Muscle Makeover Story – Sushil Gained 60 Pounds and Got Big

Name: Sushil
Age: 28
Family Status: Single
Occupation: Private job
Hometown: Delhi, India
Starting Weight: 118 pounds
Current Weight: 178 pounds

Sushil’s Muscle Building Interview!

How many pounds or inches did you gain/lose?
I gained a total of 60 pounds and went from 118 pounds to 178 pounds!

When did you become unhappy with your physique?
I was depressed when I was around people because most of them are very healthy in comparison to me and I was avoided a lot of the time.

What made you decide to transform your body?
I was too lean and small. Everyone used to ignore me because I looked ugly and weak. They used to make fun of me like I would never gain weight and get big. Whenever I would go shopping for clothes, I was never able to fit into the clothes that I really liked since I wasn’t big enough.

What were the most important changes you made to build muscle?
I changed everything about my lifestyle including my eating habits and the people I hung around with. I started to interact with people who were muscular, healthy, fit and went to the gym. I also joined a local gym which had great equipment and a positive environment. I started to follow my gym instructor religiously and implement all of his instructions, exercise schedules and warm-up methods which is very important along with proper rest and sleep. The most important thing I changed was my mindset. I focused on getting bigger and keeping myself motivated.

What was most challenging about building muscle?
Keeping myself motivated, disciplined and focused. I made myself go to the gym every day (except Sunday) no matter what. Using the right exercises according to my body type was also important. My diet, which is the most important aspect of my success was key. Sleeping each night to recover properly is also very important.

How long did it take you to start to see results?
It took over 2 years to start feeling and seeing the actual changes I was making.

How long did it take for you to reach your current weight?
It took 6 years to reach my current weight.

How long have you maintained your muscular gains and how do you do it?
It’s been more than 3 years. I do it with a lot of dedication and focus on using the right exercises that work best for my body. I focus on using correct exercise technique when I’m training and avoid lifting more weight than I can handle. The rest periods between sets and my water intake are also important. For my diet, I focus on my protein intake along with all the other necessary vitamins and minerals.

How has your life changed now that you’ve gained muscle mass?
It’s amazing how everyone notices me now! People come up to me for advice and want to look like me. My friend’s who used to criticize me for being small and skinny now appreciate me. People listen to my suggestions about how to improve their own physiques after they see my before and after pictures. Unfortunately, there are still some people who get jealous.

Sushil’s Muscle Building Tips!

Muscle Building Tip #1:

High Calories = Anabolic State
One of the most overlooked factors in bodybuilding is not eating enough calories per day. You’ve always heard that your body needs protein to grow and this is true. However, adequate protein does not always entail growth. You need to consume adequate calories also. If you don’t consume enough calories, then you’re not growing. A good rule of thumb is to take your body weight and multiply it by 10 or 12 depending on how fit you currently are and then add another 1,000 to 1,500 calories per day to that number. I once read that Jay Cutler got big by eating small meals every hour and half throughout the day. Although he was eating smaller meals, his total caloric intake was above his daily caloric expenditure which put his body into an anabolic state.

Eat Plenty Of Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates are needed to fuel your workouts. The storage form of carbohydrates is glycogen. The idea here is to super saturate glycogen levels so that the body never has to dip into protein for energy production. The higher the level of carbs in the body, the more likely you are to remain in an anabolic environment. Carbs also play a role in the release of insulin.

Eat Plenty Of Protein
Muscle is protein and protein is composed of amino acids. You can’t build big muscles without an adequate supply of protein. One should consume anywhere between 1-2 grams of protein per pound of body weight. So a person who weighs 200 pounds will need about 200 grams of protein per day. The best way to do this is to break the supply of protein down into smaller servings throughout the day for better absorption and assimilation. In short, eat a lot of protein and choose quality sources such as chicken, fish, whey and egg whites.

Eat Multiple Meals
Eat 5-6 meals a day. Divide your total calories up into these multiple meals.

Eat Enough Healthy Fats
One mistake is to not eat enough good fats. When I first began lifting and eating seriously, I would try my best to steer away from fats. Little did I know that fats were actually important for growth. One good thing to know about healthy fats is that there is a direct relationship between fat and testosterone levels.

Eat a Good Pre-Workout Meal
The best thing to consume before a workout is a meal consisting of slow burning carbs such as oatmeal, pasta or rice. The reason is that slow burning carbs take longer to convert into glucose thus keeping blood sugar levels relatively consistent.

Consume a High Quality Post-Workout Meal
The meal right after you train should be high in fast burning carbs and protein. The ideal choice for this small window of opportunity after your workout would be a protein shake coupled with some form of fast acting sugar (I like Gatorade).

Drink Plenty of Water
One of the most overlooked factors when working out is adequate water consumption. This should be a no-brainer since water comprises up to 70% of the body and if you’re dehydrated, your muscle size suffers as well. I believe that one pound of muscle can hold up to three pounds of water. If you add it all up, that’s a lot of size!

Use Supplements
If you can afford to use supplements, then by all means do so.

Rest
The number one overlooked factor in building a better body is rest! If you don’t rest, then how can your muscles grow? Our bodies need the stimulus to grow which means intense training in the gym. Once this happens, our bodies are essentially “broken down” and waiting to repair so make sure you allow your body enough time to optimally recover.

Muscle Building Tip #2:

Don’t Waste Time in The Gym
You’re in the gym for a reason, so focus on lifting and get to it. If you want to socialize and chat with other people, go to a coffee shop or a bar. The gym is for training so remember why you’re there and focus on getting a great workout.

Muscle Building Tip #3:

Drop Sets
This is when you do a set to failure at a given weight then strip a percentage of the weight and doing it again to failure and repeating this process however many times you want to.

Supersets
You will perform two different exercises for the same muscle group in succession (without rest in between). An example of this would be doing flat barbell bench press followed immediately by incline dumbbell press for the chest.

Alternating Sets
You will perform two different exercises for muscle groups which don’t overlap in succession, with minimal rest in between.

Rest Pause
Rest-pause training breaks down one set into several mini-sets, with a short rest between each. Depending on the difficulty of the weight you choose, and what you’re using this method for, you can take one of two approaches. Perform a set as you would with your given 6-10 rep weight. Set the weight down. Take 15 seconds of deep breaths, pick the weight back up, and rep to failure again. Repeat step two as many times as you’d like.

Rest Pause for strength
Choose a weight that is 85-95% of your one rep max. Perform a rep with this weight. Rest 30-45 seconds. Repeat as you’d like (usually 6-10 times).

Muscle Building Tip #4:

Warm-Up
It’s important to get your muscles warm before hitting the heavy weights.

Foam Roller
This instrument helps to relax your muscles. Do it about 30 minutes before your workout and focus on the body part which will be trained that session.

Use Gloves
A good quality pair of gloves is crucial for proper grip and to avoid calluses.

Muscle Building Tip #5:

Train Your Biggest Muscles
Create an anabolic environment by using big compound movements.

Have Some Milk Before Bed
Drink a glass of milk to get some casein protein which is a great source of slow releasing protein to refuel your muscles while you sleep.

Sushil’s Muscle Building Eating Plan!

What do you normally eat for breakfast?

• Egg whites
• Asparagus
• Brown rice and quinoa
• Sprouts
• Banana
• Honey
• Apple
• Quinoa
• Oatmeal
• Non-fat Greek yogurt
• Strawberries
• Blueberries
• Granola
• Chocolate chips
• Brown bread with peanut butter
• Green tea

What do you normally eat for lunch?

• Tuna
• Chicken Fried Rice
• Chicken Breast
• Brown Rice
• Baked Sweet Potato
• Cottage Cheese
• Broccoli
• Salad
• Mushrooms
• Protein Pancakes With Fruit
• Spinach
• Peas
• Soybeans

What do you normally eat for dinner?

• Eggs
• Brown bread with peanut butter
• Soya milk
• Grains

What do you normally eat for snacks?

• Chocolate
• Fruits shakes
• Sweet corn
• Chocolate pudding
• Cold coffee
• Protein chips

What type of nutritional supplements do you take?

• Optimum Nutrition Whey Protein Isolate

Sushil’s Muscle Building Workouts!

What do you do for weight training?
Jim Stoppani’s “Shortcut To Size” is the best. I also like Kris Gethin’s “12 Week Muscle Building Program” and “DTP” program along with his “4 Weeks To Shred” which is a great program for cutting.

What do you do for cardio training?
For cardio, I like cycling, swimming, outdoor games, cross trainer and the treadmill.