I was "skinny-fat".
(And going through the wonderfully confusing times of puberty)
​
That's what got me to start working out and completely changed my life.
​
​*Flashback*

There I was sitting on the couch with my mom's laptop.
​14 years old.
​About to graduate 8th grade.

​Earlier that day I came home from school- feeling confident.
​Not to brag buuuut I basically had a girlfriend.
​A girl who actually liked me and my personality 🙌🏼
​
​So I was pretty happy with myself as I sat on the computer.
​I was on Facebook.
(Back then it wasn't for old people- It was actually the only social media)

​I was scrolling through- looking at pictures my friends had posted until I saw the one that changed my life.
​
​Someone had tagged me in a picture from the spring vacation we had two months prior.
​I was shirtless in the picture and my confidence / pride went from the highest it's ever been to below rock bottom.

​It probably wouldn't have bothered me buuuut I basically had a girlfriend.
​And we were about to graduate 8th grade... which meant summer and water and being shirtless.
​
​Not looking like that!

After seeing that picture I literally got off the computer and started "working out". (Push-ups and sit-ups)
​
​I was always what people called "skinny" growing up.
​Some people might have even gone so far as to say "scrawny".
​
​But earlier that year my appendix did me the favor of rupturing. Granting me an unexpected surgery after which I wasn't able to exert myself.
​
​Leaving me with the "skinny-fat" look that changed my life and eventually led to 15 years spent in the gym working on myself.
​With the last 8 of those years spent as a personal trainer helping others as well.
​
If  I could go back in time to help my younger-self figure out the skinny-fat fix- Here's what we would do.
​

As you know- To change the "Skinny-fat" physique we need to...
​- Workout Right
​- Eat Right
​
​We cannot "workout" and expect anything to change. We need to make it change.
​We need to train for the change we want. Read here for "Working Out VS Training".
​
​How To Train:
​We are trying to change our physique.
​That means we need to workout to change our physique.
​
​That doesn't mean you can't train for other things like strength or conditioning- Those are great things to train for!!
​But they shouldn't be the focus of your workouts and we won't go over them in this blog.
​
When it comes to training to build muscle...

​First: You do not need to workout more than 4 days per week.
​2-4 is plenty. (I've been lifting for 15 years I train 3-4 days per week and get very good results.)
If you can get 45-75 minute workouts 2-4 is enough.
If you can only manage 15-30 minutes- then you might need 5-7 days.​

​Second: You do not need to do "body part splits". Aka "Chest Day".
​2-4 full body workouts per week will...
​- Keep you moving and feeling good.
​- Decrease overall muscle soreness.
​- Get you in and out of the gym faster.
​
​Third: When you are working out- You need to make your muscles cry.
​If you are not fatigued after a set, you probably didn't go hard enough. Note: There is a sweet spot of going hard but not overdoing it. Please be wise.
​
​
​Here is an example of what I would have Young Ryan do for workouts.

With this 3 day program we can hit every muscle group we care to grow at least 2 times per week.
​
​Note: Some of the smaller muscles get hit from the bigger exercises- Ex. Biceps get hit from Chin-ups.
​So not every muscle needs to get directly targeted throughout the week.
​

How To Eat:
​Eating right will be focused on...
​- Protein
​- Carbs
​- Total Calories
​
​​Note: Micronutrients and fiber are both super important in general. Try not to neglect those- Aka eat fruit and veggies.
​
The goal is to...
- Get 80-100% of your bodyweight in grams of protein per day.

- Eat your maintenance level of calories. (I can't tell you what that is because it's different for everyone) → Go to caloriecalculator.net or download MyFitnessPal and answer the questions to get an idea on how many calories you should eat.

- Get a good amount of you calories from carbs- especially pre and post workout.


​Here's an example of a day of eating...

All of these meals can be made to easily have 30+ grams of protein.
​Add a snack in there for an extra 10-20 grams and that would be a very solid day of eating!

I also thought of meals that would be teenager acceptable- I think young me would eat all of these meals happily.
Adult me would have many more options!
​
​Note: Some of the meals seem like they wouldn't be high in protein- Like "Grilled Cheese w/ Turkey".
​The right types of bread and cheese will turn a simple sandwich into a protein powerhouse!
​

​Now let's get into the action steps!
​

So the quest here is to make one, or both, of the following changes!
​
​Workout Change: Train to build muscle.

- If you don't already- Workout 2-4 times per week.
And
- Make sure you make your muscles cry.
​
​At least the ones you are trying to build- they should cry 3-5 times in a workout, twice per week.

EX:
​Trying to build the chest.
Workout 1 = DB Chest Press 4 x 6-12
Workout 2 = DB Incline Chest Press 3 x10-12

Both of those exercises should make your pecs weep.
Along with other exercises that will hit the chest, just not so hard, you will be pec popping in no time! (Provided your nutrition is on point)
​

​Nutrition Change: Increase protein.
​Most people don't eat enough protein. Even people who think they eat enough don't. (I know from personal experience)

And from nutrition coaching around 100 people- This is the hardest thing for almost everyone.

So...​
​Pick one meal, that you already eat regularly and enjoy.
​Figure out how to add more protein to it.
​
​EX:
​- Cereal: Add chocolate or vanilla protein powder to the milk!
​- Eggs: Add chicken sausage and or extra egg whites.
​- Pasta: Swap the pasta for a higher protein option like chickpea or my favorite- Brami pasta!
​- Coffee: Drink half of your normal coffee and use the rest for a protein shake. (Blend banana, protein powder, and oikos yogurt with your coffee)

Do this, one meal at a time, until you have learned how to add the protein while still enjoying the food!

You will have to weigh / measure ingredients and either use an app like MyFitnessPal or do some good math using the nutrition facts of whatever you're eating.

Either way- Start small with one meal at a time and go from there!
(Here is a but more on making nutrition changes.)