Strength By Sonny 2014 Physical Transformation Guide (Part II: Offseason Diet and Supplements)
We finna eat boi!!
What’s up fellas? Sorry I’ve fallen a bit off track posting these articles. A lot has been going on behind the scenes.
I’ve got a special treat(s) coming up for you all in the near future.
For now let’s get crackin’ with Part II of our physical transformation guide and focus on diet and supplements.
As you all know (hopefully), what you put into your body is very important. You wanna get big… you gotta eat big. End of story. A lot of guys ask: “Why can’t I put on any mass? What am I doing wrong?”
Two things immediately come to mind when I try to answer these questions.
1) You’re not training hard enough. In other words, you’re not subjecting your body to enough punishment. You’re not listening to your body and its cries for more. You’re not using enough volume. You’re not shocking your body with high-intensity split training. As a result, you are significantly decreasing your odds of winning the muscle building game.
2) You’re not eating enough. You’re not getting enough food in your body to fuel your workouts and more importantly, recover from those little micro-tears in your muscles that signal to your body that it’s time to grow bigger and stronger. Food is the answer. The training breaks the muscle down. But it’s the food (and proper sleep) that ultimately lead to muscle repair and growth.
The following information contains everything I put into my body (food and supplements) during the Offseason Phase of my 2014 prep. There are quite a few supplements that I took. If you decide to get them, you can click on my Amazon Affiliate links that I have posted. I receive a small commission at no extra charge to you.
Also, remember that the purpose of this complete diet breakdown is not to copy me down to every last detail. I was about 230 to 249 pounds for this part of the prep. I needed all this food and the supplements too. The main purpose is to give you insight into an individual who follows the number one rule to a fucking t. Ultimately, you need to do what works for you.
You will also notice that I do not count calories or list specific portions. I don’t think any of that crap is necessary. I see a lot of dudes who want to make everything exact (with their meals and training) to the point where they come across as almost paranoid.
There’s no need for this. Just trust your instinct. When you are hungry… eat. When you are legitimately full… stop eating. When you’ve had enough and you’re legitimately tired… stop training.
Also, I grill all of my food on this grill. It’s cheap and easy to use. Just make sure to clean it on a regular basis. It served me well in college and I continue to use it to this day. It’s very convenient, especially for you younger guys:
George Foreman GR0040B 2-Serving Classic Plate Grill, Black
Complete Breakdown of Offseason Diet and Supplements
Meal 1: steak, eggs, toast (whole wheat with raspberry jelly), orange juice
*** Supplements: Flaxseed oil, fish oil pills
Flaxseed oil contains both omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, which are needed for health. Getting a good balance of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids in the diet is important. These essential fats are both examples of polyunsaturated fatty acids. Omega-3 fatty acids help reduce inflammation, while many omega-6 fatty acids tend to contribute to inflammation. I have personally used flaxseed oil for the past 3 years and I can see the benefits. I typically work with a lot of heavy weight. Over the years, my joints have taken a lot of punishment from all the heavy presses and squats. Since I’ve started using flaxseed oil I can definitely notice a difference because it aids it lubricating the joints, which helps a lot when training. It really helps as you progress and use heavier weight. Simply take one tablespoon in the morning. This is the one I use:
Nature’s Way Flax Oil Super Lignan, 24 Ounce
Fish oil contains essential fatty acids (EFAs) that have been shown time and time again to offer numerous health benefits. Bodybuilders and physique athletes find fish oil intriguing due to potential body composition benefits, but almost anyone looking to support overall health may be interested in the fats from fish oil. In my opinion, fish oil is great for keeping your skin healthy, promotes a healthy heart and also helps with your joints when working out. This is what I use:
Spectrum Essentials Fish Oil Omega-3 — 1000 mg – 250 Softgels
Meal 2: Protein shake with a banana and 2 scoops of peanut butter
The protein I use for mass building is called Optimum Nutrition Pro Complex. In my opinion (and experience) it is the best tasting and highest quality (for mass builders). I mix it with milk. 2 scoops gets you 60 grams of protein. My favorite flavor is chocolate. Click the link to purchase:
Optimum Nutrition Pro Complex Drink Mix, Chocolate, 20 Serving, 3.3 Pound
Meal 3: Chicken Breast (with barbeque sauce) and green vegetables
Meal 4 (before workout): 1 bowl of oatmeal (or PBJ Sandwich), Gatorade
*** Supplements: Liver Pills
Liver is absolutely packed with amino acids that help promote muscle growth and preserve muscle while you are losing fat. Back in the 70s and 80s, bodybuilders would eat tons of liver to pack on lean mass. I wouldn’t recommend this because liver contains a lot of fat and tastes terrible.
However, I do recommend Universal Uni-Liver because it has all the benefits of solid-food liver without the drawbacks- it’s fat-free and doesn’t taste awful. It’s very inexpensive and lasts a while. One bottle of 500 tables will last you many months. Click the links the purchase:
Uni-Liver, Argentine Liver Formula, 500 Tablets, Uni Liver, From Universal
Meal 5 (after workout): Protein shake with a banana, 2 scoops of peanut butter
*** Supplements: Creatine mixed with water, Chewable Glutamine Tablets
Creatine Monohydrate is probably the most popular and arguably most effective bodybuilding supplement legally available today. The beauty of creatine is that it is 100% natural and found in many foods. As a result, it is unlikely to ever be a banned substance. The benefits of creatine include:
Significantly increase lean muscle mass quickly
Improve performance in high intensity exercise
Raise energy levels
Speed up recovery rates
Increase in Strength
Creatine’s ability to raise energy in muscles is due to its muscle protein synthesizing action whilst reducing the breakdown of protein. This happens because creatine has the effect of super-hydrating muscle cells with water. It also improves muscle growth adding size and strength to muscle fibers. Now I have a few recommendations for creatine that you should consider. I have personally used these products and know what to expect.
If you are looking for the closest thing to a “super supplement” or “magic pill” that will take your strength and energy levels through the roof and pack on a lot of size this recommendation is for you. In my experience, GNC Pro Performance Amp Amplified Creatine XXX is the most powerful creatine available. I have used this for my past three offseasons and I absolutely love it. My strength and energy increase so much when on it that it gets to the point where I’m manhandling 5-6 plates on squat and deadlift with ease. I’m able to train with more volume and my stamina reaches new levels. It also helps me put on crazy size and gives my muscles that fullness that gives an overall 3-D look to my physique. It mixes awesome with water and tastes delicious. My favorite flavor is fruit punch. Click the link to purchase:
GNC Pro Performance® AMP Amplified Creatine Xxx- Fruit Punch 2.77 Lb(s)
I like taking the glutamine because it gives me a necessary energy boost. It’s also good to know that glutamine is the most important component of muscle protein and helps repair/build muscle. Click the link to purchase:
Betancourt Nutrition Chewies Glutamine Micros, 8.1 oz
Meal 6: Salmon and sweet potatoes (every other day I will eat a burger with fries for my last meal)
When you are trying to pack on size, calories are king. I don’t believe you have to eat super clean in the offseason. In my opinion, you can get away with some junk food here and there. Again, use your best judgment. If your metabolism is not that great, try to avoid too much junk food.
For my offseason, I like eating my junk food… it sort of allows me to get it out of my system so that I don’t fuck up on my diet when it really counts.
Before Bed: I will take my zinc in the form of ZMA in order to replenish the zinc that was lost throughout the day.
Thanks for reading guys. Next, I’ll go over everything I did to shred down…
Sonny
Related posts:
Strength By Sonny 2014 Physical Transformation Guide (Part I: Offseason Training)
Strength By Sonny 2014 Physical Transformation Guide (Part III: Prep Mode Training)
Strength By Sonny 2014 Physical Transformation Guide (Part IV: Prep Mode Diet and Supplements)
The #1 Rule for Long-Term Bodybuilding Success
14 Comments
[…] Strength By Sonny 2014 Physical Transformation Guide (Part II: Offseason Diet and Supplements) […]
Love it! Glad to see another article, I was beginning to wonder what was happening.
I have never heard about the liver pills before, you learn something new everyday…
BTW my ZMA just arrived in the mail today, gonna get on that shit and see how it goes.
Looking forward to the shredding articles since I’m halfway through my cut right now. it’s my second time cutting and last year failed, so I’m hoping to get some abs poppin’ in five weeks time.
Ok yea remember take 4 right before bed.
Yea I’ll tell you everything I did to get shredded.
Yeah I am. Hey I’ve also got a couple of questions for you I forgot to ask:
1) do you treat the liver pills like you would BCAAs? I don’t use either atm, I think BCAAs are a waste of money but curious what you think.
2) Why do you put banana and PB in your post workout shake? The carbs in the banana are fructose sugars which will only replenish liver glycogen, not muscle glycogen, and the fats from the PB aren’t really optimal post workout. My shake is very similar to yours but I put blueberries instead of a banana cos less fructose but loads of antioxidants, and I replace the PB with coconut oil since coconut oil is a medium-chain triglyceride fat so it wont slow down the absorption of the protein and will also be burnt up by the body as energy fast. Still has loads of good fats though!
Your diet obviously works but just wanted to point this out and see what you think 🙂
I go hard with the BCAASs during the actual cutting phase. Def gotta hammer the aminos when you are that depleted.
I like the bananas post workout because of the potassium. Peanut butter just gives me more protein and it tastes good.
If your metabolism is super fast, would you recommend eating more junk food on the daily? I lift 4 or 5 days a week and wrestle immediately afterwards. Lately I’ve been eating 4 or 5 meals a day with lots of sugar from gatorade/chocolate milk and pizza at night. I notice my strength going up, but I’m not really putting on any size. Do I just need to eat more often or what?
How old are you?
Sonny, you know I love your articles. I just don’t see how body builders live a real life. All the meal plans I’ve ever read by body builders or nutrition expert is just meals for – 1 Day. How many people eat the same meal everyday for 6-7 days a week. Even with the cheat day – eating same thing for 6 days?
I don’t doubt it works for you, but for average people no diet every really works unless you have a personal chef. We crave variety, we are short on time, our schedules are unpredictable.
My rule – don’t by dessert, or soda from the supermarket. I still love carbs, but I eat about half the portion I used to eat. When I see donuts, cookies lying around at work, I’ll cut it in quarters and just eat a wedge. I do take zinc, fish oil, and vitamin D in winter. I am not big and strong like you lol.
That’s part of the life I guess. I perfectly content with eating roughly the same thing every day or so.
You don’t need a personal chef… just some basic cooking skills and a couple hour block at the beginning of the week to prepare meals.
Hey Sonny, what do you think of the IIFYM diet?(if it fits your macros). Obviously you don’t count calories, of macros( and I don’t either) but I was curious as what you thought about it?
Essentially, can you eat whatever you want, as long as you calories protein/carbs/fats line up?
I’ve never used it.
I was more asking your opinion on the total number amount of macronutrients adding up to the correct numbers, regardless of the food you eat, still being able to build muscle or lose fat.
Do you think this is a flawed opinion?
I don’t think it’s flawed. You just can’t think of it in absolute terms.
I know first hand that diet isn’t the end all be all. In my experience, the training is most importance.
be reasonable though… You ain’t gonna gain solid muscle eating snacks even if you train like an animal.
ex. summer 2006- I put on 20+ lbs. of muscle and had a rather sloppy diet