Adonis Index Systems

The way your body looks changes from day to day, and even from hour to hour, and on a bigger scale from month to month and year to year. Today we're going to focus on what it takes to get into condition for a winning look. And what better way to do this than with Allen Elliot...he know what it takes to 'dial it in' and he'll be sharing some the techniques he used to get into the condition you see here. There are many factors that go into the look of your body including: Total bodyfat - Not much to explain here. If you're carrying too much fat none of your muscle will show through Body Water - From fully hydrated after a meal to bodybuilding contest dehydrated and fasted Training History - Do you have years of well developed muscle mass, or are you still a novice with room to grow Current Training State - Are you pumped up from a workout or just got out of bed And finally are you 'dialed in' to win a contest, or are you maintaining within striking distance for the next contest, photoshoot, or simply just the next time you feel like you want to tighten things up and make an impression. Crafting a winning look to your body is a lot like working on a sculpture...but in this case the clay is your body and your tools are your workout and your diet (I think Arnold says it in a very similar way in his movie "pumping iron") Finally, the way you pose and display your body is the icing on the cake and could very well determine if you win or lose a bodybuilding show or the upcoming Adonis Index "open" competition. In todays interview we pick Allen Elliots brain on how he learned to dial in for his bodybuilding show and really display his hard work through proper posing and contest conditioning. Listen up if you're thinking of entering the open, because Allen has some good advice and insights to share, AND some of you will likely be competing against him! Hey we're all in this together and we all want to see each other succeed (even if you're technically competing against each other) we are all really on the same team. John READ: Download the transcript here: Getting Into Contest Shape: Interview With Allen Elliot LISTEN:

If you want to make a change in your body then you have to start TODAY! There is no such thing as starting 'tomorrow' because there is always another tomorrow. It has to be today. If you get caught up explaining why you can't do it, or can't start now, you'll never start. You'll always find a reason to be 'too busy' or 'too tired' or 'too caught up in other things'. None of these are legitimate excuses...instead they're just excuses. If you don't believe me then you have to listen to todays podcast with Jason Gottlieb. He finished second in our latest transformation contest and just about every part of his life that could be stacked against him was. From working 80 hour work weeks, to avoiding chocolate and trail mix snacks all day long, to having to workout at 6am every morning...Jason did what most people won't do, and the results speak for themselves. Jason explains how he managed to make a dramatic transformation while constantly being tempted with food every day, and working ungodly hours but still making it to the gym. If anyone ever had an excuse why it wouldn't be possible to make a change, Jason is the guy...but he didn't let the constraints of his life hold him back. If he can do it, so can you. John READ: Download the transcript here: Winning against the Odds: Interview with Jason Gottlieb LISTEN:

Working out is just a tool to achieve a desired result or outcome...this is pretty obvious. But when you commit to a workout that isn't producing the results you want it might not be as easy to change to a new workout as you think. Sometimes you might think it's you that is failing and not the workout itself. Maybe it's just not a fit for your current training status, or maybe you've got the wrong expectations. In any case, if you're not getting results, but you're putting in the effort, then something has got to change. Like Einstein said "the definition of insanity is doing the same thing but expecting different results". This is what Thomas had to overcome when he realized his old workout simply wasn't producing the results he wanted. One of the most interesting things Thomas said was that he had to 'swallow his pride and just trust that the Adonis Index Workout would work". I find this to be a revealing statement because the workout he had been doing for the previous two years just wasn't producing the results he wanted, and he was faced with a choice. Either continue doing the old workout and try to force it to work, or take a leap of faith and try the Adonis Index workout. The rest of the story is history...Thomas finished in the money on our latest contest building a significant amount of muscle. In todays podcast we discuss the "permission to be light" and how it can free you from the old way of believing that you must 'gain weight' and 'bulk up' to build muscle. We'll also discuss intensity and joining contests to generate motivation. And finally we'll talk about embracing what your genetics have. If building muscle comes easy but you struggle with fat loss...well embrace the fact that you can build muscle easily (because the 'skinny' guys would kill to build your kind of muscle) On the other hand if you're naturally lean but building muscle is a challenge for you, embrace the fact that you can have visible abs without really dieting for them...(the bigger guys would kill to have abs all the time without dying) The point is the grass is always greener on the other side if you always focus on what you DON'T have...instead you should embrace what you DO have and get to work developing your weaker points. READ: You can download the transcript here: Getting Real Results: Interview with Thomas Power Listen:

12 weeks may not seem long, but if you put your mind to it some incredible things can happen in that time frame. And that's exactly what Richard Lane did when he lost 60lbs in 12 weeks and finished in the money in our last transformation contest. Richard took a unique (but simple) approach to fat loss over this time period and he's got many insights to share. He explains how the positive feedback he got from friends helped provide the momentum to keep progressing, and how he learned what is limits were socially when it came to 'stimulus' including food, alcohol and partying. Richard also perfected a way to explain his dramatic method for weight loss without having everyone freak out on him (this is a great tool and some pretty slick talking he does...go figure, he is a salesman by trade!) All in all Richard has a unique experience and insights that I found very intriguing and I think you will too...so listen up (or read up!) READ: You can download the transcript here: How to Lose 60lbs in 12-Weeks: Interview with Richard Lane

The latest Adonis Index transformation contest produced some remarkable results and each person had their own way of getting there. In todays podcast we interview Matt Misiurak and learn how he dropped over 30lbs in 12 weeks and how he trained himself to literally know what fat burning 'feels' like. After training himself to understand the feeling of fat burning Matt realized he didn't need to count or guess calories as the feeling was enough to guide him to his goal. This is a very insightful interview as Matt's experience with weight loss and changing his body is different than some of the other guys we have interviewed. This just goes to show you that even though the 'rules of weight loss' are the same, the experience and way you will go about achieving your goals of getting to your ideal Adonis Index Ratio is going to be completely unique to your body and your specific lifestyle. READ IT Download the transcript here: Learning What Fat Loss "Feels" Like: Interview With Matt Misiurak John

During this past transformation contest we had some entries that blew us away and Mark Levy was at the head of that list. Just to be clear, Mark was in pretty good shape to start the contest but his final condition was just SICK! Mark is the definition of the word RIPPED...but don't take my word for it...have a look for yourself: --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- In today's interview we talk to Mark about how he got into this condition and some of the major changes he made in the way he manages his diet and how this transformation has crossed over into other area's of his life. The best part...Mark ate ice cream and cake every week during his cut down! SIGN ME UP! If you want to read the transcript of the interview you can download it here: 42 Years old and RIPPED: An interview with Mark Levy John

The results of the latest Adonis Index transformation contest were fantastic and Dan Richardson lead the way. He had a phenomenal transformation and took first place overall. In todays podcast we interview Dan and get the inside scoop on what it was like to go through the contest and take first place. Dan will reveal the trials and challenges of dropping over 30lbs in 12 weeks and staying committed to his decision to enter and win the contest. READ If you want to read the transcript of the interview instead you can download it here: Interview with Dan Richardson John

Well this was by far and away the toughest competition to judge and I know we had to leave out some very worthy candidates. This just confirms the necessity for the 'open' contest starting in January. We're going to have our regular transformation contest but we're also adding an 'open' contest that is judged on final look alone (not a transformation). The criteria for the open contest hasn't been set yet but it will include AI ratio, conditioning (leanness) and muscle mass. There will be 3 categories divided by age. Junior (under 25 years of age) Regular (25-49 years old) Senior (50 +) There will be a 1st, 2nd and 3rd place prize awarded for each division. Also starting in Jan will be our 4th transformation contest. This time around previous transformation contest winners will be included on the judging panel for each new transformation contest. As I said before this was incredible hard to judge and when you look through the pics keep in mind this was judged first and foremost on overall transformation. You all did a great job and I'll be contacting each of you via email to thank you for entering the contest. I suggest that most of you should enter the open contest as well! On to the winners. ================================================================================== 1st Place Overall: Dan Richardson ================================================================================== 2nd Place: Jason Gottlieb ================================================================================== 3rd Place: Andrew Scott ================================================================================== 4th Place: Thomas Power ================================================================================== 5th Place: Matt Misiurak ================================================================================== 6th Place: Richard Lane ================================================================== There were also many other great entries that didn't place in the top 6 but could easily place in the open class early next year. We will put up another post with some of the other entries and profile their success as well. Everyone did a great job, congratulations to all who entered and finished the contest, it's truly a rare thing to go through any sort of contest and transformation like this. We'll be updating you between now and January with the specifics of the new contest including the open class and the transformation class. There is no transcript of today's podcast as we are simply discussing the results of this contest and how hard it was to pick winners. John p.s. Feel free to share this page with others that may need the inspiration. No one is alone in this.

The 3rd Adonis Transformation contest ends this week and it's time to get your entries in. To officially enter you need to email me (john at adoniseffect.com)  all of the following materials before midnight wed Nov 24th. Before pictures; front, back, side (with newspaper visible in one pic, can be a separate pic from this same round) Before measurements; Shoulder, waist, and weight, starting Adonis Index Ratio (waist : shoulder) After pictures; front, back, side (same deal with the newspaper), and some other poses would be nice to see, now that you got it might as well show it off. After measurements; waist, shoulders, weight, final Adonis Index Ratio (waist : shoulder) 250 word essay; explain your experience going through the transformation, how you've changed, how people are reacting to you, and how your life has changed in general. read last weeks post and listen to last weeks audio for detailed instructions on taking your after pictures (if you haven't already done so) During this weeks audio we talk about eating over the holidays, how to get through it without gaining weight, and then we get into the specifics of the health club industry and what the industry does to sell memberships and how to choose a health club. READ: You can download the transcript here: Transformation Contest 3 Thanksgiving Eating and  Health Clubs John

It's the home stretch for the 3rd Adonis Transformation contest, and it's time to learn how to take the final picture. The pictures you see of fitness models in magazines and on many websites are usually professionally done with experienced photographers who know how to get the look they want from the models body. This is just a short list of things that are typically done to get a model ready for a photoshoot. You can use some or all of these techniques to get ready for the Adonis Transformation 'after' picture. Tanning - muscle definition always shows up better with a tan Shaving - Getting get rid of the body hair allows the muscle definition to show through Oil - some models put a very light coat of oil on to bring out the definition, some even use a quick shot of pam cooking spray! Lighting - the right lighting can make or break a photo shoot, get it right and you're on the cover of the magazine, get it wrong and you're not getting paid Water depletion - most models will cut out water for the 24 hours leading up to the photo shoot (and many will toss in a mild diuretic with this)...this gives your muscles the hard dry look. Hyperhydrate before Dehydrating - Another technique for cutting water is to drinks lots of water between 72-24 hours before the shoot, then cut water completely for the last 24 hours, some models say this helps with depleting water even better than simply cutting it out at the end. Muscle Pump - This is a 50/50 proposition. Some people look bigger and fuller after pumping up, but it might cause you  to look smooth and wash out some of your definition. this is something that needs to be tested at the time of the photoshoot. Carb Loading - Some models try carb loading a couple days before the shoot by doing an exhausting whole body workout and then eating a big carbohydrate meal post workout. The theory is that your muscles will absorb more glycogen than normal and give them a bigger fuller look. The drawback is that if you do this wrong you can end up ruining the look of your definition on the day of the shoot. These are all techniques that have been used in the past with some success. Techniques that I consider mandatory are: Shave Tan Lighting Water Deplete The other items you can experiment with and see how they make you look. I suggest taking 3 rounds of pictures on the last 3 days of the contest. Each day you try a different technique to see how they change your look. Take morning picture after you wake up cold, then take pictures after you've worked out. Take a picture after 24 hours of depleting water and take more pictures after eating a big meal. It might not be obvious when you look your best, so taking these three rounds of pictures will give you some choice so you can see what your best look is. Remember we need a front, side and back shot relaxed with your arms at your side, after that it doesn't hurt to throw in some poses too (front double bicep, back double bicep, side tricep etc...just be creative). Make sure the current days newspaper is in plain view in one pic of that round of pictures (make this a separate picture from the real posed shots). This is what you've been working for and everyone you're competing against will be doing the same thing. I want you all to take the best possible pictures you can so you can really show off what you got! Next week we'll cover the specifics of sending the pictures and other final measurements and essay. John Download Transcription: AI Contest 3 - Taking Pictures

At any given moment your body is always burning some fat and some glycogen. The intensity of your state is what determines where this ratio is. Sleeping is on the low end of the intensity scale and this is when you are burning a very high percentage of fat. On the other end is an all out max sprint where you are burning stored ATP. Every other state of intensity is somewhere between these two extremes the ratio of fat vs glycogen/glucose that you are burning changes depending on the state you are in. This doesn't mean that sleeping is necessarily the best way to burn fat. What it does mean is that it doesn't really matter what type of exercise you do or what intensity it is...all of it will still cause you to burn more calories, and that is what matters for fat loss. Even if you are doing high intensity exercise that burns mostly glycogen, your body will use your bodyfat stores to make up this deficit. In todays podcast we'll discuss the difference between burning body fat and glycogen and why this really doesn't matter if your goal is fat loss. At the end of the day a caloric deficit is the only goal for fat loss no matter how you arrive at it. John

When you start to categorize food based on it's nutrient composition instead of the experience of it simply being food you end up in a very strange place. If you thinking about it enough you'll end up with this common question: "why can't I just take a multivitamin to get all of my essential nutrients and then just eat whatever foods I want" This is an obvious question and there is no obvious answer. The essential nutrients like vitamins and minerals have been categorized this way because removing any one of them from your diet for an extended period of time will show a measurable physical deficiency (think Vit C deficiency and scurvy) There may be other nutrients we don't know about that could provide some sort of  benefit, but in general we already know which ones you MUST ingest on a regular basis to avoid serious negative effects. Theoretically there is no reason why you couldn't just get all of your vitamins and minerals from a multivitamin and eat whatever mix of food you like to go along with it. It's likely that you'll end up eating a mix of food anyway and get even more vitamins and minerals from whichever foods you choose to eat...there are very few food items that have absolutely no vitamins or minerals present in them. Unless you tried to survive on pure white sugar there is really no way of eating without getting many vitamins and minerals. Beyond these essentials there are a few other things to consider like fiber and perhaps some essential fats (although there is no scientific consensus on the need for essential fats or a daily dose) Deconstructing food to it's constituent parts is a good way to take all the fun out of eating. It makes much more sense to try and just enjoy whatever foods you have available and explore different tastes, flavors and styles. There is very little chance that you will ever become vitamin or mineral deficient if you live in any sort of industrialized country (and if you're reading this post that likely means you). In today's podcast we'll talk about the concept of nutrients from multivitamins vs food and why this a false dichotomy simply because all foods have vitamins and minerals. John

The FDA recently requested a recall of various muscle building supplements that contained a substance called 3, 17-keto-etiocholetriene which is an anti-aromatase drug...so who cares about anti-aromatase drugs? Well Aromatase is an enzyme that coverts testosterone to estrogen in a mans body, this conversion is where estrogenic side effects from steroid use comes from (most notably breast tissue growth aka "Bitch tits") So why would a natural guy who is not using testosterone want to take an anti aromatase drug/supplement? Even normal men have a small amount of testosterone aromatizing to estrogen, the theory is that if you block even this conversion you can create a negative feedback loop tricking your body into thinking testosterone is low and thus causing your body to increase testosterone production...so the theory goes. One of the supplements that has been recalled had a scientific research study done showing that subjects who took the product had increases in free and total testosterone...these results aren't surprising now that we know there was a legitimate drug in the product all along. To be fair to the manufacturer there were no adverse event reports associated with the sale of the product for the duration of it's time on the market. The point is that you can never really be sure what is in the products you are taking and even the FDA's line as to what qualifies as a 'supplement' vs a drug is often blurry. This is by no means the only time this has happened. In some cases drugs are knowingly put in supplements to build up the 'street cred' of the product, and in other cases the FDA's definition of what qualifies as a drug is blurry enough that manufacturers just push the limit until the FDA if forced to make a decision. It has happened with ephedrine, it happened with 'pro-hormones' like andro and DHEA, and now with ATD, and it will continue to happen as raw material suppliers discover new classes of compounds that fall between the line of supplment and drug. In todays podcast we'll discuss this recall and what goes into making a supplement and how drugs can end up in supplements without you knowing it. John

The Muscle Index We talked about the Muscle Index last week and how it's a better measure of true lean muscle mass gains. My latest Muscle Index score is 33.4 So this is the relative number that goes with the look and shape I have right now. Anyone with a similar Muscle Index will likely have a similar look as I do (regardless of their height) If you're significantly more muscular than I am your number will be higher than this and if you're less muscular or have significantly more bodyfat your number will be lower than this. For me the Muscle Index is the best way to measure real progress towards building a lean muscular physique. The Adonis index ratio is part of the Muscle Index and therefore having a good AI ratio is incorporated right into a good MI (Muscle Index). The actual measurements of the muscle index are outlined in the manual which is now included in the base Adonis Index Workout system. I suggest reading this manual and following the strength testing procedure as indicated to come up with your true strength measurements. This way you will have an accurate and comparable baseline to start charting your true lean muscle mass progress. I believe that the Muscle Index is the best way to measure real changes in muscle mass. Goal Hijacking If you are the type who regularly exercises you already know that it's easy to lose track of where you are in the gym or at home. Bouncing from one workout to the next and trying new things is very common and it's easy to get distracted from what your trying to do. You've got to own your goals in the gym no matter what they are. I don't care if you want to be bigger or leaner, or both, or want to run a marathon, or a triathlon or bench press 500lbs...you can even have multiple goals, some performance based and some based on the look and shape of your body. Whatever it is be sure that you're on target with the real goal as it is very easy to adopt a training idea or style as an identity that completely derails you from the original goal you had in the first place. This can happen with powerlifting, crossfitting, 'functional training', and many other styles of exercise. If you're honest to goodness goal is just to bench press 400lbs no matter what it takes to do that, then that is great, but our program isn't really going to help you with that...in fact most programs won't, the real answer for that is years of powerlifting and likely some steroids. If on the other hand your goal is to build a great looking lean muscular physique without drugs then we got something for you! In today's podcast we'll talk about the Muscle Index and how to apply it and how to recognize when your goals might have become hijacked from you when you weren't looking. John

Measuring muscle growth and fat loss isn't as easy as stepping on the scale although this seems to be the default way most people try to do it. The look of your body is determined by fat mass, muscle mass and water. But this isn't as straight forward as you might think. Body Fat Storage Patterns Fat mass is not stored uniformly around your body, and there is a storage rate and burn patter to your fat as well. In other words some places store more fat than others (ie: Belly) and some places burn fat slower than others (ie: Belly). We know that on a mans body, fat tends to store faster and to a higher degree in the abdomen area viscera (underneath your abs around your intestines and organs). The visceral fat actually burns quickly and this is part of the reason why your waist measurement can decrease dramatically without your abs becoming visible right away. This fat that is above your abs is what most people refer to as 'stubborn fat'. In reality this fat doesn't have a bad attitude and is no more 'stubborn' than your shoes (I don't know why people try to give fat a personality like this). The fat covering your abs has a lower blood supply and less fat mobilizing receptors than other fat compartments in your body, this means it takes longer for this fat to be completely burned off compared to other areas...hence the reason why your abs are the last thing to show when you're dieting down. This doesn't mean you can't get rid of this fat, it just means that it'll be the last place you'll finally see definition, and it's likely not going to correlate with pounds lost on the scale when you get to your leanest look. Measuring Muscle Growth For experienced lifters muscle growth is also difficult to measure with a scale. Daily fluctuations in body weight can easily mask any short term change in muscle mass. The size of a muscle is somewhat transient and true changes in it's size require longer term measurement intervals to truly track changes (6-12 months). Measuring circumferences is a much better and more accurate way to measure changes in muscle growth compared to the scale, at least this way you have proof of where the size/muscle really is. Measuring Fat Loss and Muscle Building Progress Measuring both muscle building and fat loss progress at the same time is virtually impossible on a scale as you can do both with no change in your bodyweight. Since bodyweight simply cannot tell you much about your short term changes in fat or muscle mass a new and better metric is necessary...enter the Muscle Index. As we talked about last week the Muscle Index is a way of measuring how muscular your body is withing relying on the scale and correcting for gains in weight due to fat or extracellular water weight. In other words, if you gain 10lbs, but it's all from fat, water and thanksgiving dinner the muscle index calculation won't lie, but the scale will. In todays podcast I recruit the help of a good friend Bryan Chung. Bryan is a plastic surgeon resident and has his PhD in sports medicine. You can read is critical review of fitness research at his blog: http://www.evidencebasedfitness.blogspot.com/ We discuss how hard it really is for the average person to guess how much bodyfat they have and what they assume their body should weigh when they're 'in shape'. We also talk about the uneven fat distribution patterns of men and women and why relying too much on the scale can play mind games with you and derail your progress. John