Bryan Holsapple
Height- 5' 11"
Weight- 160 lbs
Waist- 27 in
Bodyfat- 5%

I have been lifting weights since my freshman year of college, but I was never really serious about proper nutrition and cardio until my late twenties. I used to be a skinny kid and was able to eat whatever I wanted to. After turning 26 that all changed. I started going down that path that most guys go in there mid twenties. I was getting fat. After seeing my gut in the mirror I decided to build a gym at my house and get into shape. Getting in shape was a lot harder than I thought. I was getting only minimal results and it seemed like I was working so hard for nothing. Sound familiar? This is because I didn't have the proper education and techniques to accomplish my goals. After doing tons of research on nutrition and training techniques I was starting to see some major changes in my body. I was 29 yrs old and never in my life did I have a six pack, but I was finally starting to carve one out. Every week I would notice changes in my physique and this drove me to get into the best shape of my life.

        

Training/Diet

My workout regime might seem complex but it is really quite simple. I focus on working out every muscle group one time per week (including abs). I target upper, lower, and obliques each once a week. This gives my muscles adequate time to recover and grow. I always take my lifts to failure. If you are not taking your lifts to failure then you will fail in your results. I use a three month split in my workouts.

Month 1-Hypertrophy
Every lift is done with 4 second negatives
I start with 12 reps on my first set making sure the 12th rep brings my muscle to failure
4 sets per exercise, 2-4 different exercises per muscle
Strict 1 minute resting periods between sets
--Try this on bench press--Pause for a 5th second with the bar inches from your chest then explode on the way up, you will be lucky to get to 4 reps on your 4th set

Month 2- Strength
I start with 8 reps bringing my muscles to failure on the first set. Keep 3-4 second negatives and same number of sets and exercises as previous month
1:30-2 minute rest periods

Month 3- Power
1-2 second negatives
4 reps or less to failure
Same number of sets and exercises
2-3 minute rest periods
Rest for 2 weeks then repeat

Here is my weekly training schedule:
Sun- Biceps/triceps
Mon-Lower abs
Tues- Chest
Wed- Back/ upper abs
Thurs-Legs
Fri-Shoulders/obliques
Sat-Rest

My ab workout routine is doing 3-4 exercises in a circuit, then resting for 1 minute. I repeat this 3-4 times. I will incorporate weights and usually keep my reps between 10-25 per exercise. Focus on quality of reps not quantity of reps. I work out my abs 3 times a week, once for upper, once for lower, and once for my obliques. There are about 25 different ab exercises I do so I am always mixing them up to keep my muscles guessing.

Diet/Nutrition

This is where you will see the biggest changes in your physique- proper nutrition. I'm sure you've heard it before, so hear it again. 80% of your results come from nutrition while only 20% come from actual training. So start eating right if you want the best results. I stick to a strict 6 meals a day plan and make sure I have a protein source every 2-3 hours. I like to incorporate carb cycling into my diet as well which has really helped me achieve the physique I have today. I will have 2 high carb days, 2 low carb days, 2 minimal-no carb days, and 1 cheat day a week. They will usually go in this order--Sun-High,Mon-Low,Tues-High,Wed-No,Thurs-Cheat,Fri-Low,Sat-No, and repeat.

My sample high carb day-

Meal 1- 1 cup oatmeal
1 scoop whey protein powder
1 scoop flaxseed
blueberries/raspberries

Meal 2- 1 cup fat free greek yogurt
1 apple

Meal 3- 1 grilled chicken breast
1 cup brown rice

Meal 4- Sandwich with sliced chicken/turkey
w/ sprouted grain bread

Meal 5- Pre-workout
1 slice sprouted grain bread
w/ peanut butter/ almond butter
Whey protein shake

Meal 6- Post Workout
3 rice cakes- high glycemic index
Whey Protein shake
Chicken salad w/ broccolli, celery,
tomatoes, onions, sliced almonds
Olive oil/red wine vinegar dressing

Right before bed- Casein protein shake
 

My sample low carb day

Meal 1- 1/2 cup oatmeal w/ 1 scoop whey protein, 1 scoop flaxseed
raspberries/blueberries
4 egg whites

Meal 2- 1 cup fat free greek yogurt/ strawberries

Meal 3- Grilled chicken breast, 1/2 cup brown rice

Meal 4- Grilled chicken breast, 1/2 cup brown rice

Meal 5- Pre workout
Whey protein shake, 1 slice sprouted grain
bread w/ peanut butter/almond butter

Meal 6- Post workout
Whey protein shake
1 1/2 rice cakes
Chicken salad

Right before bed- Casein protein shake
 

My sample no Carb day

(Only fibrous carbs from vegetables and fruit)

Meal 1- 8 egg whites, whey protein shake, banana

Meal 2- 1 cup fat free greek yogurt w/ raspberries

Meal 3- Chicken salad

Meal 4- Chicken salad

Meal 5- Pre workout
Sliced celery w/ peanut butter
Whey protein shake

Meal 6- Post workout
Whey protein shake
Grilled chicken breast
Cooked zucchini w/ olive oil, oregano

Right before bed- Casein protein shake

Cheat day- I eat whatever I want. That pizza I've been craving all week- sure! How about hamburgers, burritos, lasagna, or even ice cream. Why not? I usually double my caloric intake on this day. Your body will get used to having lower calories every day and will hold onto fat stores for energy. This is your body's natural response towards starvation. Trick your body to switch out of starvation mode and have a cheat day so you can continually lose fat.

Cardio I do

Cardio is really important to keep your metabolism up and burn off that excess fat to really make your abs pop. I mainly do high intensity interval training and will mix in some steady cardio as well. I am always doing something different. I will swim laps in my pool, punch my heavy bag, cycle on my stationary bike, or run on my treadmill. Cardio can get boring so you got to mix it up.

Interval training tips-
1. Push yourself to the limit- You should be gasping for air in between intervals. This is when your muscles are pushed into a lactic acid state and your body will then burn fat for a very long period of time after your workout.
2. Continually change your duration and intensity of your intervals
3. Eat before training- I recommend a piece of fruit and a whey protein shake. This will give you more energy so you can push yourself harder
4. Either train first thing in the morning or after a weight training session
5. Do interval training every other day-- Your body's metabolism will skyrocket for about 2 days after doing interval training so you don't have to do it every day.
6. Don't give up- For most people HIIT is too hard for them and they won't do it. Trust me it is a lot harder to do than steady cardio, but the results are worth the effort.
My sample HIIT training in the pool- 2 min warm up swim at moderate pace

1 min swim at max effort -- Repeat 10 more times
30 sec swim at moderate pace

2 min cool down swim at moderate pace
Total exercise time- 20 minutes
This is advanced, if you are beginning you could start out at 30 sec max effort, 1 min rest periods.

Steady cardio- I will usually mix in steady cardio in between days that I do HIIT. I like to run on my treadmill or swim laps in my pool for 45 mins. This is usally on no carb days first thing in the morning on an empty stomach. Doing this forces my body to use stored fat as energy.

Supplements I take

I take a multi vitamin and fish oil every day in the morning. I take MRI NO2 Black(Nitric Oxide). I get some really good pumps in the gym and it gives me a really vascular look. I take BCAA before and after workouts as well. This seems to help me recover better and prevents me from losing muscle during intense cardio sessions. Other than that just a lot of protein shakes- 1 in the morning, 1 before workout, 1 after workout, and 1 casein protein shake before bed.

Top five tips for abs

1.Dedication- If you are determined to have great abs then you will have great abs. You have to put in a lot of work so you have to be dedicated. Everybody has abs, but very few people work hard enough to show them off.

2.Patience- Your abs won't show up overnight. Most people will give up before they see results. Your abs will show up if you put in the time and effort so keep at it.

3. Willpower- Don't quit when your body is telling you to. Mind over body. Keep giving it all you got in the gym. Resist the temptation to eat those french fries your buddy is offering you. Put it on your list of what you're gonna eat on your cheat day.

4. Diet- Pick meals that are healthy that you also enjoy. You won't stay on the diet for long if you don't care for the food. Remember six small meals a day. Fruit and most of your carbs in the morning. Vegetables and minimal carbs in the evening.

5. Cardio-You won't burn fat unless you do cardio so don't skip your cardio sessions.

Good luck with the Sixpacknow plan guys!

Bryan

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