As soon as January 1st hits we say “man this year… Imma be in the best shape of my life this year” but by February 1st, we have only gone to the gym a total of two times: one to sign up and the other was just to post on IG a pic of us posing in the mirror with our gym gear on. I personally felt frustrated with my lack of consistency at the gym, especially when I worked 8 hours in the day and just did not feel like doing an extra 2 hours of physical work. I would be great for 2 weeks and then fall off for 4, so it was like I wasn’t making any true progress. So, me being King Clutch, I had to find a way to creative way to spark my motivation for the gym while combining my passion for design and graphic tees. Well, Voila! The BEAST MODE Tank Top was born:
Now, me being a boy trapped in a grown man's body, I was always fascinated by the characters of my favorite cartoons and how they used their physical abilities to defeat their opponents. If you are not an 80's baby, you just won't understand! Cartoons were our equivalent to Instagram! One of my favorites to watch was Dragonball Z and I know my other grown boys can attest that we can still sit down for hours and watch all the episodes. I mean, the intro still gets me AMPED:
With each opponent being stronger than the first, the Saiyans always had to “transform” and “level” up. I mean there was Vegeta & Napa, then Freeza, then the Androids, then Imperfect Cell,then Perfect Cell, Then Buu, the Super Buu, and not to mention Broli!! Oh Broli was Legendary! And those are some of the most popular! Just when you tthought the hero Goku and his friends would be defeated, they somehow channeled energy to transform into something even stronger. As a grown man, I now understand that this is a metaphor for life. As we get older, it is harder to sustain our once limber bodies. We do not jump as high, we do not run as fast and we definitely do not recover quickly from 3 day benders. So, you have to work harder to be better and transform! But it all starts with the mind, if you tell yourself you are too old or too big or too small, then you have already been defeated. But if we change our minds, we can transform our bodies and our situation. The Saiyans had multiple transformations, and would turn into giant apes, so they would literally turn into a BEAST, and that is the theme I ran with when creating a t-shirt to inspire me to hit the gym.
But a t-shirt just wasn’t enough. So Last year, I embarked on a fitness challenge, but not just any fitness challenge! We called it the #8WEEKSOFBEASTMODE CHALLENGE! Essentially, you MUST go to the gym or do a work out every single day, for 8 weeks straight: No Days Off & No Excuses. There is no “Oh I’ll just go tomorrow’ or “I am just so tired”...f*ck that shit! A workout must be done, everyday for 56 says straight! The purpose is to transform your mind and get yourself out of the bad habit of skipping workout days or just not going to the gym at all. Now, I understand that 7 days straight is extremely hard and the body does need a rest day but that is not to say you can’t spend 1 or 2 days doing light workouts, playing sports, walking, or jogging. And the difference with this challenge, it is an actual challenge. I mean, people are more likely to spend hours doing the Mannequin challenge and doing something that can actually improve their well-being but hey, nothing is wrong with having some fun. The real goal is consistency and setting yourself up for that physical transformation right in time for Summer. We often to get to May and realize “Oh shit, summer is here” but we are already 20 pounds deep into Cheetos, pizza and everlasting gobbstoppers! However, starting early in the year and going hard for 2 months straight will help you see those results early and boost your motivation. For example, if you shave off a pound or two on your stomach, its a guarantee you will be crunching like there is no tomorrow. Fellas, you get that one comment from your #wcw saying “oh I see you are getting bigger” and we will be lifting dump trucks by the end of the week. The problem is we do not stay consistent enough after those results to really see change, so the 2 months is a way to shock your mind into ignoring negative thoughts and pushing through the pain, Apollo Creed said “NO PAIN, NO GAIN!. Last year the challenge, was indeed a challenge and it was even harder to go to the gym before or after fetein' all night. But when you tell the world you are embarking on the challenge, the fear of failing and proving the haters right is all the motivation you need. It is tough but that is the entire purpose, you have to work for it. So this year, I had to go for it again and to commemorate the occasion, we released our entire Beast Mode Collection with a 3rd version to get you amped and ready. Most of us won't admit it, but the gym is more about how you look then what you are doing, so why can't you look good while wearing something that reminds you of why you at the gym in the first place? This is why you can collect all 3 and stay motivated for the entire 8 week challenge!
Even if you are not into DBZ, I am sure you are in to getting toned and ripped for the summer. So take the challenge and post on your social media with the hashtag #8weeksofbeastmode. Tag us in your vids and pics for a chance to win one of our Beast Mode Tees to help you stay motivated in the gym. Remember you are NOT alone. I am personally in the gym everyday and if there is one day I don’t go, please call me out and I will personally send you a tshirt for FREE! But I don’t intend on missing a day! Keep up with my progress on our Instagram and Facebook and send me some tips about my form, workouts and diet plans that can help. I would love to hear from my fellow Beast Moders!
BODY GOALS
So just to let you know about what my goals are for the Beast Mode Challenge. I consider myself an active person and I would say I am pretty fit. I am not ripped or super muscular by any means but that is not my goal either. For my height which is 6’2 (thank you Lord), I am a bit under weight due to my slim figure. Therefore, the goal for me is not to get jacked but to gain 5 to 10 pounds of good lean weight while building muscle and strength. Pretty simple right? Hell nah! I would literally have to eat triple the amount of clean food, on schedule and that is just out of by time and budget range. However, it is important that I do try to eat more while working out consistently so at least as weight is gained, I can slowly convert it into muscle and then over time focus on cleaning up my diet. So given that I am in the 5th week (damn time flies) here are some of the things I have noticed:
Good
Small Gains: Gained about 3 pounds since I started, so I have gone from 177 to 180, not a big jump but that at least I didn't let all that fufu and jollofrice go to waste (shoutouts to my Africans)!
Better, Faster, Stronger: I have gone from bench pressing 90lbs to 140lbs and for a skinny dude, that ain't bad. I have also gone from Squatting 90 lbs to 140lbs and can get up to 20 pullups for one set and I usually do about 4 sets. Trust, I could barely do 12 when I started at week 1!
No Days Off: I have truly done an exercise and a work out everyday, no matter how busy I was. I was even on vacation and took a jog around the block shortly after we landed and my friends looked at me like was nuts. Most of my exercises have been in the gym but I’ve mixed it up whenever necessary and even got to jog on the beach one day! Anoteh day I did the P90X Ab Ripper so it’s not about always about hitting the gym, it is about exercising consistently. If you don't believe me, check out the 35 IG posts since I started, numbers don't lie!
Energy Boost: I just feel I have more energy for my workouts and I am naturally more excited to do them. I am used to that feeling of fatigue and just pushing through it. I have also have had the aid of pre-workouts on some days and protein shakes here and there. But overall, I have more energy for the things I want to do.
BAD
Gotta Eat: This is my kryptonite. It is not like I eat bad but I am also not eating quinoa and chicken breast everyday. I am trying to control the sugar and salt intake but still not super diligent about it. As time goes on and after the Beast Mode Challenge is done, I will be able to dedicate more time to a steady meal plan.
Switchin' Up: Right now, I am mostly following this Bio-Grow Hyper Growth program which is awesome but some days I would love to switch it up and do some other exercises that can target other areas. On my flex days (rest days that turn into core workouts) I try to strengthen my core and get my heartrate up with some cardio. If you have any suggestions about any additonal workout program, would love to hear it! Feel free to comment below!
No Gym Partner: It is easier to get and stay motivated when you have another fellow gym rat or trainer to force you to the gym. But when you have to motivate yourself everyday, it only makes the challenge harder. The upside is that I have my friends and people on social media sending me messages about the great job I am doing, so that always helps.
Either way, my final goal is to get to about 182 pounds and limit the body fat around my abdomen. For me, and most men (hence beer bellies), that’s where all our fat goes. Just wish it went to my legs :) Ladies, if you know where your fat goes (let me not say anything else), make sure you try to target those areas during your workouts and go Beast Mode whether you are doing sit ups or squats! Try your best to push for extra reps, especially on the days you use lighter or no weights! Feel free to share some of your goals, triumphs and tribulations so that we can keep each other motivated over the next 3 weeks.
Alright, well what are you waiting for? Stop reading this blog and HIT THE GYM, whether it is your first day or your 20th day! Remember, consistency is KEY, 20-30mins everyday is better than 0 mins! Follow my personal progress on IG @clutchlife85! Change your mind, Transform your body and go BEAST MODE!
Stay Clutch my Friends!