When people compliment Beast Mode Fitness Systems, it makes me happy. When people compliment Beast Mode Fitness Systems and tell me how they’re putting the information here to good use, it makes me all warm and fuzzy inside.
A lot goes on behind the scenes here. When I’m not writing or answering e-mails, I’m helping the members of my coaching program.
Now, I’m not very overt with my coaching members. But I get quite a few requests to talk about that facet more—especially about skinny-fat success stories. And while I have clients that could vouch for my methods, especially on the skinny-fat side, I’m going to 1UP that by sharing a skinny-fat success story from a casual reader.
This person hasn’t paid me a cent. Yet he changed his life by soaking in the stuff I put out on a regular basis—free of charge, mind you—and putting it to practice.
A few months ago, Johannes Dee contacted me and thanked me. I was so flattered and proud of his story, I asked him if I could feature it here. (Ok, Ok, it helped that he called me his idol.) Good news for you: He gladly agreed.
Enter: Johannes Dee
I used to be your classic skinny-fat ectomorph. My body composition was born from too many video games and too little physical activity—a lifestyle that also caused debilitating back pain for me as a teenager.
Despite the negatives of sitting in a computer chair, it beat the alternative: finishing last in every physical fitness test at school. Needless to say, my athleticism didn’t do me any favors in the “interested in team sports” department either.
I was called names. Teased. I wasn’t comfortable in my own skin. I didn’t enjoy the way I looked.
At the end of 2008, I started exercising regularly. Training was usually three days per week with an hour of aerobic work thrown in. This exercise alone (without dietary considerations) helped with both weight loss and my back pain.
It got better and better until 2009. Although things climbed—I was biking to work, I could finish the physical fitness tests I once failed—they also fell. When the winter came around, I was no longer biking to work. The weather eroded my motivation, and I stopped training.
I caught fire again in March 2010. I was lucky enough to come across a friend that taught me the meat and potato barbell exercises. But like most people, I fell into the trap of “bulking.” I got thicker, but my muscles didn’t exactly come along for the ride. I
Bulking didn’t go as planned.
In 2011, I came across Anthony’s article, “11 Training Tips For the Skinny-Fat Ectomorph,” and it revolutionized how I went about training and eating. I fully bought into what Anthony preached, which turned out being a great decision because it worked.
I started looking lean and athletic. My body felt better day by day and I lost 15kg in a relatively short time period. Every exercise I did improved. My pull-ups (that Anthony put such high praise on in Skinny-Fatness, Hardgainers, and High Frequency Training) went from 3-4 reps per set to 11 reps per set.
Here’s a quick glimpse of some of the things I did:
- I started intermittent fasting.
- I started counting calories a bit more dilligently.
- I followed “complicated carb cycling” principles.
- More carbs on training days
- Less carbs on off days
- I increased my protein intake as a whole.
(Anthony’s Note: See The Diet to End All Diets for help.)
All in all, that article, Anthony’s perspective, and Anthony’s website helped me create not only a better body, but also a better life. I look and feel better than I ever have before.
+++++
How’s that for some motivation? Got a success story of your own? Let me know about it below. Got any ways you’re using the information here? Do the same — drop it below.
And thanks for being here. I really appreciate it.
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photo credit: 1UP
Way to go Johannes! Nice transformation. Don’t lose steam and enter the elite club.
Kudos Anthony!! your posts are awesome.
Thanks Rajat!
Great post! I believe one day I will be writing something similar. I’m in the same boat as I have previously failed over and over battling with my skinny-fatness, trying to bulk but getting too fat, cutting and getting to thin. And then the cycle repeats. But now after reading Anthony’s articles it’s beginning to make so much more sense. I’m starting intermittent fasting and going to be working a lot better to help with my lifestyle as well as my goals. Thank you Anthony!
Sweet stuff, Anthony. Keep me posted.
Glad you’re finally comfortable in your own skin, Johannes. It’s good to hear you didn’t give up when the first results weren’t exactly what you intended. Anthony’s definitely has some great info for beating the skinny-fat syndrome. Best of luck!
-Mitch
Thanks Mitch.
CONGRATS JOHANNES! And yea Anthony Mychal has that ability to catch us skinny-fats attention and relate to our emotions, wants etc. Overall he is just a good person sharing his story and trying to help others as well.
Thanks Jason, really appreciate this.
Keep up the good work Johaness and Anthony
Thanks Drew.
many thanks to you all! thank anthony that’s another huge motivation for me to feed. It is very difficult not to forget that I belong to the still skinny fat ECTOS. As Anthony has already written many times we can not escape our fate. But I will try on and hopefully stay in contact with anthony and read in any case each of its reports. all others in the boat good luck on your way!
Thanks for chiming in. Great job thus far. I’m sure you motivated a lot of people.
Keep it up
Nice work Johannes!
I feel very motivated now, I’ve failed so many times that sometimes I want to give up… but I won’t
Oh, I’d love to see a more detailed report, I think that it’d be nice.
Keep up the good work Johaness and Anthony
Thanks for the comment, Marco.
Hi, Anthony. This is my first time posting anything on your website after having read some Skinny Fat articles. I feel obligated to share with you & all the other skinny fats som tips to add to the “11 tips for the skinny fat ectomorph”, seeing as I was a skinny fat my entire life before I made my transformation.
1. GET THE FUCK OUT: Don’t make yourself more stressed out than you already are: This means cutting out nicotine & caffeine from your diet. Anything that raises your heart rate in an unnatural way will only increase your cortisol (more so than for any other body type), reduce your testosterone & GH. 2 hormones we skinny-fats need to become optimal. Actually, even high sugar foods can cause some cortisol response in some..
2. WE NEED SOME HORMONES: Do Full-Body workouts or Upper-Lower splits for maximal hormonal response (Again, testosterone & GH.). no 5-day splits, not even 3-day splits. Think of your body as a machine. The Deadlift & The Farmers Walk is from now on, your best friends. (Like Anthony mentioned)
3. “TRAIN LIKE A BODYBUILDER”. True. Ectomorphs in general are weak, lanky sons of bit*hes, practically made to fold under pressure. BUT, there is only so much muscle you can build on weak bones . Incorporate a couple of 3-5 rep compound exercises for 2 workouts a month or so. Or at least keep your big movements (Bench, Deadlift, Squat) in the 5-8 rep range. ESPECIALLY FOR FAT LOSS. For fat loss, focus more on strength.
4. FOODS YOU DIDN’T KNOW YOU SHOULD EAT:
Cabbage, Broccoli or brusselsprouts: contain “Indoles” that reduce estrogen = more testosterone.
Eggs: contain cholesterol, that indirectly transform to testosterone.
Spinach: That’s right it does make you stronger, like popeye thanks to the compound “Nitrate” also a good source of Glutamine.
Carbs: Yes, you need ‘em if you want muscles. Make smart choices. They should be low GI and pick the one with the highest fiber: Brown Rice, Yams, Oatmeal. Yes, fiber helps you build muscle. Use google.
Hope this helped. Just my 2 cents worth. Take care, fellows. / V
Thanks for the reply Victor.
I’m not sure I completely agree with #1. Low doses of stimulants can help if used at the right time. Wouldn’t abuse them though.
#2 – I’d agree.
#3 – Yup.
#4 – On the fence again. I think more important than GI is selecting carbs more likely to be stored in the muscle as opposed to the liver as glycogen.
Good stuff though. Really appreciate you sharing your experiences. We all learn.
We’re on the same page with #1. The reason I made that #1 is because I was a big coffee drinker and snuff abuser back in the day. My greatest gains came after I cut them out of my diet. Although, at times I still take around 100-150mg caffeine pre-workout if I feel sluggish. But if you’re a full blown coffee addict, shugging down 4-5 cups a day. That will fuck with your fight or flight instinct and the liver will shuttle glucose into the bloodstream all for nothing. Cutting it out makes a skinny fats nutrient partioning so much better.
Also, #4. a banana post-workout or in the morning never hurt nobody
But again, don’t go overboard. A slow and steady stream of energy is overall better for the skinny-fat. But I guess it’s all opinion. Just speaking from my own trial & error. Kudos!
a few queries for Johannes:
1) when following Anthony’s tips, did you train everyday?
2) Did you sprint and do weight training on alternate days?
3) You said you had off days, but did you do cardio or sprinting on these days?
thanks!
I’ll see if I can get him in here to answer these.
sure I´m glad to help anyone. beeing skinny fat ecto sucks, but you can learn to live with it. I hope in your book will be a chapter where we can learn to resist the great sin of unhealthy tasty food. I can not wait for it and will devour it immediately. Anthony I owe you at least twenty cheesecakes
Hi Deej,
.
1) No I wasn´t training every day… I had at least one off day, sometimes when I was well on it I did some pull ups but not too much to disturb the training cycle.
2) I tried to sprint but sprintig is not my passion. I prefer cycling but on bike with fresh air.
3) look at 3)
For me off days were very importatnt for relaxation and getting more energy on training days. Another point is, I never trained to muscle failure.
I hope it works with you as for me. stick with it!
great replies. Thanks!
Welcomes.
Cleg Burris here. Where do I begin? A carb is still a carb even if you dress it up in fancy clothes. Now fats, they might hide here and there but if you catch them, wow, they are worth the fight.
So you’re saying all carbs elicit the same response when eaten? Not disagreeing, just asking.
Cleg Burris here. Well if I’m in a glycolytic mood and my hif-1 alpha supplements are kicking in, then my AMPK does an excellent job with the carbs regardless of the type. With that said, those of you without access to these next generation muscle builders come down the pike, you will need to keep your eye on the carbs.
I just eat food. It works for me.
Well done Johannes hopefully I can be as motivated as you!
I’m kind of on the fence when it comes to bulking. I’ve tried bulking in the past but I’ve ran into multiple problems. My lower back gave in once after a month of training, just when I started to feel good I had to go to the hospital for a lower back strain. My shoulders dislocated a few times and my diet consists of take-away food!
Got some good tips Anthony so I can begin changing my life. I hate being skinny-fat!!!!!
Ummm…bulking should’t injure you?
The food thing, now that’s applicable. Simply eat MORE of the foods you’d otherwise normally eat. Don’t go for takeout. Cook taters and rice in bulk. (Buy in bulk.) Eggs, meats, veggies. All good.
As for the injuries, eating more doesn’t do that. Training stupidly does that. Perhaps you were training stupidly?
It was probably stupid training. Lifting too much too fast if that makes any sense. Should I start low and go slow when it comes to training and gradually raise the weights every two weeks?
Thanks for the diet advise, I’ll probably start doing that immediately!!!
I think slow cooking progress is a good move, provided you are PROGRESSING.