1. Biography
• Name: Brian Ahlstrom
• Age: 35
• Height: 5’9.5”
• Weight (Contest): 172 lbs.
• Weight (Off-Season): 210 lbs.
• Body Fat: N/A
• Hometown: Waukon IA
• Gym: Anytime Fitness
• Profession: Manager
2. What got you started in bodybuilding/fitness?
I started when I was 14 or 15—I was sick of being small (5’9” 119 lbs). In my first 12 months of lifting, I gained 40 lbs. I then became obsessed with SIZE. I ballooned up to a high of 250+ about six years ago. I now walk around in the off-season at 205-215 lbs. depending on how I am dieting. I step on stage in the mid 170’s. As you can see, I need to tighten up my off-season diet! I take 20+ weeks to prep for any show that I do. My goal will be to keep this weight in the mid 190’s so I’m closer to hitting the stage and bringing some UNREAL conditioning. I want to be grotesquely ripped from here on out.
3. What keeps you motivated to train?
It comes from within. I love a good challenge and want to always be at my best. I am pushing hard to be at my best for shows in May. My ultimate focus and goal is to obtain my Natural Pro Card.
4. What workout plan has worked best for you?
I respond best to working each body parts once per week. Here is my current split.
Monday- Back/Rear Delts (Re-FEED)
Hyperextensions- 4 sets of 12-15 reps
Chins- 4 sets of 10 reps
Pull-downs or Pullovers- 3 sets of 10 reps
Bent Rows- 4 sets of 8 reps
Romanian Deadlifts- 3 sets of 8-10 reps
DB Rows- 1 set of 25-30 reps
Machine Rear Delts- 2 sets of 15 reps
Cardio- 20-30 minutes (keep HR around 120-130 bpm)
Tuesday- Chest
Incline Barbell Press- 3 sets of 8 reps
Flat DB Press- 3 sets of 10 reps
Decline Cable Flies- 3 sets of 12-15 reps
Machine Flies- 2 sets of 15 reps
Cardio- 20-30 minutes (keep HR around 120-130 bpm)
Wednesday- Arms
Barbell Curls- 3 sets of 8 reps
Skull Crushers- 3 sets of 10-12 reps
St DB Curls- 3 sets of 8 reps superset with below:
— Tricep Pushdown- 3 sets of 10 reps finish with a drop set to failure
DB Concentration Curls- 2 sets of 12 reps superset with below:
— OA Tri Cable Press downs- 2 sets of 15 reps
Cardio- 20-30 minutes(keep HR around 120-130 bpm)
Thursday- Legs/Calves (Re-FEED)
Squats- 3 sets of 8-10 reps
Split Squats on the Smith Machine- 3 sets of 12 reps
Super set Leg Ext and Leg Curls- 4 sets of 15-20 reps per set
Glute Ham Raises- 3 x failure
SLDL- 3 sets of 8 reps
Smith Squats or Walking Lunges- 1 set of high reps- 20-30 to failure
Calf Raises- Warm-up then 1 set of 100 total reps pausing 10 seconds
etween sets (I push for 30-35 on my first set then 25, 15, etc but go to failure on each)
No cardio
Friday- Shoulders and Traps
*Perform the first 3 as a giant set
- Side Laterals- 3 sets of 12 reps
- Bent Laterals- 3 sets of 8 reps
- Arnold Presses- 3 sets of 6-10 reps
Run the Rack Side DB Laterals (4 drop sets to failure around 8-10 reps per set)
Heavy BB Shrugs- 4 sets of 12-15 reps per set but HEAVY
Cardio- 20-30 minutes (keep HR around 120-130 bpm)
M/T/W/Fri-Cardio:
30-40 minutes at night as well of Low to Moderate intensity(120-140
bpm).
Sat/Sun: HIIT Cardio:
20 minutes (10-12 sets of 15 seconds at 100% and 45 seconds at 15%,
4-5 min warm-up then equal cool down. Warm-up and cool down done at 50% intensity as
well).
ABS- 3 x per week- 400-500 total reps of any exercise that I prefer.
5. What is your philosophy about cardio?
It’s a must off-season and contest prep.
6. What is your philosophy about weight training?
Lift hard and heavy.
7. Do you prefer HIIT or steady state cardio?
I use a combo of both and don’t have a preference. I really like HIIT Cardio as it’s more intense and I find myself getting bored with Low Intensity. I feel I respond best to the combination of the two. I love low intensity Post Workout because you are easily in the fat burner mode with minimal effort.
8. What are your top 5 favorite exercises?
Skull Crushers because I love them and squats and deadlifts because they are the best exercises on the planet!
9. What is your philosophy about nutrition?
Keep it clean and keep carbs as high as you can.
10. What nutrition plan has worked best for you?
40/40/20 off-season, 50/35/15 contest
Right now I am in pre-contest mode. Here is an example of a normal day (numbers may not be dead on here as it’s just an example). I am 100% a numbers guy and log everything I eat into a journal. I supplement my fats with fish oils depending on my numbers. I tried to keep my fat under 9 grams pre and post workout then split it evenly throughout the day. I also split my carbs evenly (less in the AM), pre and post.
240 protein/170 carbs/55 fat on normal day
1 scoop of Xtend up waking(3 mitropin)
7:30 AM- 1.5 pro scoops with 1 serving of fiber one ground up in a coffee grinder added to
shake
10:10 AM (pre workout)- 6 oz chicken/1 large sweet potato or oats
1:10 PM (post workout)- 1.5 pro scoops/ 1 oat/2 rice cakes or small baked potato (if not whole food is available I will go with dextrose).
3:30 PM- 1 pouch of tuna/2 servings broccoli
6:30 PM- 6 oz lean beef, l g salad and 2-3 servings of veggies depending on my macro needs
9:00 PM- egg whites and veggies depending on my macro numbers
Re-feed at 215p/290c/50fat
1 scoop of Xtend up waking(3 mitropin)
7:30 AM- 1 scoop pro/1 fiber one ground into shake 6 oz grape fruit
10:10 AM (pre)- 5 oz chicken/2 oats/sweet potato
1:10 PM(post)- 1 scoop of pro/2 oats/2 rice cakes or dextrose to meet needs
3:30 PM- 1 tuna/1 rice cakes/2 broccoli
6:30 PM- 7 oz baked fish/2 veggies/1 oatmeal
9:00 PM- egg white and oats or cream of wheat depending on numbers prep (this is ever-
changing and just a starting point).
11. What is your favorite cheat food?
Pizza.
12. What is your favorite health food?
Balanced lasagna or Cutler’s Pound for Pound Pasta.
13. What supplements have given you the greatest gains?
I love Xtend for keeping size while training and nothing beats the below protein supplements:
- Whey Protein to help meet protein goals
- Xtend/BCAA product: 1 scoop between meals, 2 scoops post workout. I sip on BCAA during HIIT cardio as well.
- 5g creatine per day (AM and Post workout)
- 3 sesamin capsules per day
- 3g beta-alanine per day 1g preworkout/1g postworkout/1g dinner
- 200mg lipoic acid with pre & post workout meals
- 3g HMB per day
- 1g L-Carnitine Tartrate with pre & post workout meals and 1g with dinner
- 1g Betaine HCl with pre & post workout meals and 1g with dinner
- Multivitamin
- 1000 mg glucosamine/day
- 3 fish oil caps per day take with food
- CLA
- Fat burner: I alternate between dialene 4x and mitotropin
14. What does your pre and post workout nutrition consist of?
I normally go with 40 g of whey/1 serving of oats and a baked potato or rice cakes. If I don’t have food available I will go with Dextrose. I go 45 grams of carbs pre and post on normal days. I up this to 75 grams pre and post on Re-Feed days.
15. Who are your favorite fitness/bodybuilder competitors or role models?
Phillip Heath, Arnold, Frank Zane, Dexter Jackson, Flex Wheeler and Shawn Ray.
16. What obstacles have you had to overcome (injury, illness, relationships etc.)?
Keeping a good attitude every day and going to the gym when life comes up, so to say.
17. What was the biggest mistake you made when you first started training?
Over-training and diet.
18. What tips would you give to a beginner?
Study, Study and EAT, EAT, EAT!
19. What are your future fitness goals?
I hope to earn my Natural Pro Card in 2010.
20. Where can we find you on MuscleDog.com?
My username is Trapzillaoo7. Check out my profile for more information! Be sure to check out my photo gallery there as well.
