| Before | After |
|---|---|
 |
 |
| Age | 28 | Gender | Male |
Before |
After |
||
| Weight | 54 Kg | 74 Kg | |
| Body Fat | 25 | 20 | |
| Height | 5′ 9″ | Transformation period | 9 months |
| Gym | Pluto fitness | Trainer | Aman Kumar |
Harneet trained himself six days a week, beginning every workout with cardio. He split his strength training to transform his body from a lean fat body to ripped and fit one. Motivated by his dad he breaks through all stereotypes people usually have for a skinny person. Contented with what he accomplished he now proudly maintains and improves himself for a better and healthier living.
Lifestyle Prior to Change
What was your Lifestyle prior to your transformation?
My lifestyle before I started my transformation was a very energetic one as I was actively involved in sports. One of the best things about being in sports was to maintain a strict diet which made me prefer home food. I always loved my mom made home food because of which I avoided junk food.
What was your turning point?
My turning point in life was back in my college days when I was way below the normal weighted boys which made me feel conscious and because of which I began wearing two shirts to make myself look like a normal physiqued person. My biggest inspiration was my father who was a fit person himself had encouraged me to start working out and introduced me to lifting weights in order to feel confident about myself.
Were there any unique challenges or difficulties you faced?
For me, my biggest difficulty was to put on muscle mass and size. I tried out almost every bulking plan I could find and followed it with little to no progress. I did not face a lot of difficulties but the very first time I started lifting weights, my body was completely sore and I could not move my arm for a couple of days. I kept telling myself ‘Not to give up, but to just pick myself up from the pain and keep going.
Were there any circumstances when you had to face failures?
There were days when I worked really hard for the first few months and felt like there was absolutely no change in my body. In frustration, I started eating continuously what I thought were the ‘right foods’ and started lifting really hard but was extremely disappointed to see no results. I was told later that this was because of the lack of the right nutrition and supplements and lack of rest which I did not give my body.
What was your motivation when you had faced a failure?
Every time I was on the verge of giving up, I watched fitness videos, bodybuilding movies and documentaries of Arnold and Jay Cutler and that inspired me to lift heavier weights. I realized that my biggest mistake was defiance in understanding nutrients with the meal time and also the overtraining which I did for years.
Transformation Timeline
Please provide the transformation details, when you started the transformation, what were the milestones along the way and how the transformation ended.
Transformation start:
I started my transformation on the 2nd of February 2016 with a lot of support and encouragement from my father.
Milestone 1:
Initially, I only concentrated on bulking as I was really skinny and the first milestone I achieved was in 4 months when I added a few pounds and my muscles were beginning to show.
Milestone 2:
I was able to actually hit a good percentage of body fat, and see all of my abs. I’ve never been able to see my abs before in my life, so this was a huge self-accomplishment.
Transformation End:
November 2016 I had achieved the body I never thought I could accomplish and this made a huge difference in my way of life.
What do you think was the hardest part of your transformation?
The hardest thing for me was to stay motivated and focussed and to make time for it. Not being happy with the body I was living in was a horrible feeling and that was enough motivation to make drastic changes to my time schedule. I also found it difficult to adapt to a clean and nutritious diet.
Were there any compromises you had to make to achieve your targets?
I did compromise a lot on my eating as I followed a completely different diet because of my sports obsession. I had to compromise on various food and stick to a clean and nutritious diet as I knew that it is the most important part in any transformation, But I believed that life is made up of compromises, so I never really let that affect my schedule.
Training Approach
How many workouts you did during the transformation?
I made a fixed routine of working out for an hour every day for 6 days a week with a clean diet. I followed this strictly for 20 weeks and could see the benefits for the struggle I underwent.
What was your workout split during the transformation?
I concentrated more on weight training and hence practiced lifting weights 6 days a week for an hour each day. And did 15 minutes of cardio which included walking on the treadmill.
For my back and calves, I followed
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
| Pull Up | 3 | 15 |
| Barbell Row | 4 | 15 |
| Close Grip Lat Pull Down | 4 | 15 |
For chest and Abs, I follow
| Dumbbell Flye | 4 | 15 |
| Chest Dip | 4 | 15 |
| Crunches | 3 | 25 |
What were the different workouts you did?
Monday – Chest
Tuesday – Back, Calves and Cardio
Wednesday – Shoulders
Thursday – Legs and Cardio
Friday – Arms, and Cardio
Saturday – Cardio, and Abs
What was the ratio of cardio and weight training during your transformation?
Though initially, I concentrated more on weight training, I gradually made it 50:50 approach which gave me faster and more efficient results.
Please detail your cardio approach during your transformation:
My cardio was for around 30 minutes which I followed irregularly. I walked on the treadmill for around 15 minutes, another 15 minutes on the cross trainer and 10 minutes of the step up. As I continued through 12 weeks I increase my cardio to 2x a day, once in the morning and once after I’m done lifting.
Please detail your weight training approach during your transformation:
I Concentrated on all the muscles individually by giving each muscle a set of 5 variations, which included barbell, chain and dumbbell exercises.
What all things you learned about exercise, weight training, cardio during your transformation that helped you to achieve your targets?
I learned that I should not just blow through the sets, instead, I should take more time and make sure my muscles are attacked in the right manner.
Learning the muscle groups in isolation made a huge difference in my life. For example, being able to concentrate the upper chest from the lower chest can make a huge difference.
When you are tired of your routine switch it up. Also, a day off to get some rest can make a world of difference.
Diet and Supplement Plan
What diet did you follow during your transformation?
I took my diet to a whole different approach. Taking all of the sugars out of my diet, while keeping
In mind my bulking (lean gain) cycle which included high carbs and high protein diet and during the cutting (fat loss) cycle I cut down on carbs and increased my protein intake
How many meals you were having throughout the day?
I eat a total of 6 meals a day and also 2 protein shakes in a day, the rest are lean meats, high carb meals.
What were the ratio of proteins, fats, and carbohydrates in your diet?
I followed a high protein and carbohydrates ration which was around 25% of proteins and 65% of carbohydrates and consumed about 10% of fats. The fats I consumed were saturated fats and strictly restricted to unsaturated fats
Can you give an example of what your daily meal plan looks like?
Breakfast: 1 cup oatmeal, 5 egg whites, and 1 banana
Lunch: 1 cup brown rice with dal, 2 pieces of chicken breast/or fish,
Evening: 5 egg whites and protein shake
Dinner: Dal, rice, and 200 gms chicken and
Night: 1 protein shake
Were there any diet or nutrition mistakes you made during your transformation?
Of course, I mainly disciplined myself on the best time to eat my foods. I had to make sure not to eat carbs too close to bedtime, or I would get bloated. I also realized that Cutting out processed foods and sugars was really important – the more natural you can keep your food the better off you will be in the long run.
What all things you learned about diet and nutrition during your transformation that helped you to achieve your targets?
I switched up my proteins, instead of eating chicken all day as there are tons of other lean protein foods available out there which I realized is the best way to stay consistent to my diet.
I also began precooking all of my meals so that I don’t make an excuse to cheat or miss a meal.
Staying hydrated was of great help. I tried to get at least a gallon of water down every day.
Did you allow yourself to cheat meals?
Not really but at times when I went out with my friends probably once in a month or twice I used to have burgers and fries irregularly.
Did you use any supplements during your transformation? If yes, what supplements you used?
Throughout my process, I realized that supplements are important because you cannot eat chicken and eggs every day. Whey protein (which I drank twice, once post my workout and once before sleeping) and BCAA (for during workout) which gave me the sufficient energy to workout
Advice for others
What tips or advice you would like to give to someone who is looking forward to making their own transformation?
- Always set a goal with a specific time limit. Make steps towards that goal every day!
- Never set the bar too high, people tend to get discouraged when they fail. If you’re just starting to lift, chances are that you would face a lot of difficulties and begin to give up within a few minutes. It takes a lot of hard work, dedication, and consistency to make it that far.
- The most important factor is the eat your diet. Always remember ‘’What goes in is what is showcased outside’’.
How do you stay motivated?
I get demotivated very easily so I always made it a point to keep a stack of my favorite fitness movies and documentaries with myself to boost up my motivation and energy levels
What advice you would give to someone who is facing problems in following the path of transformation?
Always remember that the more you begin to think the more you will postpone yourself. So stop thinking and start training and most important factor is to keep your diet clean. Even if you miss out on a day’s workout never cheat on your diet.
Lifestyle Now, After Transformation
What is your lifestyle now, after you have achieved this transformation?
I feel better physically and mentally. Hard work pays off, and it feels good knowing that I had to grind it out in order to reach my goals. I still continue to work out and follow a healthy diet as it makes me feel better.
How do you still keep yourself motivated to keep improving yourself?
After I transformed my body into a good physique, I don’t feel like losing what I accomplished after months of hard work. That is what keeps me motivated to work hard.
Did you change the workout or diet plans?
Yes, I have slightly changed my body diet depending on my body needs. I follow a different diet for bulking and removing the lean fat from my body. I have never felt better before.
How can people contact you?
- Email: [email protected]
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/harneet.me
