Training programsRelief programs
Justin has his sights set on significant weight loss. By radically changing his lifestyle, Justin became 40 kg lighter. And he continued to strive for excellence, hoping that one day he would be able to conquer the competitive fitness scene and make his father proud!
Tired of being a Donut
I've been fat for as long as I can remember. As a child, my friends were always thinner than me, and all family members seemed quite thin compared to me. But I just absolutely loved food.
Close relatives, especially my mother, tried to put me on a diet, but I hated the idea. I hated the idea that my favorite foods would suddenly be banned. I had to find all kinds of loopholes, and this only made my eating habits worse.
I was teased at school. The nickname Donut stuck with me, and gradually I learned to live with it. And today ridicule continues to ring in my head. I didn’t have a girlfriend, and it seemed to me that no one was interested in me. I was disgusted with myself, my self-confidence was at zero, and the thought that I could radically change everything did not occur to me. Taking part in all the sports competitions available at school, I always got myself into trouble, but I couldn’t compete on an equal footing with guys who were much better physically developed.
My self-esteem took another devastating blow when the partying and clubbing phase began. I saw my friends having a great time dancing with attractive girls, and I felt like I was out of place in this celebration of life. I couldn't buy the fancy clothes that everyone around me was wearing. The store was full of T-shirts, shirts, and jeans that I liked, but the small and medium sizes didn't fit—I needed an XL or even an XXL. It was killing. I rarely bought new things because I was annoyed that clothes didn’t fit me well.
Excess weight also interfered with finding a job. I wanted to become a carpenter, but my application was rejected. I suppose the employer reasoned that a more physically developed guy would work harder.
In short, I understood that being overweight was nothing but trouble. It was time to change something.
Mila Kunis
Still from the film “Sex for Friendship”
Kunis, like Portman, lost almost 10 kilograms for her role in “Black Swan” and... ended up receiving only 95 pounds for the film (that’s less than eight thousand rubles).
"I had no tits or ass,
— Kunis told E!
Online“. “ My bones were sticking out.
I thought it looked disgusting." She also added that it took her five months to lose the weight, but only five days to start looking like her old self.
Still from the film “Black Swan”
Big changes, impressive results
Before me was an example of a friend who lost about 5 kg. Inspired by his success, I believed that I, too, could get rid of extra pounds, and asked a friend to tell me about his technique. He ran every day, and for the whole day he ate only three small portions of food. I started training with him, and my weight slowly crept down.
Every week I was able to lose more and more. I started out with modest goals and my first priority was to get to double digits. I remember the day when I climbed on the scales and they showed 99 kg. I was in seventh heaven! I went to the gym twice a day: once at noon for a 5-kilometer run, and then around 5-6 pm for strength training.
Every day I worked until I lost my pulse, because the result was worth it, but when I reached the 88 kg mark, I hit the wall. Back then I had no idea what a training plateau was or how to deal with it, but later I found a lot of information about how a real bodybuilder should eat and train. I thought that I could try drugs for burning fat, after which I didn’t even notice how I reached the final goal - 80 kg. My abs were clearly visible and I was amazed at my results. In 6 months I lost 40 kg! My happiness knew no bounds, but such a sharp weight loss led to my skin becoming loose in some places. Everyone told me it wasn't a problem, but it really upset me. I wanted to look perfect so I could start a career as a fitness model or even try my hand at competitions.
I felt like the loose skin was preventing me from moving forward. I read that gaining muscle mass helps tighten the skin, but when I started working on mass, I noticed that I was starting to gain fat again, and this was not part of my plans. In short, I realized that the only solution was plastic surgery.
My idol is Steve Cook. I watched all his training videos and listened to all his advice; they motivated me to become better. He talked about setting long-term goals. Remembering this was good, but writing down your goals on paper was even better. In the future, these goals pushed me forward.
Slava Kryzhanovsky: “All the most radical practices originated in ancient times”
The theme of transmutation and transformation of the human body has become one of the favorites in the work of the young artist Slava Kryzhanovsky. Starting with the “Toys” project, in which he presented the human body as a toy capable of changing shape, the artist continues to methodically produce “body disasters”. Resorting to extremes in deformation, aestheticizing the impact of technology on humans, Slava presented a new project “Errors” in the new art space Set. To understand body modifications, which completely fall under the “biopunk” genre, Andrei Siguntsov met with Slava after the opening of the project and talked about bodily experience, aesthetics and the deepest fears of humanity.
Human understanding of the world is directly dependent on bodily experience. If the body changes under the influence of viruses, technology or scientific experiments, then the perception of the surrounding reality changes along with it. What happened to you that the topic of mutations worries you so much?
Interest in mutation began in early childhood. It all started, of course, with “Alien,” in which a new form emerged through the destruction of the human shell. Later, I became acquainted with the works of Salvador Dali. It turned out to be close to me; it seems that the childish surrealistic thinking remains in many ways with me even now. But now I'm trying to be more pragmatic about it. There are a lot of modern technologies around, which are becoming more progressive, more powerful and smaller every day. Even the 120-centimeter robot Pepper has changed a lot over the past year; Softbank Robotics has developed a bunch of upgrades and updates for it. And this despite the fact that machine intelligence is generally at the first stage of development. For example, an innovative robot built at Berkeley Lab takes 15 minutes to simply roll a towel. But learning and transformation are happening before our eyes. I realized that such changes would not happen to me, and I decided to try to start the process of my evolution myself... To figure out how this could happen.
Body modification dates back to ancient times, when African tribes made changes to their bodies solely for ritual reasons. It was only in the 19th century, when the tribes began to come into contact with Europeans, that the process of bodily modification was borrowed, and, having undergone some changes, today it has become one of the ways to increase one's aesthetic appeal. Is modification beautiful?
All the most radical practices originated in ancient times - tattoos, scarring, nose rings, elongated necks, stretched lips. In fact, we are not inventing anything new, but simply performing ancient rituals, only the cult of the body has changed, it has ceased to be sacred. Many attributes of beauty, which in the ancient world distinguished gods, shamans, priests from mere mortals, were considered barbarism and perversion, ugliness in European society... and now they are migrating into modern times as attributes of street style. I was surprised by what I saw in Cairo: the figures of people on ancient frescoes correspond to the standards of modern beauty, and the architectural forms of ancient Egypt are simply prototypes of buildings of the third millennium... Here, in Kiev, I am in an environment in which many people use various modifications. Tattoos, implants, scarring, piercings.
All this makes the texture and silhouette of a person interesting.
As a child, I read a lot of magazines about the underground, informal society: “KhZM”, “Moloko”, “SHO”... I also have tattoos that are of semantic value to me. And decorative, of course.
When I first arrived in Kyiv, I met a guy who had silicone implants on his forehead in the shape of a horn. I thought it was cool. This is such a design of yourself. Of course, I think it's beautiful.
In the text for your exhibition, Masha Vtorushina writes: “People began to amputate parts of their bodies, implant implants, modifications. For example, the French artist ORLAN “reshaped” her face, collecting in it the features of famous heroines of world art. Stellarc, in addition to robotic extensions of himself, implanted a specially artificially grown third ear into his hand.” Do you have fantasies about your own body?
I would first improve the main flaws of the body. It would make the skeleton and joints stronger. I would like bodily changes for more dynamic movement, let’s say upgrade the legs. Change the shape to improve the jump and improve the shock absorption so that the internal organs do not come off when landing from a great height. I would change a lot actually... I recently broke my collarbone. I was given a titanium plate that can be removed or left in. At the request of the patient. I decided not to bother her and leave her. It exists and doesn’t interfere at all; on the contrary, it reminds me of the possibility of higher-level modifications.
In general, it would be cool to transform into something not human-like in old age.
Motivated by Memories
I found motivation in family and friends. Although the friends didn’t realize it, every phrase they uttered like “Wow, you’ve lost a lot of weight!” gave me confidence in my abilities. I loved that everyone could see the results of my hard work and celebrate my dedication to my new lifestyle.
During this time, my parents were a source of inspiration for me, thanks to which I became better and trained even harder. They were pleased with my successes and the fact that, getting rid of excess weight, I became happy. Unfortunately, my father had to fight cancer during the last year of his life, and he passed away in March last year. This loss was the most difficult moment of my life. I will never forget him. But I try to think positively and look at this as additional motivation. It made me stronger. I know my father wanted me to be a happy and successful person, and that is why today I dedicate my life to bodybuilding and helping other people maintain their health.
Persistently walk towards the goal in small steps
The first step on the path to your dream figure is setting your goals correctly.
Define a global goal, a general strategy and look at the transformation process realistically. Break the transformation into stages, do not rely on rapid transformations, set yourself modest but feasible plans, so as not to be disappointed and not to deviate from the intended course ahead of time.
For example, you have decided that for your own comfort you need to lose 30 kilograms in six months. To do this, it is enough to lose 5 kilograms per month, which means about 1 kilogram 200 grams per week. These are very real numbers. Small victories will inspire you to great achievements!
The main mistake of women losing weight and men building muscle mass is the desire for quick results. After a couple of weeks on a strict diet or attending several workouts in the gym, it is impossible to get an ideal body! Diets tend to end and have a short-term effect: returning to your previous lifestyle after a week of deprivation, you can gain even more kilograms than you managed to lose. Without going to the gym, muscles literally deflate before our eyes.
Know: the transformation of the body will be successful after the restructuring of consciousness and the understanding that in the new life there is no place for old eating habits, laziness and excuses. Training should be regular and enjoyable. And the principles of proper nutrition become a lifestyle.
Sports nutrition that helped me change
I only use Optimum Nutrition products. Their protein tastes phenomenal!
Morning
Optimum Nutrition Opti-Men: 1 tablet
Vitamin and mineral complex for men leading an active lifestyle.
Optimum Nutrition Fish Oil Softgels: 1 capsule
Omega-3 fatty acids. To maintain healthy heart muscle and joints!
Optimum Nutrition CLA Softgels: 1 capsule
Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA)! A component contained in food that has a positive effect on the metabolism of proteins and fats!
Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard 100% Whey: 1 scoop
Fast-absorbing whey protein. Contains whey protein isolates and easily digestible Hydrowhey whey peptides.
Optimum Nutrition BCAA 1000 Caps: 2 capsules
Essential amino acids for building lean muscle mass and reducing muscle loss during cutting!
With dinner
Optimum Nutrition Glutamine 1000 Caps: 2 capsules
Amino acid with anti-catabolic action. Helps build, repair and protect muscle tissue and is an effective source of energy!
Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard 100% Casein: 1 scoop before bed
Slow-absorbing anti-catabolic micellar casein, high in glutamine!
Before training
Optimum Nutrition Platinum PRE-: 1 scoop
Pre-workout complex! Made with only proven ingredients of the highest quality!
Optimum Nutrition Micronized Creatine Powder: 5 g
Pure creatine monohydrate. Increases strength and accelerates muscle growth!
Optimum Nutrition BCAA 1000 Caps: 2 capsules
Essential amino acids for building lean muscle mass and reducing muscle loss during cutting!
After training
Optimum Nutrition Micronized Creatine Powder: 5 g
Pure creatine monohydrate. Increases strength and accelerates muscle growth!
Optimum Nutrition Glutamine 1000 Caps: 2 capsules
Amino acid with anti-catabolic action. Helps build, repair and protect muscle tissue and is an effective source of energy!
A couple more tips
Progress is not always noticeable, but if you are persistent, you will definitely see results. Even if everything goes wrong during training, stick to the plan, follow the daily routine and don’t let circumstances get the better of you.
A balanced diet is of utmost importance. Almost all difficulties with losing weight or gaining muscle are due to a poor diet. Count your calories! It's easier than you think - especially with free apps.
The information you gain from studying your diet's energy content will help you understand what you're doing right and what you still need to work on.
Every day time rushes faster. The stimuli for the brain change quickly, and the desires in the soul change quickly. The heart demands change faster. My iPad changes pictures quickly, but my physiology can’t keep up. I no longer want muscle strengthening - I demand body transformation. And Mother Nature ignores these wishes and does not want to satisfy my client needs, supported by financial capabilities.
Unfortunately, the laws of nature do not obey human desires, so it is better to take them into account in your dreams of a healthy body. No matter what kind of change you want - to burn fat or build muscle - their speed is limited by nature. Sure, you can use drugs to burn fat or anabolic steroids to build muscle, but that has nothing to do with health.
My “transformation” began around September 1974. Nine months later, in June 1975, I already weighed 3.5 kilograms. Then I gained about 4 kg per year and by the age of eighteen I weighed 78 kg. I have remained at this weight for twenty years now.
One proverb says: “if you are not handsome at twenty, not smart at thirty, and not rich at forty, then you will not become that way again.” The human body is formed until the age of twenty, then it is only maintained.
Unfortunately, not everyone had time to form their body before the age of eighteen. School, music school, courtyard, port wine, TV, smart books - all this interfered with the correct transformation of the body. Cave children did not have all this, so by the age of eighteen they became strong men and women.
Many modern men and women begin to think about the natural attractiveness of their body after they have made a career or... haven’t. People who are already over forty often come to me.
Remember the saying? “If you are not handsome at twenty, and... at forty you are not rich...” Unfortunately, beauty often changes to wealth. It is possible to accumulate capital in twenty years, but it is difficult to preserve natural beauty by forming rich habits with cars and restaurants.
Modern man has lost the beauty of the caveman because he invented the internal combustion engine and the microwave oven. Unfortunately, the body is not a sandwich - it cannot be prepared in five minutes. Nature has its own speed of preparing bodies.
Your body is as similar to that of a caveman as your habits are. The caveman did not have the habit of buying bread at the store and heating it in the microwave, and you do not have the habit of eating raw meat.
I don't eat raw meat, but my habits are different from yours. Also, my habits are different from the habits of a caveman. That's why I'm not like you or him. Although there was a case...
When I was 16 years old, I spent the summer at a sports camp with representatives of other sports. I started an affair with a swimmer. The swimming coach didn’t like this and said to her: “What did you find in this Pithecanthropus?” I’m probably more like a caveman in my habits and appearance than others.
They say that a habit or skill is formed in 21 days. For example, the habit of exercising. There is an opinion that you need to train three times a week, but the caveman was forced to physically act every day. Can you train 21 days in a row?
As you can see, forming even one healthy caveman habit is not an easy task in our difficult times. To become like a caveman, you need to form a set of such healthy habits, only then the body will begin to “transform.”
Let's assume you managed to form the necessary set of healthy habits. At what speed will the “transformation” take place? By transformation I mean burning fat and/or strengthening muscles. Remember my “transformation” and remember that nature will allow you to change your body within 4 kilograms per year without loss to health. This is the law of nature, everything else comes from advertising.
Think about what healthy habit you should form in the next 21 days.
***
If you have friends who are engaged in “transformation” of the body, then send them this article - maybe they will think in accordance with Nature.
Lev Goncharov - coach since 1994
+7(916)611-73-72
Unhealthy transformation
