I have been in and out of this game for a while… never really did anything worth posting or reporting here on T-Nation. I have been lurking and a little posting here on T-Nation for a few years now and have learned more than I have ever believed I could from a website about training, nutrition and weight lifting.
Having said all that – I am in Afghanistan right now, and have about 15 weeks left until I go home. I have decided to dedicate these next weeks to achieving the most significant physical transition that I can. I want to completely WOW my wife when I get off the plane.
My current stats are as follows:
193 lbs
18% body fat (per the Army body fat test)
As I said, I’ve been training for over five years… I’m strong enough, but nothing to write home about. I’ve never really used supplements properly either.
So, I just ordered the Anaconda Protocol #2 and plan on starting I Bodybuilder once it gets here (should be in a week or so based on how long stuff takes to get here from the US). I just finished Waterbury’s ABBH and am working on the Perfect Rep until I get the Anaconda in and start IBB.
The only caveat I have is that for my job (Infantry officer) I need to maintain a bit leaner physique and retain a bit of running capability. Having said that, I intend to supplement the IBB program with some additional cardio/running.
Alright, that’s my story. I’ll post updates as I get on this training horse. Thanks in advance for any advice and thanks in the past for all the good knowledge that many of you post here weekly.
I wanted to touch on nutrition and see if anyone had any ideas. Eating while deployed is a bit of a nut-roll. I’m not at one of the big bases (Bagram, Kandahar, etc…) what that means is that I basically get what is served…
Now we do have some interesting things available… unlimited access to Gatorade protein shakes, beef jerky and stuff like that.
So nutrition is… um… challenging. I have a decent amount of protein available (Metabolic Drive), but whole food nutrition is difficult. I have taken to tracking my caloric intake and nutrient breakdown on livestrong.com, which, I believe, is a pretty decent online tool.
I do my best to get enough protein and a decent amounts of good carbohydrates and as I look forward to starting Anaconda and I, Bodybuilder how bad is this going to affect my ability to feed and recover my muscles? Will the Anaconda take care of a large percentage of that as long as I do the best I can when facing the Army chow system?
Thanks. Hope everyone is gearing up for an awesome weekend.
First off, Thanks for your Service! I appreciate you standing on the wall for me and my family, you are welcome here.
What do you have to train with? What does your Macro’s nutrients look like? Is there a gym available? I’m guessing you got the basics. Sounds like you have your diet planned pretty good. I would recommend getting your Carbs Pre and Post work out. I think you should be fine with Army chow as you will be sticking to the basics. My prework out Carbs come from a Pre workout shake and my post work out carbs are normally a cup of fruit and that is about it for the carbs. The rest of my meals are P&F meals. I would also recommend getting your hands on some Krill oil and a good multi vitiamine. Becuase of where you are and what you do you may want to throw in some extra Cal-Mag supplement to keep your electrolytes in check and non-stop water. You especially do not want to start getting dizzy when it’s game time.
Colin… we have a pretty decent gym, prison style. A lot of weight, right outside. I love it because when I lift there is no one out there because of the heat… that is real motivating for me! In fact during the summer it would get so hot that we had to wear gloves or risk getting burned by the bars. Infantrymen are part masochist!
I think my macro nutrient profile is pretty decent. As for pre, during and post workout I am going to be relying on the Anaconda 2 stack that I just ordered. Right now, I literally have water during and usually a Gatorade shake (carbs and protein) after workout, followed by my lnch meal about an hour after that.
Thanks for the encouragement, and I appreciate the advice.
The beef jerky sounds like a great source of protein, no idea what they put in the Gatorade, but for weight lifting you need all the protein you can get. If you’re looking for fat loss, I always recommend the Paleo diet, but it sounds like your food choices are limited. Ditto with Colin on taking precautions on the heat.
Welcome , Thank you for your service. Food will be hard so stock up when you can PM me and I will try to help. You will need to watch your sleep habits, maybe to the point of counting hours. it always surprises me how much we need to properly grow muscle. A long time ago I was attachted to a ID, it was the best of times.
Fischer… no real complaints about our gym. I actually love it, I love working out outside in the elements, and we are getting better equipment everyday.
I am just doing some maintenance work and learning some new lifting style (The Perfect Rep by CT) waiting on some Biotest stuff to come in (Anaconda, MAG-10 and SWF). Then I am going to start the “I, Bodybuilder” program.
