Adrian Andoy Added 20 Pounds to His Dad Bod Frame
- Name: Adrian Andoy
- Age: 31
- Starting Weight: 118
- Ending Weight: 138
- Transformation Starting Date: January 2014
- Transformation Ending Date: In Progress
- Instagram: @adthefirst1987
Before Adrian's Transformation
Before I started lifting, my firstborn son was two years old. I had a typical dadbod with a full-time 8-5 job. My son was born in the Philippines and moved here to the US with his mother at the age of 20 months back in 2013.
Related - Marc "The Machine" Lobliner Goes From Balloon to Boom!
My son is always energetic and wanted to play with me when I get home from work. Back then I always felt tired, no energy to do anything after a long day of work. I just wanted to sit and relax. My second child was born a year later (2014).
The Moment Adrian's Life Changed
So in January 2014, I decided to get a gym membership as part of my new year's resolution. Some of my friends were already lifting. I simply wanted to get into a healthy lifestyle, be more active, and hopefully, not get too fat.
Five of my seven siblings are overweight. Some of them are under 40 and have health issues such as gout and high blood pressure. Most of this is from poor diet and lack of exercise.
I told myself at that time that if I don’t do anything ill be looking like them and might never lose weight even if I’ll try. I was also hoping to get fit enough that I could keep up with my kids even after work. I wanted to be the type of dad that could run and play with them on any day.
Adrian's Diet and Workout Approach
When I started lifting I had very little idea what I was doing, both in the gym and in the kitchen. During my first two years, I copied what my friends were doing.
- Monday - Chest
- Tuesday - Back
- Wednesday - Shoulder
- Thursday - Arms
- Friday was BS day; a little bit of everything and abs.
I did this program week after week for two years. I had no idea about the five major compound lifts and didn’t work out my legs. However, there was never a full week that I didn’t workout. I was very consistent.
Six months into lifting I saw no improvement at all. I asked the manager at my gym why I haven’t seen any changes and I was still weak. He told me I was doing too much cardio.
At that time, I was doing 30 to 60 minutes of cardio five days a week. When I cut down my cardio I noticed some muscle gains and a little improvement in my strength.
As far as diet goes, exactly the same before I joined the gym plus a post-workout protein shake. I’d eat whatever was on the table for dinner, eat fast food for lunch, and usually cereal or instant oatmeal for breakfast. The only thing I was good at that time was my consistency.
Over two years into my fitness journey, I started watching YouTube videos. Marc and others always talk about to lose weight I should be in a calorie deficit and to gain weight I should be in a calorie surplus. So I started tracking what I ate.
I also followed guys like Jeff Cavaliere, Jeff Nippard, and others who usually goes above and beyond explaining workouts and diets. This is when I did a complete overhaul on my fitness approach.
I started doing compound lifts including squats and deadlifts. I tracked what goes in my mouth, I made sure I get enough protein and healthy fats. I picked healthier foods that I enjoy eating like oatmeal, sweet potatoes, etc.
Adrian's Struggles
My main struggle along the way was probably my lack of knowledge about what I was doing. I also felt insecure about the guys who could lift heavier weights in the gym while I struggled to do 30lb dumbell bench presses.
I’ve seen guys in the gym who would look at me like I’m an idiot who knows nothing about what I was doing. I struggled to filter the good and bad advice I got from others.
Most Important Thing You Learned?
I’d say be the best that I can be. I always thought that if I’d work out hard enough, one day I'd look like the guys in men’s physique. Marc always preaches: “You can’t polish a turd into a diamond.”
That's how I see myself now. I may not be the strongest in the gym, I may not have the physique of the guys I look up to, but I can strive to be the best that I can be.
Also, Marc said once to a guy who asked him how to get big like him. He answered workout and eat properly for 20 years and see where it gets you. And that's what I wanted to see 15 years from now.
Biggest Mistake?
Asking the wrong people and believing that I can transform my body in few months like what social media makes us believe. Listening to the wrong advice from others.
I had a friend who told me I need to eat lots of food and it doesn’t matter what type of food since I workout. He advised me to drink a mass gain protein shake three times a day and to just eat as much as I could eat, which I did.
Yes, I gained weight but 95% of it was probably fat. My weight at that time peaked at 152lbs.
I was unhappy with the result and felt out of shape. Realizing that I must do my own research if I wanted to get better results I started watching YouTube videos and also followed Tiger Fitness.
A Typical Day of Eating
My staple meals are oatmeal, eggs, avocado, and broccoli for breakfast. Sweet potato, chicken breast/salmon/tuna/tilapia, and asparagus for lunch.
For dinner, it's usually what my wife makes for us. If its something that I know lacks protein, I'll add some meat to it usually beef or chicken.
Snacks I'll have some ice cream sometimes, yogurt, almonds, and other nuts. I enjoy eating these healthy foods.
Words of Encouragement
I’d say be consistent. There’s a saying: “If you hang around the barbershop long enough, you’re going to get a haircut.” I feel like if you are consistent in pursuing your goal, eventually you will figure it out.
In my case, it took me two years. Now, I’ve been trying to help my friends and family to skip the two years of struggle I had to surpass.
Also, be realistic with our goal and accept that being the best we can be is the best way to get motivated. Accept that there are no shortcuts. It’s a marathon, not a sprint.
Enjoy the process.
Leave a comment