1. Biography
• Name: Cephas Bracey
• Age: 33
• Height: 5’8” ½
• Weight: 184.5 lbs. (injured, usually between 170 – 180 lbs.)
• Body Fat: Usually about 10 – 13% when not injured.
• Hometown: Sykesville, MD
• Profession: Certified Personal Trainer
2. What got you started in bodybuilding/fitness?
I really fell in love with exercise in my early twenties; however, it still did not stop me from blowing up to a weight of 325 pounds by November of 2009. That is when I decided that I needed to lose the weight. Obesity will completely ruin your life. I had to order my clothing online, I did not want to go anywhere unless I had too, and I could not even do the easiest things. I could not even walk for that long without feeling exhausted. The worst kind of prison you can be in is a prison within yourself. You go on because you have to, but you are never really experience happiness in any form.
3. What keeps you motivated to train?
All I have to do is think about my experience with obesity. I am never going back to that condition ever again. Health and wellness is maintained by consistently making healthy decisions. After a little while, it just becomes a part of your life. It becomes routine. You cannot find long-term health in a pill or a surgery. You must adjust your lifestyle. I am also a very goal oriented person. I love to push myself. Everybody should set good goals for themselves and work hard to achieve them. Another thing that motivates me to stay fit is to show appreciation to Jehovah God for the gift of the human body and the mind. He is the giver of every good gift.
4. What workout plan has worked best for you?
In my opinion, the best workout plan incorporates a mixture of cardio and weight training. Your training should be a mix of many types of exercises using different types of equipment. I am always improving my diet and workout plan. I have adjusted my training to about 12-15 resistance exercises per workout followed by about 20 to 30 minutes of cardio after. Do not forget to do a proper warm-up. It is much better to exercise during the morning hours if you can.
Here is an example of my weekly exercise routine:
Monday: Chest/Triceps/Core
• Push Crunch w/BB
• Dumbbell Side bend
• Hanging Oblique Knee Raise
• Flat Bench Barbell Press
• Push-ups
• Incline Bench Barbell Press
• Tricep Dumbbell Kickback
• Decline Bench Barbell Press
• Lying Triceps Extension
• Standing Cable Crossover
• Dips
• Hanging Straight Leg Raise
Tuesday: Lower Body/Core
• Barbell Squat
• Seated Leg Curl
• Leg Press
• Glute Machine Press
• Lying Leg Curl
• Standing Calf Raise
• Inner Thigh Abductor
• Seated Calf Raise
• Hip Abductor
• Reverse Calf Raises
• Lying Leg Raise w/bench
Wednesday: Back/Biceps/Core
• Russian Twist w/WP
• Abdominal Crunch w/WP
• Oblique Crunch w/ball
• Pull up – wide grip
• Barbell Bicep Curl
• Lat Pulldown
• Suppinated Dumbbell Curls
• Bent Over Barbell Row
• Hammer Dumbbell Curls
• Seated Cable Row Machine
• Chin up – parallel grip
• Dead Lift
• Back Hyperextensions
• Vertical Leg Raise w/chair
Thursday: Shoulders/Forearms/Core
• Reverse Crunch
• Ab Scissors
• Bicycle Crunch
• Standing Barbell Military Press
• Reverse Barbell Curl
• Barbell Shrug
• Seated Palms Down Wrist Curl
• Arnold Dumbbell Press
• Seated Palms Up Wrist Curl
• Cuban Press
• Standing WP Hand Squeeze
• Front Dumbbell Raise
• Side Lateral Dumbbell Raise
• Rear Lateral Dumbbell Raise
• Ab Roll Out
Friday: Core/Neck
• Lying Neck Extension w/WP
• Neck Flexion w/WP
• Dumbbell Side Bends
• Hanging Straight Leg Raise
• Push Crunch w/BB
• Hanging Oblique Knee Raise
• Leg Raise w/bench
• Abdominal Crunch w/WP
• V Leg Raise w/chair
• Russian Twist w/WP
• Oblique Crunch w/ball
• Ab Scissors
• Bicycle Crunches
• Reverse Crunch
• Ab Roll Out
Examples of Cardio I do:
• Treadmill
• Stadium Stairs
• Suicide Drills & other sprint drills
• Weighted Barbell walks
5. What is your philosophy about cardio?
Personally, I think cardio is the most important part of the workout and I love doing it. I love the treadmill. I use to jog about 5 miles a day 6 days a week until my injury. I also really like running stairs. The last time I was on vacation in Texas, I ran the stairs at the hotel in the morning so I could get some kind of exercise in. It was a great workout, very challenging. I also like suicide drills. I also plan to learn how to swim soon. Doing different types of cardio will keep your exercise routine fresh and keep your body guessing. There have been many studies completed by many organizations, which compare the benefits of steady rate and high intensity interval training. It seems like lately the experts are leaning in favor of HIIT. I say do what you want to do when it comes to cardio. I prefer a mixture of both. One day I may do sprints, and another day I may go for a 1-hour jog. Just remember, safety first. Be proactive about injury prevention, even if you have no prior history of injures.
6. What is your philosophy about weight training?
I also find resistance training invigorating. I use the 2-for-2 Rule to determine when I increase resistance. This formula developed by Graves and Baechle, calls for added resistance when you can successfully complete two or more repetitions in the last set in two consecutive workouts for any given exercise. This demonstrates true mastery of a weight and you don’t spend all day at the gym taking weights off of barbells and piling them on. Changing weights will suck a lot of time out of your workout. I usually do three sets of each resistance exercise. I think three sets provide the muscles with more than enough stimulation for them to grow and it saves time so you can include other exercises in your routine. When I first started lifting I had a high rep target, but now I use eight reps as my target. Soon, I will lower my target reps and then I will raise them again, like a cycle. Occasionally, switching up the amount of reps you do will keep your muscles adapting. I try to use many types of different equipment in weight training.
7. Do you prefer HIIT or steady state cardio?
I like both, but if I had to choose, I would probably choose steady state cardio. Steady state cardio can help you cultivate the quality of endurance, which can be a major help to you all throughout your life. If I had to choose one area to train in, it would be endurance.
8. What are your top 5 favorite exercises?
• Push-ups
• Weighted Barbell Squat
• Flat Bench Barbell Press
• Standing Military Press
• Russian Twist w/ weight plate
9. What is your philosophy about nutrition?
In my personal experience, it is always better to eat whole foods if you can. Over time, I find myself eliminating everything from my diet that is not natural. I still eat foods that do not fit that definition, but I am working towards this goal. It’s a simple rule and over time, if you are making a earnest effort to eat healthy you will probably find yourself reaching the same conclusion. In addition, I also watch my sugar intake since diabetes is rampant among African Americans, and I pay special attention to omega-3 fats.
10. What nutrition plan has worked best for you?
My nutrition plan consists of about six small meals a day not including coffee. I use Microsoft excel to analyze the nutritional data of my meals. Everybody is different, but the best plan for me is a diet with about a 40% carbohydrate, 30% fat, and 30% protein distribution of calories. I stay away from processed sugars and concentrate on eating omega-3 fats. You need to eat a moderate amount of fat. It is essential for heart, brain, and joint health. Do not be fooled by the food labeling. I try to eat whole foods. Here is a sample of what I eat 6-7 days a week:
Upon Waking up (around 6:00 AM)
• 8 -16 oz. of water
• 2 Tbsp. Coffee w/ 12 ounces of water
• 1 Tbsp. sugar free coffee mate
Breakfast
• 4 Large Eggs
• 1 cup Fiber Bran Cereal w/ 4oz. fat-free milk
• 2 bags – Green Tea w/ 12 ounces of water
Post Workout
• Water to hydrate
• 1 scoop - Whey protein powder w/ 8oz. fat-free milk, 1 tbsp. olive oil, and 1 tsp. ground ginger
• 8 oz. vegetable juice
• 1 large apple
Lunch
• 1 cup – Old Fashioned Oats w/ 8oz. fat free milk, 1 tsp. ground cinnamon, and 5 tbsp. sugar free syrup
Upon waking up – Around 6:00 AM
• 2 Tbsp. Coffee w/ 12 ounces of water
• 1 Tbsp. sugar free coffee mate
Dinner
• 4 – 5oz. Baked Chicken Breast seasoned with red pepper, Italian seasoning mix, and black pepper
• 1 slice of whole wheat sugar-free bread
• 8 oz. Vegetable juice w/ 1 tsp. Cheyenne pepper
• 3.5 cups – Cut Green Beans
Snack # 2
Tuna Wrap
• 5 oz. can – Solid white albacore tuna
• 1 Burrito Style Tortilla wrap
• 1 cup - organic baby spinach
• 2 tbsp. White wine vinegar
• Spices: black pepper, red pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, Italian seasoning mix
Snack #3
• 1 scoop - casein protein powder w/ 10oz. fat-free milk, 1 tbsp. flax oil, 1 tsp. ground turmeric, and1 tsp. nutmeg
11. What is your favorite cheat food?
I guess that would be pizza. I usually eat a few slices while I am watching football during the NFL season. I do not feel like preparing any meals on Sunday so that is my cheat day while the football season is on. I do not get completely out of control though. You can have a few slices of pizza every now and then. The problem is people think every now and then means every other day. Corporations have brainwashed everybody into thinking it’s normal to eat that food all the time for the sake of their stock price while human society as a whole suffers because they need it to rise by 5 cents.
12. What is your favorite health food?
I love oats. I have a bowl almost everyday. I add a tsp. of cinnamon and some sugar free syrup. I may end up using something else other then the sugar free syrup soon since it has aspartame in it. It is delicious and extremely healthy for you.
13. What supplements have given you the greatest gains?
I use protein powder, some flax oil, and a vitamin. The protein powder has been the most useful of them all.
14. What does your pre and post workout nutrition consist of?
I eat breakfast at least an hour before I head to the gym. My normal breakfast consists of V8 (low sodium), scrambled eggs, fiber bran cereal, green tea, whole wheat bread, water, and coffee. I try to have a whey protein shake within 10 minutes after my workout. I also drink plenty of water to rehydrate my body and some healthy carbs like an apple.
15. Which tools have helped you most with your nutrition and training?
The first tool you need is the right mindset. Be positive and determined. The internet has also been a major help to me in learning about diet and exercise. Another tool is the power of observation. I always look for the good things that other people do that might help me. When I go to the gym, I always observe other people and try to learn from them. You can gain a lot of knowledge simply from observing your surroundings.
16. Have online resources (social networks) helped you in your training?
I use many websites to research exercise and nutrition sources. I can’t really narrow it down to one, but it is a very effective source of information. Caution, do not believe everything you read. You shouldn’t go with just one source. Find the same answer through multiple sources and use your common sense before accepting it as valid. Social networks can help. You can ask somebody in your network questions or seek help from people who may have expertise in weight loss.
17. Where is the first place you turn to when looking for training / fitness / nutrition advice?
Usually, if I have a question I research it on the internet. If I still have questions I ask other people, whom I think might know.
18. Who are your favorite fitness/bodybuilder competitors or role models?
I really do not have any. There are fitness enthusiasts who I listen to or watch in order to further my education, but I do not try to model myself after any of them.
19. What obstacles have you had to overcome?
Relationships can be a problem. Some people are miserable and only want to see everybody else miserable with them. Be on the lookout for these kinds of people. They will purposely try to sabotage your weight loss plans just so you can stay unhealthy with them. Also, avoid negative people. They are the pits. You will be at the bottom of one if you keep listening to and dwelling on their nonsense. The other obstacle that I faced was injuries, which we all will have at some time or another. Pay attention to your body and do things in moderation.
20. What was the biggest mistake you made when you first started training?
I made many mistakes, but I think the biggest mistake I made was not eating a healthy diet at the beginning. It is not enough to eat a specified number of calories every day. The majority of those calories must be from healthy foods. You can be a physically fit individual and still be a ticking time bomb.
21. What tips would you give to a beginner?
Sit down and make a realistic plan. That is the first step. You cannot drive from Maryland to California without something to guide you. You will either use a map or read the road signs. If you do not have the knowledge to make a plan, then you need to consult other sources. When you have finished your plan, you must stick to it and continue to improve upon it. Do not doubt yourself or become discouraged. You get enough negativity from the world around you. Do not add to it. If you put forth an earnest effort, you will be successful. Give 100% and even if you fail to reach your goal (which I highly doubt will happen), you will benefit yourself in some other way. Living a healthy lifestyle is a good goal, so as long as you are really trying, you will not fail even though there may be major obstacles in your path.
22. What are your future fitness goals?
I want to maintain a healthy weight while continuing to improve my level of fitness, in terms of strength, endurance, and intensity.
23. Where can we find you on MuscleDog.com?
Check out my profile fitnessfreak78 to see my before and after photos.
www.slingshotfitness.com
Cephas@slingshotfitness.com
