RICH GASPARI 51 Days No Excuses © 2014 Rich Gaspari All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopying, scanning, or otherwise—without permission in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in a review. For information on licensing or special sales, contact: Dunham Books, 63 Music Square East, Nashville, Tennessee 37203. Author/Publisher Note: This book proposes dietary recommendations for the reader to follow. However, before starting this or any other diet or exercise regimen, you should consult your physician. Consuming raw or undercooked eggs may increase your risk of foodborne illness, especially if you have a medical condition. ISBN 978-1-939447-13-5 (Trade Paperback) ISBN 978-1-939447-14-2 (E-book) Printed in the United States of America This book is dedicated to my father Stefano Gaspari, a man who came to the USA from a war-torn Italy to better not only his life, but the lives of his children. He taught me that with hard work, determination, and drive that you can be successful in life. He was a loving father and my mentor and I am truly grateful to have had him as my father. I always believe he is looking down on me and is proud of my accomplishments. CONTENTS INTRODUCTION | Walking the Walk THE DAILY WORKOUT DAY 1 | Start Where You Are DAY 2 | The Necessary Nutrition DAY 3 | When You Hit Rock Bottom DAY 4 | The Right People in the Right Place DAY 5 | Oh, the Places You’ll Go! DAY 6 | Push Harder DAY 7 | The Secret to Success DAY 8 | No More Excuses DAY 9 | Do It for You DAY 10 | Iron Sharpens Iron DAY 11 | Competition Is a Good Thing DAY 12 | Write It Down DAY 13 | You Will Not Fail DAY 14 | A Vote of Confidence DAY 15 | Try Something New DAY 16 | Just Go for It DAY 17 | You Are What You Eat DAY 18 | A Little Respect DAY 19 | Do What You Love DAY 20 | Do Your Homework DAY 21 | Eat That Frog DAY 22 | No, It Won’t Kill You! DAY 23 | It’s All About You DAY 24 | Not Fun and Games DAY 25 | “You Can’t Do That” and Other Motivational Speeches DAY 26 | Nothing Worthwhile Is Easy DAY 27 | Aging with Style DAY 28 | Who Was the Greatest? DAY 29 | How to Ride the Roller Coaster DAY 30 | Appearances Matter—Sometimes DAY 31 | Test Everything DAY 32 | Is Your Network Up and Running? DAY 33 | Fat Boy DAY 34 | Are You Teachable? DAY 35 | Don’t Settle! DAY 36 | Blame It on the Hulk DAY 37 | Do Whatever It Takes DAY 38 | Nature vs. Nurture DAY 39 | What’s in a Name? DAY 40 | Never Stop Learning DAY 41 | Family Pride DAY 42 | One Penny At a Time DAY 43 | This Is War DAY 44 | Forge Your Own Path DAY 45 | The Well-Rounded Chest DAY 46 | Show Time! DAY 47 | A Four-Letter Word DAY 48 | Relationship Equity DAY 49 | One Step at a Time DAY 50 | Your Number One Priority DAY 51 | The Future Is Now APPENDIX | Food & Supplements ABOUT THE AUTHOR INTRODUCTION WALKING THE WALK I hadn’t competed in a bodybuilding competition for nearly two decades. I was still highly involved in the sport through my nutritional supplement company, Gaspari Nutrition, attending competitions, and sponsoring professional athletes, but my body wasn’t where I wanted it to be. I wasn’t in bad shape, but with my work being done from behind a desk and loads of corporate travel, I felt soft. But what was bugging me even more was that I felt a little hypocritical. Here I was—the CEO of a company that emphasizes fitness and maximizing one’s physicality—and I wasn’t practicing what I preached. If I was going to challenge my customers and fans to believe that mediocrity was not acceptable and to reach for their best, then I knew I needed to throw down the same challenge for myself. Now everyone knows a 48-year-old man can’t compete. Right? Some of my best friends let me know it. Of course that wasn’t the first time I’d heard, “You can’t do it.” In truth, I didn’t have any real plans to compete again, but I did feel a burning desire to work out like I was going to be in the Mr. Olympia contest. I wanted to get myself into the best shape of my life—not only for my age, but for any age. And one thing you should know about me: I am a very competitive person. Failure isn’t an option. I started on Memorial Day. Fifty-one days later my body fat was down to two percent. Take a look at the cover photograph again and tell me I couldn’t do it. This book is the story of my 51-day journey. But it’s not just about me. It’s about you. And I’m here to tell you that you can achieve your ultimate body by following the same program. I don’t care if your goal is to be a bodybuilder or just get in better shape—you are going to get leaner, stronger, ripped, and bigger in the right places. I don’t care if other programs haven’t worked for you—this combination of diet and workout regimen is going to give you results that blow past anything you’ve experienced in the past. I don’t care if you don’t have all the right equipment, feel too small, think you are past your prime, or whatever other negativity is nagging at you—you are going to look and feel great. You are going to work out a muscle group every day and you are going to eat seven meals every day—with less fat, more protein, complex carbohydrates, and supplements to fill in the nutritional gaps that you can’t get in your food. There’s nothing magical about 51 days. I’ve heard it takes 40 days to start a new habit, so I believe the extra 11 days will make sure what I am teaching here really takes hold. Don’t miss what I just said. I haven’t stopped at 51 days. Now that I’ve got my ultimate body back I don’t have any intention of letting it go anywhere. Because this isn’t a quick-fix program. This is a lifestyle. Are you ready? The good news is I’ll be your workout partner every day. I will be in your face letting you know in no uncertain terms that failure isn’t an option. Just a few words of wisdom: don’t take this training program lightly; it is hardcore and if you follow it as it’s laid out and give the routine 100% intensity, you will undoubtedly build muscle and improve your overall conditioning. The good news is that the secret to more muscle is pretty simple: train heavy and with intensity. Fuel your exhausted muscles with the right nutrients and enough calories to sustain muscle growth. If you’re not eating enough, guess what, you don’t have enough raw materials to build your body! Try to sleep approximately eight hours each night—if you’re sleep deprived, your body isn’t going to heal and grow after these workouts I have for you. Do it! Stay the course. If you don’t feel like training, realize that you are the only person who can hold you back. Stop the excuses and turn what you think will be a lagging workout, into your greatest workout yet! Are you ready to get started? Are you ready to walk the walk with me? Let’s do this! —Rich Gaspari THE DAILY WORKOUT My overall approach has changed drastically from my years as a professional bodybuilder in my 20s and early 30s. When I was a bodybuilder, I was mostly concerned with gaining mass on my physique and building up for a contest. Back then, I trained on a six-day split. During the off-season, it would be three days on and one day off. As a contest approached, say 8-to-10 weeks out, then I trained 6 consecutive days. My training during this time would be a double split, where I’d train once in the morning and once at night. I always trained to failure (repeating an exercise to the point of momentary muscular failure), using very, very heavy weights with low repetitions. Now that I’m in my 40s, my training has changed. I still love training and do it five days a week, but I only train once a day for about an hour to an hour and fifteen minutes. I now train to maintain what I have and to avoid injuries with moderately heavy weight and higher repetitions. What weight should you work out with? Muscles don’t know weight— muscles know and respond to failure. I would suggest you start with a comfortable weight that challenges your limits, but allows you to exercise safely. But the lighter you go the more reps you need to do to reach failure, that point when your muscle says, “no more.” THE DAILY DIET I hadn’t seriously dieted in more than 15 years, and honestly I like the fact that I can eat what I want and stay in fairly good shape. That’s a plus. I have good genetics and don’t gain body fat easily. But getting in shape like I was when I competed is another story! The first thing I needed to do was to make sure I ate enough throughout the day, so I would get all the proper nutrients to stay in an anabolic state. And by eating seven times a day like I used to, my metabolism sped up to burn fat and increase my lean muscle mass. I also felt it would be a true testament to my products to use them for my transformation. Myofusion, SuperPump, Sizeon, Anavite, and BCAA6000 are the main products I took for my transformation. I also know my body responds well to higher carbohydrates that are more complex, so I stay away from white flour and white sugars and eat more of an even distribution of proteins-to-carbs with the essential fats from fish oils, almonds, and natural peanut butter. My protein sources are grilled chicken, lean red meats, egg whites, white fish, and Myofusion, with my complex carbs coming from sweet potatoes, brown rice, oatmeal, and occasional whole-wheat pasta. I get my fibrous carbs from broccoli, asparagus, and green salads. I also eat some fruits: bananas, apples, and one cup of natural apple juice (a half cup each for the two shakes I drink every day). Stick with these nutrition guidelines and do your best to stay within the guidelines of the eating plan—this will ensure that you’re fueling your exhausted muscles and neurological system with the necessary nutrients for ongoing muscle growth and consistent progress throughout your training. Before we begin Day 1, review the following points: 1. GET A JOURNAL AND START WRITING DOWN EVERYTHING YOU EAT. You can download free apps for your smartphone if that works better for you. The important thing is to hold yourself accountable. 2. YOU WILL EAT SEVEN MEALS EVERY DAY–and you will include protein with every meal. 3. PREPARE, PREPARE, PREPARE! Eating seven times a day will require that you plan ahead for your grocery shopping and daily meals. 4. YOUR FOOD RATIO CONSUMPTION WILL BE: 45% complex carbohydrates (fruits and vegetables); 40% lean proteins (my favorite is buffalo meat); and 15% healthy fats that are full of omega-6, such as olive oil, nuts, etc. 5. CUT OUT SUGARS AND GLUTENS FROM YOUR DIET—only eat complex carbohydrates. 6. EAT WHAT YOU LOVE. I will show you what foods to eat, but you can come up with your own recipes. Be creative! If you have some great recipes that work on the program—please send them to me so I can share them with others. 7. MAKE GOOD FOOD CHOICES WHEN EATING OUT. For you to achieve your ultimate body, you can’t be scarfing donuts with your coffee in the morning or running out for a burger with fries for lunch. You will learn how to eat smart while on the go. 8. CONSIDER NUTRITIONAL SUPPLEMENTATION. I believe you will need some supplements to get enough protein—and I want you to focus on probiotics and antioxidants. Remember, you get what you pay for— avoid discount brands. DAY 1 START WHERE YOU ARE Do you have some extra fat around your waist you didn’t have a few years ago? Are you already discouraged because you are doing this on your own and haven’t found a training partner? Are you feeling tired before you even get to the gym? Do you feel like you are stuck in a rut in life and are having a hard time getting started? Are you mad that you can’t get definition in your lower legs? Or your abs? Or build muscle mass in your chest? Good. I’m glad you know you are in a big fight and that this isn’t going to be easy. The old adage is true. Nothing worthwhile comes easy. But when you achieve your ultimate body, it is going to feel even better. You will know what you fought through. If you are a little mad, frustrated, disgusted, or whatever you are feeling right now, that’s fine with me, because those kinds of emotions are what we all need to make a commitment to change. If I hadn’t been a little pissed at myself, guess what? You already know the answer. I wouldn’t have accomplished what I did over the course of 51 days. If I had been happy and content I would have stayed on a comfortable course, not pushed myself to the max. I don’t care what shape you are in right now. I care about where you are going. I am a firm believer in looking forward. Achieving the ultimate body—or any other kind of success in life—is a journey based on setting a goal and then having the discipline to work toward it. It’s not where you are today that matters. It’s having a goal that matters. When I first decided I wanted to be a bodybuilder, I was a skinny fourteen-year-old kid. I had just been released from the hospital after a