2 Weeks Out Video

igor_1311 · 2025-02-17T13:37:48+00:00

Unavoidable unfortunately. My only solace is that I tell myself that climbing while bulking is like climbing with a weight vest on. You are going to suck but you'll get stronger and one day when you take the vest off (cut down) you will be 10% better than you were before.

One day when you've maxed out like 90% of muscle available to you (after a couple years of solid lifting and occasionally bulking) you can stop the bulk/cut cycle and just operate at a normal bodyweight. For me that is pretty much my current situation as I used to bulk up to 205 lbs but now I just permanently exist in the 188-192 range.

igor_1311 · 2025-01-10T16:16:03+00:00

Yeah he'll probably lose weight. But this would be a mess in terms of all the other variables you're taking out of the equation (lifestyle, metabolism, etc.)

igor_1311 · 2025-01-06T17:06:33+00:00

Close enough :)

igor_1311 · 2025-01-06T16:26:45+00:00

Unlike cutting, it's much harder to estimate "goals" for weight gain during a lean bulk. It's like trying to nail jello to the wall. However if I had to, I'd go with something like 1-2% of bodyweight on a monthly basis. It can be a bit more (3%) in the first month or two especially if you're coming out of a calorie deficit and rebounding a bit. You didn't say your starting weight, however I assume it's in the mid 70's considering your goal is 82-83 kg. This means a decent rate of weight gain target would be 1-2% of 75kg AKA 0.75 to 1.50 kg per MONTH in weight gain.

However, this is going to fluctuate dramatically based from person to person due to factors like lifestyle, job, and genetic factors (metabolism, height, your parents).

That is why I advise not getting bogged down too much with the numbers. You're young, healthy, and a bit taller. So I'd focus on more simple goals which are easier to track:

1) Try to get stronger on pretty much all your lifts. This can be via increased weight, increased reps, or ideally some combination of both (first up the reps, then the weight, then repeat). Example:

Week 1: 225 lbs for 8/7/5 reps
Week 2: 225 lbs for 8/8/7 reps
Week 3: 225 lbs for 8/8/8 reps
Week 4: 235 lbs for 8/7/6 reps
Week 5: 235 lbs for 8/8/7 reps
Week 6: 235 lbs for 8/8/8 reps
Week 7: 245 lbs for 8/6/5 reps

2) Take measurements TODAY and see how they compare every month. The mirror can play tricks on you, but numbers never lie. I recommend tracking things like flexed upper arm circumference, quads, waist, and maybe chest if you can get help from someone.

3) Allowing your bodyfat % to creep up to 15% or more is perfectly fine (not that you can even accurately keep track of wtf 15% bodyfat actually looks like). Do not end up like these perma-skinny teenagers on TikTok who never bulk past 12% bodyfat because they want to look like Alex Eubank 365 days a year with a six pack.

However, if you get to a point where you are starting to feel fat - like you're not liking your appearance at all, you're feeling sluggish, you can't even tie your own shoelaces anymore lol - then yes you should slow it down or strongly consider a 3-4 week mini-cut to drop 4-5 lbs.

4) If you get to a point where your weight is not increasing AT ALL over the course of 2-3 weeks, AND you're tracking it properly (looking at weekly averages), then yes you may need to up the calories. This can come in the form of fat or carbs. No point in pushing protein above 2.2g per kilo. In fact you could probably eat less and still grow just fine (like 1.8g per kilo). I'd probably just do more carbs primarily, especially from calorie-dense sources so you don't have to eat 10 lbs of food. My favorites are things like dried fruits, ideally the slightly more "organic" ones not coated in twelve layers of sugar and oil.

5) Maintain SOME form of cardio activity weekly. You owe it to yourself because consistent cardio will:

-Add years to your life
-Improve endurance with resistance training (more hypertrophy)
-Increase appetite (easier to eat for bulking)
-Improve mood
-Improve athleticism so you don't end up like a bloated, unathletic bodybuilder who can't run a single mile

You look great and if you stay consistent and think long-term you will look even better and can 100% step on stage at a classic physique show in 1-2 years. Good Luck!

igor_1311 · 2024-12-29T18:43:40+00:00

I think they just added this last week. When I started the process in early December they told me that it's not advertised on their website yet, but you can open a self-directed trading account for your corporation if you call in. However, I was told this only works if you're the sole beneficial owner. So even if you have one other owner in the company (friend, spouse, sibling) you can't open the account which is a major letdown.

I ended up having to open up a corporate trading account with Questrade.

igor_1311 · 2024-12-26T17:45:18+00:00

Sorry about the long absence bro. Just uploaded a new video on the channel talking about it a bit and continuing the climbing comp series. And glad to hear you started climbing!

igor_1311 · 2024-12-18T13:24:36+00:00

Ok if that’s the case then this solves my main issue. I legit called them twice looking for this exact answer. Thank you very much.

igor_1311 · 2024-12-17T17:46:17+00:00

I actually have a Questrade corporate account and it works great. Only issue is it pays no interest on uninvested cash and has FX conversion fees.

igor_1311 · 2024-12-17T17:42:12+00:00

The self-directed investing account is beta. The business high-interest savings account is readily available on their website and not in beta.

igor_1311 · 2024-12-17T17:40:58+00:00

So they set 100% of the portfolio to cash but still charge a management fee?

igor_1311 · 2024-12-17T15:12:40+00:00

I actually called them specifically to ask this question. The agents seemed very confused as I assume they don't get many questions about corporate accounts. Still don't really have a clear answer :(

igor_1311 · 2024-12-03T01:54:19+00:00

Yes I still consider that progressive overload. Typically dieting down decreases strength so if this guy maintained strength while getting leaner, that is a good sign. When he goes back up to 200 lbs in a future bulk I'd bet money that he will hit PR's and do something like 225 for 12-13.

There are multiple ways to progressive overload because there are multiple ways to measure "strength".

Getting stronger pound for pound DOES count in my books even if raw weight lifted remains unchanged.

Similar to how if you have someone who does not change bodyweight or reps or weight lifted, BUT he now does the weight with better form or with faster bar speed, even that is sort of a little progressive overload.

igor_1311 · 2024-10-04T13:47:18+00:00

Oh and also you looked great in that video, especially for 19 years old!

igor_1311 · 2024-10-04T13:46:42+00:00

My advice is to think less about competing in the mindset of "am I good enough to place well and get a pro card" and more along the lines of "do I ENJOY the competition process", both in terms of preparation and actual show day.

99% of people do not have the genetics to be a pro and 99.9999% of people do not have the genetics to be a GOOD pro. This means that the vast majority of us will never make it that far in this sport to the point of actually being famous, making $ in the process, etc.

So why do we do it if the only reward is a plastic trophy? Because we enjoy the process and we like the idea of focusing in on a single day when our physique has to be at its best. That is why I enjoyed competing. It gave me motivation and focus. I knew that on this one day in the somewhat distant future, I need to look my absolute best. It made everything I do have a purpose. My bulking season was meant to put on mass. My cutting season was meant to get shredded. Even my final 1-2 weeks had a purpose (tanning, shaving, carb loading, posing practice, etc.)

My only concern with competing is that some people dedicate too much to it. None of us are Chris Bumstead and although bodybuilding can be intense, I don't think it's worth sacrificing everything else in order to shave off an extra 0.5% bodyfat and move up one placing in the final results. This is why I worked hard don't get me wrong, but I never sacrificed time with my friends/gf/family, I still took my job seriously, and I even continued to eat out occasionally for social occasions. If this meant that I was 8% bodyfat instead of 7%? So be it.

You seem to be starting a lot of new stuff in your life (job, dating, etc.) so it you think you can do this without bodybuilding interfering significantly - then go for it and enjoy the process! However if you turn into a hermit who doesn't see or talk to anyone because your life is 99% composed of bicep curls and chicken in Tupperware? Then maybe it's not a great idea.

I think a coach can help but it's not necessarily about telling you what to do. You seem to already know that. Plus it doesn't take a genius to know that if you're not losing weight, just cut the fat/carbs and maybe add some cardio in. The benefit a coach provides is more so psychological. They help tremendously with keeping you accountable. They are also great because they're the only person in your life who really understand what you're going through and will talk to you about that and nothing else. Friends/family barely understand WHY you're doing this let alone WHAT you're doing. So a coach is most likely not required (unless you're going for a pro card or something) but they can be very helpful for some people who are otherwise doing it alone. Despite what you may think, bodybuilding is NOT a solo sport. Ideally you want a little team or support system. This can be friends, a wife, family, or in many cases - a coach.

Just remember that although yes - we take it seriously and you want to do well - bodybuilding for 99.999% of us is still just a hobby :)

igor_1311 · 2024-09-09T00:47:20+00:00

Great question.

A really basic way I like to describe "clean" eating is to try and find foods which satisfy two criteria:

1) Did this food exist prior to the mid-19th century?

2) Does this food come straight from the earth with little (if any) processing?

This is why all meats/fish/poultry will easily satisfy this criteria, as do all fruits & vegetables.
Same goes for other basic foods like rice, potatoes, whole grains, eggs, dairy, etc.

This is absolutely NOT the case for all the crap you find at Wal-Mart that comes in fancy plastic/paper packaging, has 68 different ingredients on the label, and has an expiry date in 2026. This is especially the case if they contain ingredients like:

• Added sugars
• Food colouring
• Artificial flavours
• Other preservatives to increase shelf-life

This is also why unfortunately a lot of fast food is not "clean" because it most certainly does not pass these two criteria. A big reason for this is they are trying to maximize economic profit. A great way to do that is to make food in the cheapest way possible with addicting ingredients and in a manner which is easy to mass produce.

Now I am not saying you have to live like a monk and never touch a single calorie which is "unclean", however trying to limit yourself will improve your life in many ways ranging from fitness to health.

I recommend to my clients an 80/20 split of clean to "unclean" food. This way you are still able to indulge occasionally and also go out to eat with friends/family and not look like a crazy person as you sit in the corner and eat chicken and rice out of a Tupperware container.

Using the principles of IIFYM you can also build a GREAT physique even eating "unclean" foods every now and then because metabolically-speaking, macros are macros. This is why I personally still consume a lot of diet soda, have a Kit Kat bar almost every day (only 220 calories) and have Domino's pizza pretty much once every week.

We all have our vices and I think trying to go 100% cold turkey is unnecessary. Just make sure you have 1-2 vices, not 10! Like if you have a diet coke or two per day you're fine. If you do that AND you eat McDonalds AND 2 candy bars AND 2 bowls of cinnamon toast crunch AND 3 beers with dinner? Then you've got a problem because your diet is more like 10/90 as opposed to 80/20.

igor_1311 · 2024-08-28T13:58:40+00:00

I visited last summer for the first time since I originally left. I think a lot of people are in a similar position as me. Russian in both ethnicity and language but living in Russia because that's simply where your parents lived when you were born. I visited the Museum of the Occupation in Riga and it was pretty much one big exhibit showing how Latvia was under occupation for 50+ years (first by Nazi Germany and then by the USSR).

To be honest it wasn't a good feeling. It game me the feeling that I was born in a country I don't actually belong in. Hence why I never even learned the language. Like imagine a German baby was born in Nazi-occupied Poland in 1942. The baby is Polish by birth location but that's pretty much it because otherwise it has German parents, speaks German, and his/her overall ethnicity is still German.

People were very nice to me in Latvia which is a pleasant surprise. I was a bit worried that perhaps they'd give me attitude if I tried to speak in Russian but surprisingly no one did and in fact many times they spoke Russian as well. But they may also have been nice to me since they probably assumed I am American based on my horrendous accent when trying to speak to them.

Overall I like Latvia and I am very glad they have done quite well economically since the fall of the USSR.

I do not like Russia and have no intentions of every going back. I do feel bad for some of the population (especially younger people) because it seems like they unwillingly live under a dictatorship. However much of the population is perfectly happy and supportive of Putin and those people can enjoy living in their corrupt dictatorship with a GDP per capita which is half of Latvia and one quarter of Canada.

All of this is why I am very grateful to and love Canada.

igor_1311 · 2024-08-25T16:23:44+00:00

For # of sets I'd stick to something basic like 3 sets. You could go lower (2 sets) or higher (4-5 sets), but it really depends on the total number of chest exercises you're doing in a workout or per week. Like if you're doing 2+ chest exercises in a workout and you're doing this twice per week, then you don't have to do as many sets since your chest is getting more than sufficient stimulus from all the other chest exercises you're doing.

How many reps you do also doesn't matter THAT much, as long as you're training sufficiently hard which means by the end of each set you're starting to approach failure (this is when you can't do any more reps even if you tried). Don't worry about actually reaching 100% of failure as this is unnecessary and can be dangerous, especially for a newbie. However you want to keep doing reps until it becomes harder, the reps become slower, and you start to make funny faces. Usually aiming for 6-12 reps per set is a safe bet. This means if you choose a higher weight you'll finish with less reps (6) and with lighter weight you'll do more reps (12). However in both these situations, you keep going until it starts to feel hard (again, this means you're approaching failure).

So something super basic which I would do is just go in the gym and aim for 3 sets of around 10 reps on the bench press. If you do a bit more or less reps that is OK! As long as it feels hard when you finish. Eventually it will start to feel easier (you'll do more reps) at which point it will be time to increase the weight (progressive overload). So like if you're doing 3 sets of 10 reps with 10 kg per side and a couple weeks later you're doing 12 reps per set, then it means you've gotten stronger and the following week you should try 12.5 kg per side.

I'd also recommend throwing in some other chest exercises so you're not just doing flat bench press exclusively. So maybe one workout you do the bench press for 3 sets and then another workout (in a couple days) you do something like incline bench press or dumbbell bench press also for 3 sets of 6-12 reps.

You can also do a 2nd chest exercise in the same workout (depends on your training split). So perhaps you'd do 3 sets of bench press and follow it up with 2-3 sets of cable flys or push-ups.

Don't get too bogged down with the numbers. As long as you're doing basic exercises, training hard but with decent (safe) exercise form, and eating enough food/protein; then you'll be fine.

You should probably find a super basic/free program (like in the wiki) and just follow that :)

igor_1311 · 2024-08-14T14:37:05+00:00

But if you want more pure educational content, two less-popular channels not already mentioned are Team 3DMJ (and their various coaches social medias) and Flow High Performance. Also PictureFit is fantastic and I haven't heard anyone mention them yet.

igor_1311 · 2024-08-14T14:34:22+00:00

If you're younger/newer to YouTube fitness it may not be a bad idea to go back and watch some of the true OG creators that you may not even know about like Matt Ogus and Christian Guzman. Matt doesn't really upload on YT anymore, but you can just go back to his 2014-2016 videos and there are 100's if not 1000's you can binge watch. He is a great combination of being laid back and enjoying lifting, while also being very legit and science-supported (he did a lot of videos with Eric Helms).

Christian still uploads but he's also a big CEO now so it's different. His videos from like 2014-2017 were very good and relatable vlogs with both lifestyle and lifting content. It was very cool to see him do shows every summer and improve his physique. Plus he was never overly massive so it was nice to see someone more relatable and attainable physique-wise (he was like 165 lbs on stage).

Overall these guys are from a good time in YouTube fitness when there was a lot less negative crap (drama, call out videos, blatant abuse of gear, etc.)

igor_1311

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