Wow…I didn’t realize how hard it is to stay focused. Especially after a 6 month layoff its really hard. I started out very well & quickly got derailed. Its hard to attend parties & not drink alcohol or to eat junk food. Good thing I have my Proteinblitz products because it definitely keeps me from eating to much junk. The problem at hand is the late nights & alcohol. The junk food can be burned off with extra effort in the gym. The late nights & alcohol destroy any motivation to step foot inside the gym.

I’m at a point where I need to decide what’s more important to me, staying healthy & in shape or late nights & alcohol. I don’t need alcohol to have a good time & don’t need to stay out all night long. I definitely like the feeling of a hard workout over a hang over. I decided after this weekend I will stay 100% focused until new years. I should have made more progress by now. So I am not happy. This week I have made it to the gym 2 days only & that’s not going to fly with me.

If working out is not a priority then don’t waste the money & time thinking your doing something right. Supplements are very expensive & if your not taking care of your body outside the gym then your doing nothing but damage inside the gym. So we need to be all in or all out. You decide!

I can’t wait for my fresh start. The reason I choose after this weekend is because its my birthday. You have to celebrate on a birthday & new years Champaign is must to celebrate a new year but besides that its time to stay focused & workout hard. Thanks to Proteinblitz for keeping me motivated.

-Richard Lujan

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So, it’s been two weeks since I’ve last wrote. On October 12 I started my full workout routine. By the end of the week it felt like a truck hit me. This was the first time I’ve worked out my whole body since the middle of April. Over the weekend I recovered quick because eating plenty of good foods and supplementing with PROTEINBLITZ protein. This stuff goes wherever I go.

This is the second week of full body training. I have to realize that I can’t start from where I left off. I need to progressively get there. I do have to admit I feel pretty strong considering the long lay off. I have just started using Super pump & Size On from Gaspar Nutrition in conjunction with PROTEINBLITZ products. So with these supplements I think my workouts will get more intense.

With the holidays coming up it’s going to be hard to stay on track but we have to remember to try & control portion sizes. If you want seconds wait about an hour so your body has time digest and feed your muscles. Whenever we over consume our body stores the extra calories that aren’t used as fat. Especially when eating desserts we have to control portion sizes because these are empty calories that we don’t need. For example 1/6 of a pumpkin pie from Marie Calenders is 480 calories & get this there cheesecake slice is a whopping 1200 calories. Crazy huh? So its time to start controlling our appetites before we get overwhelmed with all this holiday goodness. I won’t lie its extremely hard for me but I have to stay focused. If not well then I will just have to double up on cardio.

Well I’m still recovering but hopefully soon I will be 100% and be able to post some pictures of my progress. Train hard & stay focused.

-Richard Lujan

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It’s the start of a new workout week. Last Wednesday I saw my doctor & got clearance to do as I please. There is still fluid in the left side of my chest so I didn’t feel comfortable working it out. I tried doing a couple of different exercises very light but felt kind of awkward. So I think I’m going to give it 1 more week before I start a full routine. So this week I will continue the same routine from week 1.

When I get back to my full routine it will go as follows: Monday I will start with legs, calves & 25 min. cardio. It seems as if everyone in the gym wants to do chest that day. Tuesday will be abs, chest, triceps & 25 min. cardio. Wednesday I will take off for rest. Thursday will be back, biceps, calves, & 25 mins cardio. Friday will be shoulders & abs. Saturday & Sunday will be days to rest or maybe some light cardio. I feel 4 days of weight training is enough to build muscle & stay lean. Remember your muscles grow during rest periods not in the gym. To many people over train and cause more harm then good.

Hopefully, I feel more comfortable next week so I can get with the program. I’m making progress but the real progress will come when I start this full routine. Remember performance-enhancing drugs are not good. Its a temporary look & is bad for your health. Our goals when working out should be to stay healthy & lean. Stay focused & continue the game plan if its working. If not switch it up. What may work for me may not work for you. We are all genetically different some more gifted then others. Stay Focused to see results!

-Richard Lujan

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It’s been 4 complete weeks of limited weight training. Even though I have not been able to work out my chest, shoulders, & back I’m still making progress & feeling stronger. I see the doctor this Wednesday & hopefully I get a full release. I’m so eager to go full force.

I have to say more then anything at this point cardio is key. It makes a difference on how you look. Some people make the mistake of lifting heavy trying to gain muscle & bulk up while skipping cardio. At the same time your gaining fat as well because you tend to eat more from the brutal workouts. Try to keep your diet right, do at least four 30minute cardio sessions a week and expose the muscles you already have. It creates an illusion of your body looking bigger then you really are. The best time to do a cardio session is first thing in the morning on an empty stomach & weight train in the evening or right after a weight training session. The reason for this is in the morning on an empty stomach your body will burn only fat calories because there is nothing in your system to burn off. After a workout session because your body is all warmed up and primed for fat burning. Never do cardio before a weight training session. It will ruin your workout.

Well I’m slowly but surely recovering. It’s been hard to maintain a diet but thanks to PROTEINBLITZ products it’s made it easier. I always have a constant maintenance of protein when I’m not able to consume a whole meal. Hopefully after Wednesday I get this full release & am able to start a whole new work out program to see some major results.

-Richard Lujan

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After my 3rd week back I am feeling great. My second week was a lil sluggish from lack of rest but I was able to stay on track following my routine discussed in week 1. For week 3 I am still limited to what I can do until September 30 when I see my doctor for a full release. Then I can put together a full 5-day workout plan for every muscle group.

I have changed my diet since coming back to work. For breakfast I will have a protein shake mixed with 1.5 scoops PROTEINBLITZ, 8 oz reduced fat milk, 5g glutamine & some water, 3/4 oz raw almonds & a banana. My mid morning snack is a low sodium turkey breast sandwich with romaine lettuce, 1/4 avocado, 1 slice low fat cheese, sprouts, & mustard on whole grain bread not wheat. For lunch I will have about a 6-8 oz portion of chicken breast with fresh vegetables & brown rice. Before & after my workout I will have a PROTEINBLITZ RTD with a piece of fruit. For dinner I will have something very similar to lunch & before bedtime 1.5 scoops PROTEINBLITZ with a serving of glutamine & fiber powder.

I know it can be boring but its ok to repeat meals through out the day. For example make a big dinner and break it up into separate portions that can be used for lunch, a snack or whenever convenient. With today’s busy lifestyles it’s difficult to be cooking or preparing snacks all day long. That’s why when I have time everything gets prepared ahead of time. If you are serious about building muscle you should be consuming a meal every 2.5 – 3 hours up until bedtime. It is very important you consume a meal right before bedtime because while you sleep your body is in recovery mode & looking for nutrients to fuel your muscles for growth.

Today is Monday and I am ready to get at it again. I just can’t wait for a full release from my doctor so that I can maximize my workouts and see some awesome results. It will take time but it will happen with proper training, dieting, & dedication.

-Richard Lujan

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This is my second full week back at the gym. With the combination of me starting work on the Monday of a holiday weekend took a lot out of me physically. Keep in mind I’ve been out of work for two months. So going from complete rest to working a 48 hour job & going to the gym really calls for protein high snacks. Nothing makes me feel better than Proteinblitz RTD’s & a piece of fruit.

This past week starting on Monday the 7th was some what of a struggle. On the holiday weekend I was out & about and did not get much rest. I did not drink alcohol I just lacked rest. The effects of no rest really caused my workouts to be half ass. For the whole week I worked out only 3 times. I was just too burnt out from the weekend.

If you really want to see results from working out you need to follow the steps I talked about last week & get adequate rest.  A good nights rest & daily naps are just as important as your diet & your work out routines. It is suggested that 6 hours of a full nights rest does your body better than 8 or more hours of interrupted rest. During the time we sleep our bodies are recovering & repairing all the hard work we do in the gym causing our muscles to grow & get stronger.

As I was saying this past week of no rest really affected me. Made it to the gym 3 times but I was not motivated because I forced myself to go workout as opposed to actually looking forward to workout being well rested. Not only was I not motivated to workout but I didn’t even want to follow my diet. I’m glad that I have my Proteinblitz powder & RTD’s. It really helped me keep protein in my body as I skipped whole meals this past week.  Like I’ve said if your serious about seeing results you need to be dedicated in all aspects of this game. Breaking any one of the guidelines is a set up for failure.

This weekend I took it easy. I feel well rested & am looking forward to my workouts this week. Its ok to have one bad week but don’t let it happen consistently. I actually don’t feel too bad from this past week but I’ve learned my lesson to stay well rested. I’m looking forward to going hard this coming week. No more distractions , I am on a mission.

Stay posted for further updates on my progress.

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So I finally finished one full week of limited weight & cardio training. My body is so sore but it feels so good. Being active and eating right makes a world of a difference than just lounging around. Everyday I woke up this week I couldn’t wait to get in the gym. Not to mention all the eye candy as an extra push for motivation.

Because I’m still recovering from my last surgery I’m not able to work out my chest, shoulders & lats. On Monday I did biceps, triceps, abs, calves & 30 mins of cardio. Tuesday I did legs, traps & 30 min cardio. Wednesday I did only 60 mins cardio. Thursday I did the same routine as Monday & Friday the same routine as Tuesday. Keep in mind I’m lifting light weight with high reps so two days is plenty of time to recover before repeating the same workout.

My diet has been pretty simple. My goal for now is to lose body fat because lying around for 4 months really made me soft. For example, for breakfast I will have Proteinblitz Powder mixed with one-cup oatmeal & about two cups fruit. Wait about 1.5 hours & go workout. Immediately after I will have flavored designer whey RTD. (the best tasting RTD I’ve ever tried) & a banana. Then about an hour later a 40g portion of protein from a meat source & a 70g portion of complex carbs like brown rice & vegetables. Then 2-3 hours later make a blended shake consisting of one scoop vanilla Proteinblitz Powder, 8oz liquid egg whites, raw oatmeal, 3/4 oz raw almonds, 6oz yogurt, blueberries & strawberries. Then right before bed 1 cup oatmeal cooked, 12oz liquid egg whites cooked & 3/4 oz of raw almonds or half an avocado. One important thing to remember is we need to consume healthy fats to lose fat.

I should be following this routine or something very similar to this for the next month or so. That’s when I see my doctor next. Like I said I’m feeling great already & can’t wait to make progress. I’m really excited that I was introduced to PROTEINBLITZ. The RTD’s are addicting & the powders taste great. I can feel the difference from using this product. By far the best protein yet!

-Richard Lujan

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My name is Richard Lujan. I’m 27 years old. I’ve been working out since the age of 22. After ending a 5 year relationship I decided it was time to get healthy & fit.

In the beginning I had really no idea what I was doing. I was going to the gym in the evening, partying at night & not eating right. After months of this & not seeing results I knew something was not right. I decided to subscribe to a couple different workout magazines for some direction. Its then that I realized there is so much more that I had to do.

Working out consist of weight lifting, cardio, dieting, supplements, & consistency. To see results this is what needs to be done. Not to mention having some kind of work out plan.

I started to take it seriously & followed all the steps mentioned. I started out at the weight of 185 lbs. I was soft, flabby, & had no muscle tone what so ever. What I thought was strange is that I noticed physical changes but my weight had not changed. I was happy with my results but wanted to gain muscle weight. I the had to go back to the drawing bored. I was able to get up to 194 lbs & got stuck. I hit a plateau & felt kind of lost.

I started to get to know some of that guys at the gym. I was asking questions to compare what they where doing to what I was doing. There was this one particular guy who I noticed was making quick gains in a short period of time so I had to ask what he was doing. He had told me about an over the counter supplement that had helped with his gains & suggested I try it. So I did.

In a matter of a month I went from 194 lbs to about 211 lbs. I was shocked. I got stronger & bigger. I got carried away & didn’t realize I was starting to abuse the supplement. I didn’t think the supplement would cause any health problems because it was over the counter. Little did I know that 5 years later I would have health issues from this supplement that made me look good.

When we take synthetic supplements they makes us feel like superman. I was lifting amounts of weight that I never thought I could do but in the process hurting myself & not knowing. I had always gone to get yearly physicals & every time the doctor said I was fine. About 4 or 5 years later I changed doctors. It was then I found out that I had 3 tears in my groin & gynecomastia, which is extra tissue in the chest area that could possibly cause cancer.

When I first starting taking the supplement is when I tore my groin doing squats. I  thought I had a minor muscle strain. So over time I made it worse causing two more big tears & never realized the damage. Over time the extra tissue started to develop as well. I eventually had to have surgery for all this and was out of work for a total of 3 months.

I’ve experimented with various supplements. I had to learn the hard way that when using supplements all I needed was protein, glutamine, & creatine. That’s it! And of course a proper diet & weight lifting program. I’ve used different protein powders & always found something I didn’t like about it.

I have now returned to the gym with very limited things that I can do. Its been a long 5 month layoff & I’m excited to be back. My weight is now 180 lbs. I have not weighed this little since the end of high school. I’ve started dieting & taking the basic supplements to helpachieve my goals. Remember that supplements aid our goals. They are not the magic powder or pill & should always follow the directions on the label.

I have just recently been introduced to PROTEINBLITZ protein. By far it has been the best I’ve tried. From the powders to the RTD’s. In addition to the taste they provide the right amount of protein & amino acids for the average weight lifter. I honestly don’t see myself changing to a different brand. Other protein powders are wasted during the digestion process so your not getting the full amount that’s stated on the label. With PROTEINBLITZ I feel that I’m getting the most protein out of it. Its only been a couple of weeks & I already feel a difference.

This is a picture from my starting point. I will continue to chart my progress & send updates.

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