organization by the way. Even though the United States seems to be headed this way, being fat should not be accepted as normal and healthy because it is not!)

Perhaps there has not been much attention for the commercial because it is only shown locally here in Minnesota. I hope the commercial goes nationwide so that it inspires people to stop making excuses and make a change!

And if not that, hopefully it gets some attention and companies start making more commercials like this where they are not afraid to be politically incorrect and call out the fat and obese.

So help spread the word on this great commercial by sharing it on your facebooks, twitter, forums, and blogs.

Gaspari Myofusion Protein on Sale!

My favorite protein, Gaspari Myofusion, is on sale at Nutraplanet.com for $36 for a 5 lb jug! I would stock up if I hadn't bought 4 jugs a month ago. Try my favorite flavors Banana Perfection and Strawberry Cream :)


http://www.nutraplanet.com/product/gaspari/myofusion-5lb.html

MAN Sports Body Octane Game Day review

I recently got the chance to try some samples of another preworkout, MAN Sports Body Octane Game Day. Here are my overall impressions of this new preworkout product.


Taste

I have to admit that I wasn't expecting much  for this preworkout product. I hadn't heard anything about how it tasted and my recent experience with preworkouts left a bad taste in my mouth :P


I was actually shocked when I took my first sip and found it was actually delicious! It tasted like a mix of lemonade and mountain dew with very little aftertaste.

I would have to say it tasted better than Lit-Up and on par with the taste of Jack3d.

Energy
I didn't get a boost or feel any extra energy on this. I actually felt tired while driving to the gym. It had already been about 45 minutes since I drank the preworkout so it should have kicked in by then, but I didn't feel anything :(
I did have good energy once I started my workout but I think this was just me being able to get myself up for the workout :)

Sample packet of MAN Body Octane Game Day...I love getting samples! :)

Strength

Strength was still good during my workout and I was able to increase the weight in my lifts but I don't believe it was attributed to the preworkout. I think I was able to increase weights because I was coming off two consecutive rest days.

Endurance

Endurance was also good during this workout but I didn't feel any different than normal and I definitely didn't feel the awesome endurance I experienced with White Flood.

Pump

Pumps felt great during this workout but once again, it wasn't any different than what I normally feel and didn't feel anything "extra".

Overall

My overall impression of MAN Sports Body Octane Game Day is that it tastes really great but didn't provide me with anything during my workout. I wish it did provide something as I really did enjoy the taste of it but unfortunately, I would have to say the product did not "work" for me.


Perhaps I would get a better effect if I had taken two servings instead of one? Has anyone else had experience with this preworkout product?

Aesthetic Bulking Plan

Don't bulk like this guy

Now that the warm summer days are slowly getting shorter and shorter, it's time to change my focus from looking "shredded" to gaining muscle in order to improve my "aesthetics" :)


The common term for this period of focus on muscle gain is known as "bulking". Many will use this period as an excuse to make everyday a cheat day which I believe is the wrong way to go. The argument for this is that a ton of calories is needed to support the body's process of building muscle. From my experience, this is false.


This is a mistake that I regret making in the past. I have learned that muscle can only grow so fast and that eating more and more calories will not force the body to build more muscle. Eating past the bodies caloric needs will only lead to increased fat storage which equates to being bigger but this is not the kind of "bigger" I am going after!


So during this bulk I want to do whatever I can to minimize fat gain!

Hopefully, I can stay close to this level of leanness

Aesthetic Bulking Diet


If you've been following my blog, then you know I used intermittent fasting to lose a ton a fat. In an attempt to stay fairly lean while bulking, I am going to continue intermittent fasting and basically using the same diet I followed to cut fat. 


The difference will be that I need to consume a higher caloric intake to build muscle so in order to do this, I will add about 75 grams of carbohydrates to my last meal of the day to start off. This carbohydrate amount will increase if I find I'm not gaining enough weight.


While I was cutting, I was taking in anywhere between 1,200 - 1,700 calories a day. I know this seems low but the average caloric intake was higher if you include my cheat days. So adding the 75 grams of carbohydrates will increase my caloric intake by 300 calories. My range will now be anywhere from 1,500 - 2,000 calories.


I want to emphasize that this is just to start off. If I find I'm not making progress, I will increase my carbohydrate intake to 100 grams (additional 100 calories) and assess progress from there. This is all about taking it slow so that I don't gain unneeded fat.


I will also no longer have scheduled cheat days and refeeds, but will allow for a more relaxed, flexible approach to eating "bad" foods. For example, my carbohydrate source won't always necessarily come from a "clean" carbohydrate source such as sweet potatoes or oatmeal. If I feel like eating a bowl of cereal or instant noodles, I won't hesitate to have some.

No more extreme refeeds!

Also, if there is a special occasion where I happen to go overboard, I will fast for the entire day the next day and do a light cardio session. This will help me quickly lose the bloat from the water weight and allow me to feel and look good again. 


I am aiming for an average weight gain of about 1 lb per week. Gaining weight at this rate will allow for my body to slowly adapt and build muscle without excessive fat gain.


Aesthetic Workout Routine


When it comes to how I will be training, my intentions are not just to get bigger everywhere, but to get bigger and develop the right places. I take a look at my body and evaluate what I need to improve on in order to obtain the most aesthetic physique I possibly can.


Right now I feel like my chest is my biggest weak point that I need to bring up in order to be more proportioned. So for this next bulking period, I plan on training my chest two times in my 8 day training split.

This is what it's about

I like to schedule my splits like this instead of a Monday through Sunday split, so that if I ever need to miss a workout for any reason I can just train what I was supposed to the train the next day. Here is how my split will go:


Day 1: Chest
Day 2: Legs
Day 3: Back Width
Day 4: Rest or cardio
Day 5: Chest
Day 6: Back Thickness
Day 7: Biceps, Shoulders (Rear delt emphasis)
Day 8: Rest or cardio


As you can see from my split, I will be working my chest twice and other body parts once during the split. I won't be working my triceps at all as I feel they get a decent stimulus from my chest workouts and already overpower my upper arm.


You'll also notice below that for my last chest exercise, I'll be doing 7 sets of 8-12 reps. These seven sets for the last exercise are from based on the FST-7 training protocol. FST stands for Fascia Stretch Training, and the seven refers to the seven sets performed for the final exercise of a target bodypart. It's an interesting concept which I've never tried before but am hopeful it will help bring up my chest. You can learn more about the training concept by clicking on my link above.


Here are the exercises, sets and reps that I'll be doing:


Chest
Chest 1 workout
Decline Dumbbell Press - 4 x 6-8 reps
Incline Dumbbell Press - 3 x 8-10 reps
Machine Flye - 3 x 8-10 reps
Low to High Cable Flye - 3 x 12 - 15 reps
Cable Crossover - 7 x 8-12 reps


Chest 2 workout
Weighted Dips - 5 sets of 3-5 reps
Incline Dumbbell Press 3 x 6-8 reps
Standing Cable Chest Press 3 x 8-12 reps 
Low to High Cable Flye 3 x 12-15 reps
Pec Deck - 7 x 8-12 reps


Legs
Smith Machine Lunge - 4 x 8-12 reps
Stiff Leg Deadlift - 3 x 8-12 reps
Pistol Squat - 3 x 8-12 reps
Single Leg Stiff Leg Deadlift 3 x 8-12 reps
Single Legged Leg Extensions 2 x 12-15 reps


Back Width

Weighted Pullups - 4 x 6-8 reps

V-Bar Lat Pulldowns - 3 x 8-12 reps

Wide grip Lat Pulldowns - 3 x 8-12 reps

Single Arm Cable Row - 2 x 12-15 reps

Kneeling J-Pulldowns - 2 x 12-15 reps

Back Thickness

Pendlay Rows - 5 x 3-5 reps

Seated Cable Row - 3 x 8-12 reps

Machine Row - 3 x 8-12 reps

One Arm Dumbbell Row - 2 x 12-15 reps

Incline Dumbbell Row - 2 x 12-15 reps

Biceps & Shoulders (Rear Delt Emphasis)
Machine Reverse Flye - 4 x 6-8 reps
DB Reverse Flye - 3 x 10-12 reps
Lateral raises - 4 x 8-12 reps (followed by machine lateral raise to failure)
Concentration curl - 3 x 8-12 reps
Dumbbell Preacher Curl 2 x 10-12 reps (followed by cable curl to failure)




Aesthetic Bulking Supplements


During this bulk I will be using two supplements I've never used before. 


The first one is T2 Xtreme. T2 (3,3'-Diiodo-L-Thyronine & 3,5-Diiodo-L-Thyronine) is normally used to burn fat but it has been shown to possibly work better to prevent fat gain during periods of caloric excess and build and restructure lean muscle. This will be my first time using T2 during a bulk so I'm interested to see if the studies translate to real world results.


I also will be using Anabeta. This a new supplement recently released by PES which has received a lot of hype. I normally wouldn't fall for the hype of new supplements but the amount of positive reviews from user logs was hard to ignore. PES is also a good company that has released other effective supplements as well.


They were able to convince me to order two bottles when they had their presale so I will be using it for 8 weeks. I'm excited to see how good this Anabeta really is :)

Here is how I will be using the T2 Xtreme and Anabeta:



Weeks 1-4: T2 Xtreme
Weeks 5-12: Anabeta
Weeks 13-16: T2 Xtreme


Here is what my daily supplement schedule will be like when using T2 Extreme:
7:30 AM - 1 gram Vitamin C and 1 T2 Xtreme 
3:00 PM - 1 T2 Xtreme
4:00 PM - 1 scoop Myofusion protein shake (plus preworkout on chest days and  if needed) 
5:30 PM - 2 scoops Myofusion protein shake, 2 softgels of Now Ultra Omega 3
6:00 PM - Multivitamin & 5,000 IU of Vitamin D with dinner
8:00 PM - 1 scoop Myofusion protein shake, 2 softgels of Now Ultra Omega 3
10:00 PM - 1 T2 Xtreme



For the weeks when I'll be using Anabeta, I'll dose it 4 times spread out evenly throughout the day taking it at 7:30 AM, 12:30 PM, 5:30 PM, and 10 PM.


By the end of this bulk, I'm hoping to add at least two or more inches to my chest. If my back, rear delts, and biceps get bigger than that would be great as well :)


I'll be bulking for 16-20 weeks so I expect to gain about 16-20 lbs. I know all of that won't be muscle but if at least half of that is, that would be awesome!


Let me know what you think of my "aesthetic" bulking plan and how you plan on bulking this fall/winter?