Body Transformation: Garrett Nutt Adds 26lbs of Muscle Mass!
TRANSFORMATION TIMELINE
- Transformation start: March 2014
- Milestone: Bulking up to 215
- Milestone: Bulking up to 230
- Milestone: Cutting down to 206
- Transformation End: March 2016
BACKGROUND
What was the driving force that made you decide you wanted to start your fitness journey?
In high school, I grew really fast. That being said, I was just the tall skinny kid. Then, I found the online fitness community and decided that I wanted to look like the guys in the videos.
I started school at the University and had access to a very nice gym. I decided it was time I applied my full effort and achieve my goals. When I actually saw that I could gain muscle, I was hooked.
What was your lifestyle like prior to your change?
I maybe went to the gym 1-2 times a week prior to college. I never took it seriously; it was more of a casual outgoing with my friends. My nutrition was pretty much whatever I wanted and when I wanted.
Most transformations create a support group for the transformer. Who were your biggest supporters and how did they help?
My support group was my group of friends I had at school as well as my family. All of my friends and I were trying to get in better shape, and my family wanted me to be as healthy as possible.
My friends really helped with knowledge I might have lacked at the beginning. I had two friends who were very knowledgeable about nutrition, so that helped me tremendously.
For every supporter, there is likely a hater. Did you have any haters? How did you deal with their presence? Have you turned any of your haters into fans?
When I came home after my first year of college for the summer, most people did not believe I could achieve my body naturally. Everyone would have some sort of steroid question.
They thought that the only way to achieve these things were through drugs, which I never did. When some of these people saw my work effort and consistency, they started to believe that truly was the key to my success.
TRANSFORMATION TRAINING
What was your weight training approach and split during your transformation?
I used a 5-day workout split. The order was Legs, Chest, Arms, Shoulders, Back. The off days weren’t set on specific days. I took them on days I felt I needed them.
What motivational tools did you use to stay on track in the gym?
I would say inspired me the most was just watching fitness personalities on the Internet. I saw what they were doing, and learned from them.
Please list 3 things you learned about exercise, weight training and/or cardio during your transformation that helped you succeed:
- Consistency is key. You can’t make any type of transformation if you aren’t 100% committed to it.
- Train smart and hard. There is no easy way to do this. No magic supplement or pill. You have to find out what works for you.
- Nutrition is the most important aspect of all. Essentially it comes down to this rule. If you want to gain size, eat a surplus of calories. If you want to lean down, be in a caloric deficit. If your diet is on point, you will succeed.
What’s a workout that worked best for you (including days, exercises, sets, reps etc)?
This is one of my favorite splits to do.
Day 1 – chest
Day 2 – Arms
*Perform these as drop sets
Day 3 – Shoulders
Perform a drop set to failure on final set.
Day 4 – Back
Day 5 – Legs
How are you currently training, and has your training changed since the completion of your transformation?
Currently, I am still training with the same split as mentioned before. What really has changed is I use a different variety of exercises. I felt my body was getting use to my training, so I try to constantly change it up.
TRANSFORMATION DIET & NUTRITION
What was your diet/nutrition approach during your transformation?
At first I just thought, well big strong people eat a lot I guess, so ill eat more. Little did I know, essentially I was “bulking”.
I’ve always been able to eat a lot, that’s never been an issue for me. When I finally started to learn about nutrition I learned I was eating 4,000 calories a day. When I decided to do a cut, I dropped my calories to 2,600-3,000.
Were there any diet/nutrition mistakes you made that you learned from?
What I learned really was there is no perfect way that works for everyone. Everyone responds differently to food intake and has a different metabolic rate.
What I found that I learned the most from was attempting new things and seeing what worked the best.
What are 3 things you learned about diet & nutrition during your transformation that helped you succeed?
- Don’t go too crazy and strict too fast.
- Pick something you can stick with.
- Having a cheat meal will not kill you
Can you provide us with a sample daily eating plan?
Meal 1: Oats with blueberries
Meal 2: Grilled Chicken Wrap with fruit cup
Meal 3: Peanut Butter Sandwich (pre workout)
Meal 4: Chicken (4 oz) and Steak (4 oz) with rice (8oz)
Meal 5: Turkey Breast Sandwich on whole wheat with protein shake
Q: Did you allow yourself cheat meals?
Yes, I try to aim for 3-4 a week.
SUPPLEMENTS
What supplements did you use during your transformation?
Muscle Pharm Creatine. My favorite protein to drink is Gold Standard Whey Protein
Which supplement do you feel ultimately contributed the most to your success?
Honestly, if I had to pick, I’d say creatine monohydrate. But I feel it’s more important to focus on training and nutrition. Supplements help, but not as much as training hard and eating right.
ADVICE FOR OTHERS
What are your best 3 tips for someone looking to make their own transformation?
- You can do it. There is no reason you cant, believe in yourself.
- Be consistent.
- Don’t be afraid to fail. And when you do, pick yourself up and learn from it.
How do you stay motivated? What advice would you give to someone who’s having trouble staying on track?
If I ever do not feel motivated, I just stop and think how much I want this. I would recommend this for anyone trying to change. It really can be a mental game at times, and overcoming it is possible.
YOUR LIFE NOW
What is your life like now that you’ve made a transformation?
My life now is great. I used the gym and my transformation to correlate to the rest of my life. I realized that I honestly can do anything as long as I put my mind and effort towards it.
What motivates you currently to keep improving yourself?
What motivates me simply is the fact that I am not close to being satisfied. I am proud of what I accomplished, but to me that is not enough. I want to be the best version of myself, and always better myself.