An Intro — Steve’s Body ‘Journey’ and 2018 Goals

At 36 years old, I’ve had to battle the ‘Dad’s Bod’ a few times already. They would say “just you wait until you get into your thirties, then you’ll see how hard it is! This honeymoon period of eating crap and getting away with it won’t last forever”. And boy, weren’t they right.

Back in the Day

I’m in reasonably good shape now, but that hasn’t always been the case. For one, I was never gifted with adonis-like body genetics. I was slim as a kid, but as I hit mid-teens to early twenties, I found an interest in the gym. That helped create some proportion, and comparatively, I had some muscle on my frame. As you can see though – nothing to write home about.

Thirties and the Dad Bod

Through my twenties the combination of having found my soulmate years before (not needing to peacock as much – haha), having no real appreciation for good nutrition, a huge ‘greek’ appetite and the push to create something of my career, working out was a episodic theme but not a commitment. My career really took off in my early thirties, in part due to my maniacal pursuit of killing it. That meant chronic sleep deprivation, loooooong hours in front of a computer, lots of international travel and no time protected for working out. Combined with my blood sugar levels bouncing all over the place due to poor food choices, it meant that food was large, full of calories and a place I went for comfort and calm.

Luckily some ugly truths like continuing to buy bigger clothes and horrifying myself a couple times when checking myself in the mirror or photos coincided with entering into the ‘cruise control’ phase of my career. I spearheaded a small office Biggest Loser challenge in January 2016, and through childish banter, tons of bravado and a devilish competitive streak amongst my peers, I shed 20lbs. Only placed third though – damn you Paul and John!

Now, I walk around at about 187lbs at 5’11” and about 10-11% body fat. Clothes fit well. All is good. That said, we always want more right?

p.s. Lighting makes ALL the difference. I couldn’t resist the embarrassing narcissistic urge to take a quick snap when all the conditions aligned perfectly when towelling down after a shower. Luckily, the iPhone 7 Plus is waterproof!

What the Future Holds

Over the last nine months, the pendulum has clearly swung to health, strength and growth-mindedness. I’ve many lofty goals, including the aspirations of what we wish AdapNation to become, but that will NOT come at the expense of body composition. In actual fact, the goal is to create the body I’ve always wanted, but never knew how to. It’s not just the naivety of the process that prevented me, but also the lack of appreciation of just how much precise effort is needed, consistently, over many years.

I now know it’s possible. I’ve got the tools, knowledge and support. I just need to commit to a long-game, and continue to hold this goal as one of my top three during the next two years. To make it real – for you and me – here’s what I am talking about:

What’s it Gonna Take?

In measurable terms:

1. Getting to 193lbs at approx 8% BF
2. Adding 10-12lbs of lean mass (basically muscle)
3. Undulating through Bulking and Cutting cycles every 2-3months to control fat gain
4. Eating 3,500 – 3,700 calories during Bulks and 2,500-2,900 calories during Cuts
5. 5-day-a-week Hypertrophy & Strength mesocycle(s), with continued progressive overload
6. 2 inches on my arms, taking them to 18 inches
7. 2 inch on my Shoulder circumference, taking it to 51.5 inches
8. 3 inch on my Chest circumference, taking it to 46.5 inches
9. 2.5 inches on my upper legs, taking them 27 inches
10. 2 inches on my Calves, taking them to 18 inches

Anticipating Obstacles

There is one thing for sure – there will be plenty of them! A few obvious ones will include the pendulum swinging back hard to career/company building, some long stints of family travel for later this year, and hitting plateaus and training related injuries. However, I have two things on my side…

#1 – Picking a career path where fitness and body composition is intrinsically linked

#2 – You guys keeping me honest! I’ll be sharing my journey every step of the way through the AdapNation blog and social platforms

My goals are out there. Nowhere to hide. Watch this space…