Visual Impact: My Strategy

So I just finished reading Visual Impact and I have to say, I am excited to get started!  It is after 9pm and I am actually considering running over to the gym to get in my first lift of the program.  Alas, I have work to do yet before bed so I must wait until tomorrow afternoon to lift.  I will look forward to it immensely.

One of the things that Rusty explained in VI is HOW & WHY each phase of his program is structured the way it is: what type of muscle am I developing and how/why I am I going to do it?  This method goes hand-in-hand with the encouragement to tailor the program to your individual body type and placement in the aesthetic journey.  Obviously not everyone is a skinny little hardgainer needing to put on 20 lbs of muscle before doing an intense cut.  Therefore it is not appropriate for everyone to spend the same amount of time on each phase.

After some self-reflection, I realize that I personally do not want to gain any more muscle.  I am perfectly happy with my size and I think my body is too.  I seem to be returning to a certain size after a few days no matter how much or little I end up lifting.  No, I could use some good density training and dieting to get to where I want to be.

Basically when I go to the gym I get that great pump from the high reps but I do not maintain it.  My muscles always end up back around the size they've been for the last two months of lifting: they are not growing.  I think this probably has a lot to do with several things:

1.  My body is at a set point and is comfortable here.  And I am fine with that.  Muscularly, I like the size of my muscles.  I can fill out a fitted, stylish (size M) shirt quite well.  Even though in my current progress pic I may look a tad skinny even, I can assure you I am not.  At 6'4" I actually tower over the guys in the gym and when lifting and pumped, my arms are just as big as, if not bigger than, some of the stockier, bigger looking gym rats.  This just goes with the territory of being a big guy.

2.  I do not routinely eat above maintenance.  On occasion I have been known to eat very large quantities of food, but not normally.  And when I do eat these binges I just get bloated and put on BF, which is then back to normal within 5 days of regular eating.  Otherwise, I feel my best (which I think is super important) when not counting calories but eating right around maintenance.

3.  I mentally and physically feel the best on a low-carb diet.  I understand that carbs are anabolic when timed correctly, and I think my overall lack of consistent carbs is one of the reasons I don't put on a ton of mass.  And when I do eat carbs I just feel gross and bloated... negative feedback.  It makes me want to eat less carbs.  I really enjoy eating high fat, high protein Paleo nutrition mixed with IFing.  This diet is not anabolic but it keeps my mental focus sharp and I have a ton of energy.


If anything, my muscles are kind of puffy and rounded.  I'd like to work on getting them denser and more angular.  For this reason, I am going to customize the VI program and begin with 21 days of Phase II, which puts the focus on Power/Strength development, keeping the reps in the 4-5 range with heavier weight in order to cultivate muscle density.  There will also be some Accumulated Fatigue training so I may see a little muscle growth, but honestly probably not.  However, I think my muscles will look bigger as they increase in density and my BF levels drop with the low carb eating.  The only carbs I will focus on eating will be directly PWO, with my favorite berry/protein smoothies.  I will post the recipe soon.  I have the three day split up on the "Training Program" tab.  There will be two ON days and one OFF day.  I will repeat this for three weeks.

I am doing this for a shortened time because honestly, I am chomping at the bit to cut and I don't want to go through the whole program and end it in 6 months in February, when I am wearing sweaters and coats and never taking my shirt off. And like I said earlier, I have the amount of muscle I want. But, mentally I am not ready to diet and I think three weeks of strength and power focus at maintenance calories will be perfect for building my confidence to do the diet in Phase III.   I am being realistic with myself.  And I CAN'T WAIT for the sarcoplasmic gaining phase after the Phase III cut!  This will be when I really focus on gaining muscle and I will see the big gains.  At the beginning of that phase, I will be very low BF% and a tad small actually, so the body will respond very well to the creatine and muscle growth training.

So, overall, I am very excited, and want to say a thank you to Rusty for writing this book about getting that toned, Hollywood look.  I DON'T want to look like a meat-head.  There are some great tips in the book.  And I will most likely sub in my favorite body weight exercises for some of the weight lifts (for ex. I feel handstand pushups will be WAY more effective than certain shoulder presses).

Anyways, overall this customized VI program should take me 3 + 8 + 4 = 15 weeks (3.5 months) to complete.  And that point I will be cut as a mofo and jacked (in the aesthetic way).  Let's see...this puts me at around Halloween as being in the best shape of my life.  Actually I will probably be in the best shape of my life well before this but it will only get better until Halloween!

Let's do it! Tomorrow, Visual Impact begins with Legs, Back, Biceps, & forearms!