“If you don’t know where you are going, any road will get you there.” – Lewis Carroll
If only had I listened to Lewis Carroll when I was a scrawny, 17 year-old kid just trying to add a little muscle mass so my wardrobe would include something other than small t-shirts, I would not have spent 10+ years chasing my tail in the gym.
What follows is a detailed journal of a skinny dude that just wanted to look good naked and bench 250 lbs. It includes my biggest mistakes, my biggest successes, various diets, supplements, and training programs I’ve tried over the years, a weekly account of my current training, nutrition, and supplement regimen, books, websites, and trainers that have helped me along the way, and even few tips on how I balance my life as an 60+ hour per week entrepreneur, husband, and fitness freak. Basically, it’s a skinny dude’s training manifesto. It’s everything I wish I would have known over 10 years ago. No marketing BS. No fluff. Everything that follows either actually happened (real world results) or has enough science behind it to warrant eventual inclusion in my training lab.
Who Am I?
That’s always the first question that pops into my head before I take anyone’s advice. Why should I listen to you? Here’s a quick rundown. I even put it in a list so it’s quick and painless.
- I have my Doctorate of Pharmacy from the St. Louis College of Pharmacy.
- I specialize in natural medicine and just opened up my first natural hormone compounding pharmacy. I’ve managed an independent pharmacy for 5 years now.
- I helped found a supplement company called Muscle Geeks that sold dietary supplements on the internet. We closed it last year. The gross margins on supplements are way too thin to make a living as a re-seller.
- I’m Functional Movement Screen certified and debating whether to get my CSCS from the NSCA or to become PICP level 1 and 2 certified through Poliquin Performance. I may do both if I can find the time.
- I own a 24 hour fitness center called Ageless in Illinois.
- I founded 4th Quarter Training, a strength and skill program for basketball players.
- I’ve written diet and supplement articles for Bluff magazine, Fight magazine, IHoops.com as well as several online sites.
- I’m currently 6’2”, 188lbs at around 8-10% body fat. My current max bench is 305lbs, trap bar deadlift is 445lbs, standing vertical jump is 27”, and best 200m time is 29 seconds. Not too bad for a hard-gainer with crap genetics who works 60+ hours per week.
- I’ve been lifting seriously since I was 17 years old. Over the last 12 years, I’ve spent tens of thousands of dollars on supplements, books, seminars, and certifications. If it is fitness related, I’ve probably “been there, done that.”
- I follow some of the best trainers and strength coaches in the industry. Some I consider mentors, some I consider friends, while others I consider idiots.
If you are/were a fellow skinny dude, drop me a line and let me know what has and hasn’t worked for you!