Six Pack Abs!

Contrary to popular belief, the key to a great six pack is NOT crunches! You can do crunches day and night and never attain a trim waist line because you can not spot reduce fat no matter how hard you try.

The perfect "real world" example is Stuart MacDonald (Pictured Right) and the body transformation that he achieved in "I Want to Look Like That Guy." Stuart went from a pudgy 44 inch waist to a shredded 27 inches in 6 months time. Stuart only trained abs directly 1 time a week. His strict attention to diet and consistent cardio is what made the magic happen. (You can learn the exact nutrition plan Stuart followed in my newest release "Secrets Behind I Want to Look Like That Guy.")

The next time you are tempted to add yet another day of curnches to your routine or buy the latest ab crunch gizmo remember once again the physiological fact that you can not spot reduce fat!

The more you want to achieve a great six pack, the more you need to focus on diet and cardio!

Believe. Achieve.

www.jeffwillet.com

"Secrets Behind I Want to Look Like That Guy" Supplement Key...

"Secrets Behind I Want to Look Like That Guy" details the nutrition program that Stuart MacDonald executed to achieve his outstanding body transformation in our award winning documentary “I Want to Look Like That Guy.”

Several supplements are listed by their product name with no real description. Also some of the products have since been discontinued so I thought a simple supplement key would help clear up any confusion and help you maximize the information provided in the video.

"Secrets" Supplement Key:

Ny-Tro PRO-40 = Meal Replacement (Discontinued)

Creatine HSC = Glucose Crystals (DGC) with Micronized Creatine and Taurine. (Discontinued, however, Micronized Creatine and the DGC Crystals are still sold separately.)

VP2 = Whey Protein Isolate (Still Available)

GL3 = L-Glutamine, Amino Acid (Still Available)

Myo-D = Omega-3 EPA-Amino Hybrid (Still Available)

For detailed information on each product check out the AST Sports Science web site.

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www.jeffwillet.com

Why So Many Supplements?

A common question I get from people who view my "Lost Logs" ebook or watch Stu's amazing transformation unfold in "I Want to Look Like That Guy" is why do I choose to have so much of my nutrients coming from supplementation rather than whole food? Here's the method to my madness:

Nutrient Density Maximized - A quality meal replacement typically maximizes nutrient density better than a whole food meal. This keeps protein and nutrients high with total calories low.

Convenience - Shaking up a meal replacement can happen pretty much anywhere and any time. It is not always as easy to break open the Tupperware and start eating your chicken and green beans. Meal replacements over the years have helped me stay 100% on track with my plan in a variety of situations.

Easy to Measure - Meal replacements make it very easy to measure your intake and consequently make adjustments to your diet as you skim away calories. Measuring the cuts with supplements is very easy and accurate.

This is not to say you can't construct an effective nutrition plan with the use of more whole food. This is simply my preference and the reasons why.

Believe. Achieve.

http://www.jeffwillet.com/

New eBook Unveils the Secrets for Getting Totally Shredded!

I'm excited to announce the much anticipated release of my "Lost Logs" eBook is finally here.

I believe this is the ultimate drug free bodybuilding nutrition resource. It’s a very rare look at the actual “play book” I used to become one the greatest drug free bodybuilders in history and now this eBook puts it all at your fingertips to help you construct your own winning game plan!

My "Lost Logs" contains explicit detail documenting every single nutrient I ingested as well as the timing of each meal. It also lists every supplement, exactly how much and specifically when I took them for the 18 weeks leading up to both contests.

In addition to all that detail you’ll see complete nutrient ratio breakdowns for every stage of the plan and as an interesting point of reference there is documentation of my bodyweight changes over the 18 weeks.

I often get asked how to adjust nutrition in the final days before a contest and what to do on the actual day of the show. No need to question any more as these logs illustrate exactly what I did with my plan right up to the very moment I stepped onstage.

My "Lost Logs" is also packed with some bonus information you won't find anywhere else:

*Contest Color Schedule - Any of you who have competed know how important onstage color is. It can make or break your physique. It took me years to perfect my contest color and now with this schedule you can see exactly what I did to achieve the perfect winning tan.

*Lost Cardio Logs - See record of all my cardio sessions from January 2002 through my Team Universe Overall Victory in August of 2003. Frequency, mode, distance, calories burned and intensity are all there in minute detail. This is the exact Max-OT cardio schedule I executed to get absolutely shredded.

*Body Weight Chart - View my body weight changes from August 2002 through August 2003.

Don't miss this opportunity to get the championship "play book" in your hands. Act now and get your copy of my "Lost Logs" at a special introductory price.

Believe. Achieve.

http://www.jeffwillet.com/

How to combat hunger while on low calories

I was recently asked how to combat hunger while following a low calorie diet. Here are a few tips to help.

*Drink lots of fluids. I don't have a problem consuming artificial sweeteners so I drink plenty of diet soda while on low calories. Coffee and tea are also great tools to combat hunger. I am a coffee freak and had plenty during pre-contest preparation.

*Eat lots of vegetables. Vegetables are the one food you can actually consume more of and it will help your weight loss. Vegetables add lots of food volume with negligible calories. Stick primarily with green crunchy vegetables and eat up!

*Keep your meals consistent. Eat a balanced meal every 2-3 hours max.

*Chew Gum. I found it helpful to chew gum to satisfy cravings and help bridge the gap between meals.

Along with these tips keep your "eyes on the prize" and stay connected to the vision of the physique you want to achieve. Realize that a little hunger is a necessary price to pay if you want to achieve an extreme level of leanness.

Believe. Achieve.

http://www.jeffwillet.com/

Nutrition Tip - To cheat or not to cheat?

I am not a fan of the term "cheat meal". For me that creates a negative connotation when in reality there is nothing wrong or negative about factoring in some scheduled meals that are off your eating plan. This does, however, come with some factors to consider.

The more focused you are on changing your body, the more you have to account for your caloric intake and the more you need to make the calories you are consuming "work" for you. That being said, for the majority of people who just want to be healthier and lose some fat it is unrealistic and not necessary to never have any of the foods you enjoy as long as you do it within reason and as long as the majority of the time you are eating foods that are on your plan.

The important thing is to look at the trend of your eating habits over a period of time and you want the trend to by heavily slanted towards good days of execution verses bad. In the documentary "I Want to Look Like That Guy" I give Stuart the example that if 90% of the time you ate crap food and 10% of the time you ate healthy it would not help you out very much. Well the same is true going the other way. If you eat healthy 90% of the time then 10% eating off the schedule is not going to "derail the train" so to speak.

The rules change if you are trying to be ultra lean. If that is your goal then I say you want to make all your calories work for you every day of the week and you don't want to waste any meals on calories that are not going to perform the functions you are trying to achieve. Here's how I approached it. During the maximum muscle building phase of the year I would have one day a week to eat what ever I wanted, without going totally crazy. Once I was within 6 months of a contest I would cut out any non-bodybuilding foods and make sure all my calories were working for me 7 days a week.

So the moral of this story is in most cases it is fine and recommended to schedule some meals for enjoyment (not a license to gorge!) just make sure the overall trend of your eating pattern is heavily slanted towards following your nutrition plan.

If you approach it intelligently there is nothing that is "cheating" about it.

Believe. Achieve.

http://www.jeffwillet.com/

Fat Loss Tip - Don't Simply Cut Carbs.

Many people are under the misconception they need to cut out carbohydrates when trying to lose fat. The truth is, carbohydrates play a vital role in muscle recovery and if you cut them out of your diet you will hinder your fat loss and muscle building capabilities.

A high carbohydrate diet is not recommended or necessary, however, specific selection and timing of carbohydrates is essential for maximizing your results.

After intense exercise you should consume a high glycemic liquid carbohydrate source to replenish glycogen stores and facilitate greater nutrient uptake. This specific post-workout carbohydrate timing is especially effective when combined with 100% hydrolyzed Whey Protein Isolate like VP2 whey isolate from AST Sports Science because the high GI carbs will satisfy the body’s energy demands allowing the Whey Protein Isolate to go directly towards muscle support. This is important for those trying to lose fat because the more muscle you can build and maintain while dieting, the higher your resting metabolic rate will be.

You also want to add some high GI carbs to the meals that fall within 3 hours after your workout. This is an important 3 hour window where nutrient uptake capabilities are at their highest.

As I've said before, don't fear carbohydrates rather understand their GI rating and time them accordingly. You should consume most of your carbohydrates and calories within the 3 hour post workout window.

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http://www.jeffwillet.com/

Drug free muscle building nutrition tip of the day.

Don't fear carbohydrates! Carbohydrates are a necessary part of a smart nutrition plan. You just need to have an understanding of the Glycemic Index Rating of carbohydrates and how to time them most effectively.

All carbohydrates are converted into sugar once ingested and the glycemic index (GI) rating basically measures the rate at which this conversion happens. If a carbohydrate has a low GI rating it is converted slowly and if it has a high GI rating it is converted fast. You want both low and high GI carbs at various times of day.

When you first wake up as well as directly pre and post workout you want high GI carbs. This window for high GI carbs also extends about 3 hours after your workout. During this period of time high GI carbs are preferable.

During non training hours you want to stick with low GI rated carbs, specifically green crunchy vegetables. Vegetables are a perfect selection particularly for those interested in getting leaner.

These are the same basic carb timing principles I used with great success over the years and coach all my clients to use as well.

If you are interested in having a specific nutrition plan set up just for you, contact me about my online coaching service.

Believe. Achieve.

http://www.jeffwillet.com/
http://www.iwanttolooklikethatguy.com/

Body Transformation Tip

Healthy eating and eating to transform your body are not necessarily the same thing. In order to make significant changes to your appearance (decrease body fat/increase muscle) you have to be really smart about nutrient timing and selection. Simply watching your calories or "eating healthy" is not good enough.

You can see for your own eyes perfect evidence of this in our documentary "I Want to Look Like That Guy". In the first half of the DVD you'll view what we call Phase 1 of the experiment where Stuart follows Max-OT training/cardio with no real attention to nutrient totals. I instructed him to be mindful of his food selections and to make healthy choices but again, with no specific detail.

Over the 18 weeks of Phase 1 Stuart did make progress by dropping fat and increasing muscle but nothing dramatic. The magic didn't happen until we started what I like to call "functional eating" or eating designed to get a specific result. This all plays out in front of your eyes in Phase 2 when Stuart goes from over 30% body fat to less than 6% body fat in a 6 month period.

If you are eating healthy and watching calories but not getting the results you seek you need to examine your nutrition plan. "I Want to Look Like That Guy" gives you a great real world example of how "functional eating" can take your results to the next level.

Believe. Achieve.

http://www.jeffwillet.com/
http://www.iwanttolooklikethatguy.com/

Diet drinks and fat loss.

I was recently asked if consuming diet soda or other zero calorie drinks was OK or would it ruin fat loss results?

I firmly believe based on my own experience that diet drinks will not impede fat loss. I achieved the best shape of my career in 2003 and I consumed A LOT of diet drinks including diet soda and coffee with calorie free sweetener during the process.

Diet drinks helped control cravings and kept me feeling satisfied, particularly as my calories were skimmed lower and lower.

So I say lets drink a toast to fat loss with a glass of your favorite diet soda! Cheers!!

Believe. Achieve.

http://www.jeffwillet.com/
http://www.iwanttolooklikethatguy.com/

Fat Loss Tip - Calorie Reductions

One of the main components in the fat loss equation is calories. You need to be mindful of how many calories you are taking in each day. If you are not showing the results you desire it is likely you need to eat fewer calories but be careful, calorie cuts should be made with a scalpel not a hatchet.

Don't do a dramatic cut all at once or you risk committing metabolic suicide. You need to make your reductions gradual over a period of time. I advise dropping approximately 100-200 calories every 7 to 14 days.

I get into this topic and discuss other nutrition principles in detail in the new DVD I am working on now, including how to structure a good beginning meal plan with smart nutrient ratios for building muscle and burning fat.

Believe. Achieve.

http://www.jeffwillet.com/
http://www.iwanttolooklikethatguy.com/

Organization is Key

We always talk about discipline, hard work and dedication when we talk about achieving goals and these are all important attributes without a doubt but often times a key skill gets overlooked is organization.

Being organized will be critical to achieving your goals, particularly when we talk about nutrition. One tool that can help you stay organized with your nutrition is writing out a menu with your daily intake detailed. Each meal should be outlined containing the specific foods as well as the time of consumption. This way you can pre-plan your day and make sure you have what you need to eat when you need to eat it. After all, you can know what you are supposed to eat but if that meal is not available when you need it, it will do you no good.

If you miss one meal you may think it is not a big deal and by itself I would agree with you. However, if you miss one meal even every other day it will start to add up. Think about all the missed opportunities to improve over a year's time if you are not organized!

Believe. Achieve.

http://www.jeffwillet.com/
http://www.iwanttolooklikethatguy.com/

Competitor Tip of the Day

A lot of drug free bodybuilders worry about timing their condition and peaking on the day of a show. They are often concerned about losing too much muscle and as a result they end up smooth and shy of great contest shape the day of the show. They are hoping that some last minute carb loading or sodium manipulation trick is going to make them appear shredded and rock hard. Then when they look smooth onstage you often hear them say they missed their peak or their carbs spilled over when the reality is they simply weren't lean enough to begin with.

Don't worry about losing muscle, don't worry about peaking too soon and don't waste your time studying what manipulation trick you are going to use the last couple days before your show. Instead be meticulous with your diet for 6 months prior to the contest. Hammer post workout nutrient timing, be focused on heavy Max-OT style training and work your butt off with short and intense Max-OT style cardio. (You won't have to worry about losing muscle when you follow these proven training methods and nutritional practices.)

You can not be too lean for a show and it is better to be "ready" earlier than later. For example, if you look great 3 weeks before the show you are only going to look better come the day of the contest if you keep executing and driving to get leaner. That being said, take advantage of every day you have during your pre-contest preparation with great execution morning to night.

If you are very very lean come the day of the show then some slight manipulation of sodium/potassium, water and carbohydrates may enhance your appearance onstage but remember if you are not super lean it won't matter anyway. If you are counting on some trick to make you appear razor sharp then you are barking up the wrong tree.

Believe. Achieve.

http://www.jeffwillet.com/
http://www.iwanttolooklikethatguy.com/

Do I still train Max-OT style?

I often get questions about what my training and diet is like now that I have retired from competing. The most common is probably if I still train using the Max-OT principles. The answer is yes.

My physique goals are very different these days from what they were throughout my 12 year competitive career. The goal then was to maximize results and build every ounce of muscle possible. Now my physique goals are simply to maintain muscle, feel good and be healthy.

I feel my current goals are still best achieved using the Max-OT principles that I learned from Paul Delia, founder of AST Sports Science. The only difference between now and during my "hay day" is intensity. Instead of always striving to better my numbers each workout in the 4-6 rep range my weight selection is a bit more modest and I typically end up in the upper end of the range (6 reps). I still train each body part only once per week (usually over a 5 day period) and adhere to the Max-OT principles of exercise selection and set volume.

The next most popular question is about my diet. My diet is no longer structured like it was for all those years. I can't tell you how many calories or grams of protein I take in daily. I keep it pretty simple. During the week I eat clean trying to avoid excess calories. I continue to follow some important supplement timing strategies such as VP2 Whey Isolate, DGC, GL3 L-Glutamine and Micronized Creatine post workout and I still have VP2 and breakfast cereal first thing every day. Beyond that I use Muscle XGF as a meal replacement as well as VyoPro Protein Bars to help get quality protein throughout the day. I couple that with a one or two whole food meals that consist of a protein source and usually a salad to get some vegetables. When the weekend comes I eat pretty much like a normal human being would. If I want it, I eat it. This dieting pattern works well for me and has allowed me to enjoy life while maintaining my current physique goals.

My primary emphasis these days is more on the business side of things. I'm continually expanding my product line of instructional DVD's as well as my consultation service. I am also very busy as a small business owner/operator of my Powerhouse Gym in Adrian.

Looking back over the last few years I can definitely see how I've evolved in many respects yet also stayed the same. Now I am doing my best to use all that I have learned to achieve new goals and help others achieve as well.

Believe. Achieve.

http://www.jeffwillet.com/
http://www.iwanttolooklikethatguy.com/

Some thoughts on "I Want to Look Like That Guy"

I've seen some posts about our documentary "I Want to Look Like That Guy" and at least in a few cases there seems to be some confusion about the actual point of the movie.

One of the primary points is to illustrate that for the "average" person with a job, family and normal life obligations it is not functional or realistic to achieve and maintain single digit body fat percentage, however, that is what would be required if you want to look like the guys in the ads.

People are sold the image on a daily basis that if you take a certain supplement or buy a special machine then you too can look like the model featured in the ad. What they fail to tell you is that in order for the vast majority of body types to achieve single digit or a "bodybuilding lean" / "photography lean" physique it takes intense personal sacrifice with your diet and life style.

In the film you watch Stu go through it all from starting at about 30% body fat to achieving under 6% body fat and ultimately competing and placing 2nd in an NPC bodybuilding contest all at the age of 43 and with a very busy professional life.

I am so proud of the movie because it shows you CAN look like the guy in the ad if you execute an intelligent approach with discipline and consistent hard work (the same approach I used to become an IFBB Pro - drug free) for a long period of time AND it also shows just how hard it is to get "bodybuilding lean" and it exposes all those ads that sell an image which is unrealistic for most people.

We are not talking about a bodybuilder here or someone striving to be a fitness model. Then, of course, that lifestyle is required to succeed in that field and the person knows that going into it. We are talking about your so-called average 40 something man that just wants to look like the image he has been sold verses what it really takes to look like the guy in the ads. I should know because I was the guy in the ad!

If you actually watch the film, the message should jump right off the screen at you. Try not to judge too harshly until you have actually watched it.

Believe. Achieve.

http://www.jeffwillet.com/
http://www.iwanttolooklikethatguy.com/

Steroid free bodybuilding 101 - Choose role models carefully.

Make sure you are getting advice from sources relevant to how you are training.

If you are drug free then you should be listening to those who have accomplished great success without steroids.

I've said it a million times and I'll say it a million more.....you can achieve great things without drugs but you have to be smarter about how you go about things. You can't afford to make the common mistakes such as over-training. You have to maximize all parts of the equation: training, cardio and nutrition and you have to do so day in and day out. You must take advantage of each day by executing a smart plan to the best of your ability. The more great days of execution you string together, the more outstanding your results will be.

However you choose to go about your quest for your ideal physique is a personal decision. If you choose to stay drug free then pick your role models carefully and remember most of the articles about training and diet in the popular magazines are NOT written from a steroid free point of view.

Believe. Achieve.

http://www.jeffwillet.com/

http://www.iwanttolooklikethatguy.com/

The 'magic' answer.

One thing that has become clear to me over all these years is that people tend to look for that 'magic' answer when it comes to achieving above average results. They want that one exercise, that one supplement, that one fad diet or that one fancy workout that is going to magically propel them past mediocre results.

Let me be the first to tell you.....there is no 'magic' answer. There is, however, one best combination of things that will allow you to maximize your results and that combination involves continual execution on your part. If you are looking for just one thing to plug into your plan than you are barking up the wrong tree.

I've trained the same basic way since about 1998 and that is with the Max-OT principles. If you have followed my career at all then you are very familiar with this. These are the training principles I live by and the principles that I instruct everyone to use who comes to me for guidance.

So before I go any further, let me make this very clear. I believe in, use exclusively and prescribe the Max-OT principles only because I feel it is the best way to train to maximize results. I believe this from my personal experience and success as well as the success of countless others who've followed it over the years. Don't waste your time asking me what I think about 'this' training method or 'that' training method because I will always point back to Max-OT. I am not here to argue it. If you like to train another way then by all means do what you feel is best. I practice what I preach and always have. If I thought there was a better way to train than I would have trained a different way.

OK, now that that is out of the way, let me continue.

When I speak about Max-OT I guess I am talking about the philosophy as a whole which includes the cardio principles and the diet principles I used to become one of the best natural bodybuilders in the world. The greatest illustration of the the philosophy can be seen perfectly in our documentary "I Want to Look Like That Guy". http://www.iwanttolooklikethatguy.com/

I mentioned in another post that this documentary in many ways validates my career and the reason I say that is because it proves that a person can maximize their potential if they are willing to fully execute this plan without excuses.

In the film Stuart MacDonald is a great student who executes daily and achieves results in 6 months that many would have said he shouldn't have been able to do, especially considering his age and career demands. He achieved outstanding results because he trusted me and he didn't look for that 'magic' answer. (Speaking of magic...an interesting side note, Stuart MacDonald is an incredibly accomplished magician respected highly by his peers and an inductee in the magic hall of fame.)

What was interesting to me is throughout the process, Stuart posted progress pictures here at the gym. The better he looked, the more people would come to me and ask "What is Stuart doing". Again, they assumed there was one 'magic' thing he had added into his plan. They often seemed almost disappointed when I would tell them that Stu is not doing anything different than I have told you to do. The difference is he is executing it on a daily basis and doing so for weeks on end. He also isn't making any excuses. He is doing all the elements the best he can...training, cardio and diet.

It is not easy and the documentary shows this clearly. But it also shows that it IS possible to achieve great things drug free.

The first step to achieving great things is to give up the notion of that 'magic' answer and start executing an intelligent plan that is based on physiology and has a proven track record of success.

Also remember the better you do all aspects of the plan (weights, cardio and diet) the better and faster your results will be. If any one of those elements suffers, so will your results.

Just ask Stu. He lived it.
http://www.thatguymovie.blogspot.com/

Believe. Achieve.