(Pictures are a couple of months in between, leading up to the day of @pngo_ ‘s men’s physique competition.)
@pngo_ is no stranger to health and fitness, seeing that he lives and breathes it as a personal trainer and physique competitor. But that doesn’t mean he doesn’t have obstacles that he goes through to achieve his desired look. This man hates vegetables and is one of the laziest person I know 😂 he also loves fatty foods and eats so so much. He’ll eat two boxes of medium/large pizzas and still drink a protein smoothie because the pizza didn’t have enough protein 👀 during his bulking phase, he gained around 40lbs, building muscle and obviously gaining more fat 😅 during his prep, he ate 7 meals and consumed hundreds of carbs!
It was an amazing journey to see @pngo_ ‘s body transform because at the same time I learnt what it really took to get results. You have to factor in nutrition (the right foods, when to eat, how to eat, water!!!!), workout, supplements and especially knowing what’s better for your body type. Most of all, you cannot be afraid to try new things that can help you achieve your fitness goal. I’ve always wondered how @pngo_ defied the Asian odds and built his chest 😂 and eat all the yummy steaks and almonds and got so lean! So this is what I’ve learnt about wanting to build muscle and keeping it on (remember girls, you eat and train differently than guys, plus we don’t produce testosterone so no you’re not going to look like a male professional bodybuilder):
1. First of all losing fat and losing weight, is different! Figuring out what you’d like to focus on more WILL dictate your workouts and meal plans. You want to build muscle and lose fat? Up those carbs and don’t be scared of those healthy fats too!
2. Remember, muscle is leaner than fat! Build muscle and you will look leaner. To build muscle you will NEED carbs and possibly lots of it. If you’re a male, 5 feet 5, 150lbs and eating less than 100 carbs hoping to build muscle and keeping it… Um well it’s going to be very difficult to happen. Your body uses carbs as its primary source of fuel. Fuel helps your muscles grow because you have more energy to lift heavier in order to stretch those muscle fibres! Muscles don’t just get bigger. They get stretched. If you don’t consume enough carbs, your body will use protein as its energy source and remember… All that chicken you eat is supposed to help you maintain the muscles you’ve built (that is, if you eat enough). So eat up your carbs especially before and after your workout. Your body burns carbs 4x faster after your workout anyways so might as well take advantage of it.
3. Ouuu fats! Healthy fats that is! And no it doesn’t make you FAT! What makes you fat is the shitty fatty foods you eat which are usually UNSATURATED FATS. Healthy fats like egg yolks, avocados nuts, omega 3, olive/coconut oil (etc) are POLYUNSATURATED of MONOUNSATURATED or SATURATED FATS and all in moderation will and can help you lose weight! Healthy fats provides more fuel than carbs and is burnt first when working out. And guess what guys? They say that there is a correlation between monounsaturated (olive oil) and saturated (red meat, egg yolk) and testosterone levels! Increased healthy fat intake = increased testosterone levels WHICH = more muscles!!!!!
4. Wanna keep on all that muscle you’ve worked hard for? Well make sure your protein is up there too and especially before you sleep!!! When you sleep, your body will breaks down protein, boooo. Protein like chicken breast contains amino acids that promotes protein synthesis and prevents protein breakdown. So you’ll think that you’ll need to eat chicken breast before you sleep? Well actually, trying to keep protein synthesis elevated all day does not last long especially through a 6-8 rest period. In this case, slow digestive protein will help prevent protein break down! Aside from slow digestive whey (casein), you can find slow digestive protein in milk products like cottage cheese!! I used to eat yogurt every night during my prep and I always felt leaner in the morning 🙂 this doesn’t apply to everybody though like people who are lactose intolerant lol
5. You want to grow that muscle? Work it out 3 times a week. I worked out my butt 3-4 times in order to build shape to it. @pngo_ worked out his chest 3x a week to grow it! Let’s be real not all Asian guys have it easy when building and maintaining their chest size!
6. Men’s muscles are composed of approximately 75% of water. Water gives your muscle a fuller look so drink your damn water. Not drinking at least 2L of water a day? Well do it if you’re that serious about building and maintaining muscle. Water has other amazing benefits too like helping to distribute nutrients throughout your body and provide cushion for your joints!!! Squatting a lot?! Water helps prevent joint injury!!!
7. Last but not least, supplements. Your body takes a beating when training hard. When you’re constantly tearing muscle fibres, you NEED shit to help repair your body!!! You need stuff to repair your muscles, help provide strong bones, give you energy and making sure all the good wholesome foods you eat is being properly used to its advantage!! You’re not just working out once a month. It’s most likely every other day. Your body will need help and guidance to allow for optimal health and performance.
A lot of info huh? For more information, do your damn research or speak with a nutritionist/trainer. You can also contact Philip.ngo@gmail.com.
fromYYZandbeyond 