Matthew Bucur

Age: 25

Resides: Scottsdale, Arizona

Height: 6ft

Weight: 200 pounds:

Waist: 31 inches

TRAINING

My training is nothing special. I just follow a basic bodybuilding routine hitting every muscle group once a week, maybe twice in 10 days. I am constantly changing up my exercises, so that no two workouts are the same in a row. I train intuitively and don’t have anything set in stone. I do not worry too much about numbers, but my intensity is always high. I am constantly trying to get stronger and lift heavier in order to build new muscle. Usually I’m training in the 8-12 rep range, but lifting as heavy as I can. On the big three (bench, squats, deadlifts) I will usually get some heavy sets in for reps of 5 or less.

The biggest thing I’ve learned over the years is to have a mind-muscle connection when lifting. You need to be able to stimulate the muscle you are working and not just simply move the weight. This is when I started seeing the best results. It may mean dropping the weight a little at first, but the muscular development is worth it.

My Split:

Simple. 8-12 rep range. Heavy, now and then, for 4-6 reps. Like to pyramid up. Always switching exercises and workouts to keep my body guessing and hit all muscle fiber types.

Mon: Chest/Bis

Tues: Quads/Hams

Wed: Shoulders/Tris

Thurs: Off

Fri: Back

Sat: Start cycle over

Sun: Off

Abs and...

           

CARDIO

I mainly prefer steady state cardio but I will incorporate HIIT every now and then to switch things up. I usually do my cardio after weight training. I save my glycogen for the weights, then once I get over to the cardio, my body will dig into fat stores more readily for fuel. My favorite piece of cardio equipment is the stair master. I live on that thing when prepping for a show.

It just feels so good after finishing up a 30min cardio session knowing that I just stripped away some fat and not to mention improved my cardiovascular health.

Normally I do 20min of cardio 3 days a week throughout the year, but when getting ready for a show or a photo shoot, I will increase that to ~30min 4-5x a week, depending on how my diet and fat loss is going. I don’t believe in overdoing the cardio though.

 

NUTRITION & DIET

This is where the body is built. I cannot emphasize the importance of nutrition enough. The old saying ‘you are what you eat’ could not be more true when it comes to building your ultimate physique.

The day that I learned to eat right, is the day that I finally started making real gains in the gym. You can take all the supplements you want and train till you pass out, but you will never grow without proper nutrition (unless you’re some genetic freak).

I usually eat 6 meals per day and drink at least 1 gallon of water daily. My protein intake is 1.5g/lb of bodyweight, so for me that’s about 300g daily. My fats are usually on the low side at around 50-60g. My carbohydrates are the main variables in my diet. If I am trying to gain or maintain I usually take in around 300g or more per day. When I am leaning out I cycle the carbs. I will do 3-4 days lower carbs (~150g) and one day of reefed at 300g or so. If I’m not prepping for a show, I will have 1-2 cheat meals a week in order to keep my sanity and also help spike the metabolism.

 

 

What are your favorite meals and foods?

* Protein: Chicken Breast, Lean Steak, Fish, Eggs, and protein powder.

* Carbs: Oats, Ezekiel bread, rice, whole grain cereal, some fruits and veggies.

* Fats: Peanut Butter, mixed nuts, olive oil.

Favorite cheat food?

Pizza, all the way. When I start cutting, this is the first thing that I start craving. Oh and cheesecake.

 

What supplements do you use that give you great results? How do you use them?

My number one favorite supplement is Allmax Isoflex Protein. I actually consider this as part of my nutrition and not so much a supplement. The quality and taste of this protein cannot be matched by anything else on the market, in my opinion. I also take a multi vitamin, fish oil and either creatine or a pre-workout product containing creatine and stims to help get me through those grueling workouts. I also love taking BCAA’s or just straight L-Leucine as well. There is some good science behind it showing it to increase protein synthesis and I really feel it helps with recovery, especially when dieting. Every now and then I may take a test booster like Allmax TestoFx to help increase strength and get that extra edge.


Matthew

 

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