Tag: muscle gain

We always like to share stories that inspire! Here’s one of them…

Originally posted at EliteAthletes.be

by Brian Lynch
I would like to share a story with you. I was 25 years old, about to turn 26, finishing up my 4th season overseas professional basketball when I decided to make a choice that would ultimately change my life.
My first 4 seasons had been a whirlwind. I had just graduated from Villanova University and we as basketball players were spoiled there. We played in amazing arenas throughout the Big East with fans of over 25,000 people at times. All locker rooms were first class and every hotel we stayed at had a bunch of stars tagged to its name.
We were “the shit” there and we mattered!
I started in Poland, where I played very well on the court but struggled terribly off the court. Going to a place were we had no lockers in our locker room but only a hook for all your clothes, playing in gyms that were over 50 years old which are shared by most of the community, and playing with only one other American in a country where nobody spoke English took its toll on me. But I loved hoops, had an encouraging dad who told me to stay with it, and pressed on.

My second season started in Israel, where during that time 9/11 happened. I still remember watching the planes hit the buildings and thinking, I am sitting right now in the middle east! I recall the phone calls I had with my mother during this time, needless to say she wanted me home. So my game struggled for the first time in my career. I started playing poorly and eventually at the end of the pre-season before I had even played 1 game, the coach asked if I would like to leave. I left!

Later that season I got picked up by a team in Portugal. It was difficult coming on to a team where they had already played half their games and were doing well. So I accepted a role of coming off the bench and embraced it. That season I ended up getting 6th man of the year. But still, I felt far from where I was supposed to be.
Season 3 began very interesting. I got a good contract in Greece which was one of the best leagues in Europe. There I enjoyed the sites and craziness of Greece in general, but basketball struggled. My game wasn’t fitting in to the coach’s system. I couldn’t find a way to be effective and started to second guess myself. Eventually me and the other American at that time had stopped getting paid as well. After 3 months of this, I settled 10 cents on a dollar and left. I ended that season in Germany where I played much better and had a better experience off the court. Only problem was, I was back to square one. My contract offers were all the same as before, and I was not being recruited by any Eurocup or Euroleague teams. I was not moving forward, I was moving backwards.
Season 4 was supposed to be my year. I had an Italian passport at the time and decided to try Italy. Contract was ok, team was A1. Maybe I could finally break out! Well, this was the beginning of the end for me. I was lent out to another team in A2 Italy after 6 weeks, and even there, I wasn’t even getting burn. Sitting and watching. I practiced so hard to get the coaches attention for the next month but to no avail, I continued riding the pine. Was I not good enough? Most of the Americans in the league were guys I competed against in college. I even had better stats than them in college yet they were flourishing while I was sitting. I left Italy to take a one-month job in Pro A France to replace an injured player. I was able to get my rhythm back and played ok, but when the player was healed, I had to go find another team. I finished that season on the same team I was on in Germany the year before but with a different coach, Chris Finch. His team was struggling at that time. I came in, and after only 4 games, he had been fired. My play was not good and our team ended up dead last! 3 teams in 1 season…..
That plane ride home in early May of 2004 was when I made “the choice” to rededicate myself. I had thought: why haven’t I moved forward and so many guys I competed against and outplayed in college were flourishing in Europe? I thought back on my last 4 summers and started to see a trend of non commitment and laziness. I started to wonder maybe the lack of passion to get better during the summer was what was holding me back. So I gave myself 1 last chance.

Here is the deal I made with the mirror: You give everything you got to yourself, your body, your game this summer for 12 weeks, and if I still fail, I can move on and get a real job back in the New Jersey/New York area. Ball will be finished and the dream will be over. So I did just that. In my first visit to the gym in mid-May to start my off-season promise, I bumped into an old friend. He was a guy I knew growing up who used to live around the corner from my house. His name is Mike Dolce. He was training to be an ultimate fighter and wanted to become a champ in his weight class. We spoke, I told him about what was going on in my life and this guy inspired me beyond belief. He wanted to train me. I would become his summer project. He told me to do everything he said as hard as I could, to follow his diet, and to believe in myself. By doing these 3 things, he would make me “BULLETPROOF”!

So it began. We made a schedule to meet 4 days a week. I mixed in a strength program during the week, along with drill and basketball workouts alone in a gym on my own. And to top it off, I had summer league basketball.
I remember all my friends and brothers calling me “Rededicated B”! They would help me with my dieting. While some nights those guys would get pizza and beer, I was drinking water and eating chicken, brown rice, and broccoli. Or a salad with brown rice and tuna fish, and so on! They were real friends, real brothers!!! They encouraged me to stay the course and give my dream of playing hoops at the highest level another chance. They weren’t the kind of friend or brother that called me soft for not taking a shot or having a beer.

I had the support, I had the mentor in Dolce, I just needed to keep the drive. As summer progressed, I started to see immediate results in my body, in my mind, and in my game. I tore up the summer league basketball that summer taking a team that shouldn’t have won many games to the finals. And my mentality was completely different. I had so much confidence because of the work that I had put it in that I became “bullet proof” both physically and mentally like Dolce said.

So after that summer, I went to Belgium possessed. I was going to play for the coach that I played for in Germany for only a few games before the team let him go. Coach Chris Finch had the perfect system that matched my game and he gave me freedom to make mistakes. My preseason was not great, but I was still playing harder and in better shape then anybody over the 6 weeks pre-season. Eventually I found my rhythm and when we started the 2004-2005 season, I was on top of my game. I averaged over 15 points, over 6 boards, and around 3 assists that season.
From a personal standpoint, I was the most consistent I had ever been in my life. I always had big games in other seasons, but I lacked consistency.

These 12 weeks with Dolce gave me the consistency. And most importantly, our team won a championship. NOBODY was expecting our small budgeted team from Bree to ever compete with the big boys in Belgium but we did.

We sort of shocked the Belgian Basketball Community and I never felt better about my game. I had no injuries, played in all games and never missed a practice. The following season, I finally got a better contract and our team was going to compete in the Eurocup. I was moving forward at last. And to top it all off, I met the woman I would eventually marry and have a family with. The rest is history!!
When I look back, if I decided to quit after that plane ride coming from Germany after finishing in last place and not playing well, I don’t know where or what I would be right now. Real talk! It was a choice to “rededicate” myself to this beautiful game that I love for 1 summer, 12 weeks!!!
Now I am still involved in the game as a Coach and hopefully will be able to reach the highest level as a coach. This choice has not only become a lesson learned, but more so a lifestyle. Whatever I do, I do it 1000 percent and give my full commitment. And it’s not always perfect.
I wanted to get drafted in the lottery and play in the NBA. That never happened but I still followed the dream of playing ball at the highest level that I could personally. I know that with passion and dedication to what I want, I may not get it (as I didn’t make the NBA) but something good will come from the hard work and you can never regret giving everything you got towards your goals and dreams. Not making the NBA actually ended up being the best thing that ever happened to me because I wouldn’t trade the journey that I experienced for anything. And it goes without saying, I wouldn’t trade what I have in my life now for anything. I am what I am, nobody will change that. My turning point in life started by the choice to get after it for 1 summer! Thats all it took. Anybody can do the same if they go for it with everything they got. There is no secret, its just work and belief.
My advice, if you want something really bad, then give every off-season your dedication!
Give yourself 12 weeks to change your life!
Brian Lynch
Twitter: @blynch8

“Thought I might share this with you me after using The Dolce Diet cutting for my first thai boxing fight. 15kg (33 lbs)  lost and won my fight via knockout in 26 seconds of the first round. Booom.” ~Simon Parsons

Photo: Simon Parsons

In episode 26, Mike tells how he REALLY feels about the lady drinking the 20 oz. soda that nearly crashed into him, as well as the mom smoking a cigarette with her baby in the back seat. He also gives us an inside look into The Ultimate Fighter Season 17 finale, answers YOUR questions, and more!
The founder of The Dolce Diet, Mike is known the world over for his work managing the weight cuts of UFC athletes like Johny Hendricks, Vitor Belfort, Thiago Alves, Chael Sonnen, Quinton Jackson, Nik Lentz, Jake Ellenberger and more! His #1 international best-selling books include The Dolce Diet: 3 Weeks to Shredded, The Dolce Diet: Living Lean, & The Dolce Diet: Living Lean Cookbook.
For more information on Mike’s books, MMA weight cuts, weight management, gaining muscle, weight loss, overall healthy living, UFC FIT and so much more, visit TheDolceDiet.com & TheMikeDolceShow.com

by Todd H.
As of March 2013 it has been 2 solid years since I changed my lifestyle and started living lean.
I started at (conservatively) 215 lbs. After my first round of Three Weeks to Shredded, commonly known in social media as (3W2S), I dropped 28 lbs and have not looked back. I am at, and have constantly remained at 187 lbs. +/- a few lbs.
No, it has not been easy; we all have our peaks and valleys. I never expected it to be easy, after all, real life is not like some commercial where you sprinkle some powder on your chili dog and everything turns out all right. Nothing valuable comes easy. This lifestyle requires a lot from the individual.
This lifestyle requires you to be accountable to yourself, become reliant upon yourself, make choices and live with the consequences of those choices, the good ones and the bad. It requires that you self govern and motivate yourself. See a theme here? This is about you and what you do; it has no chance of getting done otherwise.
Self-motivation is a huge aspect of this lifestyle but we all get down on ourselves at times and need help. This is where the masterful Mike Dolce steps in. Listen and re-listen to his podcasts. It is like having him over your shoulder coaching you anytime, anywhere through your ear buds. He is talking about a subject you don’t really care about? Use that time to think of what great and healthy meal you are going to make for dinner, then go back to listening.
Use MyDolceDiet.com and The Dolce Diet Facebook, ask questions, start discussions; you get no answer right away? Hit Twitter, if Mike doesn’t answer himself (which is crazy, I think he has clones of himself) then #hashtag that ****ing tweet! Get with it! #3W2S #LivingLean #TheDolceDiet #LivingLeanCookBook #EarthGrownNutrients #HelpMeDolce (LOL) Somebody in this Living Lean Community will see it and get back to you. Use this team as a motivational tool.
Mike Dolce and Brandy Dolce are like your Training Camp coaches, except this isn’t a 6-week or 12-week camp, this is for life! Don’t give up – don’t give in.  Use the resources available to your advantage. Make friends, follow, check @TheDolceDiet’s favorites, fill up your favorites with other people’s inspiring tweets, their success stories and go back and use those to motivate you. It works! I do it.
I have a vacation to Hawaii coming up I leave April 23 to paradise and I plan on being half naked about 98.9% of the time I am there. I am going to be surfing, swimming, paddle boarding, hiking, kayaking, I am going to squeeze every ounce of health and vitality that I have been blessed with, count on it. Like I said I am also going to be half naked, constantly so, I start another round of 3W2S on April 1st. I have already marked my calendar with my GOAL that by the weekend of April 20th I will be a lean mean, washboard abs machine!
Mike doesn’t type and talk until he is blue in the face for us to not take heed. He does it so we will set goals and do our very best to reach those goals. I consider Mike and his team to be my coaches, and coaches with this high level of passion and this much availability come around maybe once in a lifetime. I plan on taking heed and reaping the blessings that come with their dedication and their want for me to succeed. I will not squander this opportunity.
As always I really appreciate you taking the time to read my rants and I hope it encourages you to set your own personal goals and reach the high level of health and vitality that we are all capable of.
 
*Individual results may vary
 
 

Mike Dolce had plenty to say during his interview with BJPENN.COM Radio last Wednesday, March 13, ranging from his thoughts on Johnny Hendricks’ preparation for his upcoming bout with Carlos Condit to his dealings with Cris “Cyborg” Santos and even his belief that Chael Sonnen will “beat the piss out of Jon Jones” in their upcoming UFC Light heavyweight title clash on April 27th.
But perhaps the most intriguing portion of the interview came when Dolce was asked about what has made him famous in the world of mixed martial arts: his system, aptly dubbed “The Dolce Diet”.
A former fighter himself, Dolce takes pride in having been on the receiving end of vicious weight cuts and rigorous training camps due to the fact that it gives him a personal connection with the fighters he works with. It is in that sense that he fancies himself as more than just a dietician.
“Because of ‘The Dolce Diet’ brand, our registered trademark brand and it’s our book series, and the black & gold t-shirt I wear, people think it’s all diet and it’s all about nutrition. It is part of what I do, but I think it’s a small part of what I do. I’m a longevity advocate before anything else; I’m a coach, a performance coach, a lifestyle coach” Dolce said of his popular methodology that has taken on a strong following in MMA circles. “I help the athletes-any individual I help them get their mind right, I say we get all their houses in order; their mental, their physical, their emotional houses in order, which really becomes very necessary as you get closer to a world-class performance scenario.”
Dolce further stresses that he works closely with the teams & families of his athletes to cultivate the most efficient lifestyle in order to fulfill the athlete’s potential. Whether blockages include poor diet, mental and environmental stress or anything in-between, Dolce is intent on making sure that the needs of his fighters are met, even if they’re out of the ordinary.
“I kind of joke sometimes; if the athlete needs me scalping tickets in the parking lot the night of their fight while everyone’s inside watching them compete, well that’s what I’m doing. Whatever the athlete needs, I’m going to be- ’m the guy that’s going to get it done for them, and that allows the athlete to compete at their best and be healthy and kind of, you know, move on their life.”
Having previously worked with the likes of Quinton “Rampage” Jackson during his preparation for bouts with Rashad Evans and Lyoto Machida, both of which saw him start camp immensely overweight, Dolce has a proven track record. He now works with the likes of not only Hendricks, but Chael Sonnen and Thiago Alves as well.
In addition, Dolce has been working with Vitor Belfort, who most recently looked sensational in his knockout victory over Michael Bisping. Initially, he says, the process of cutting weight was not an easy one for “The Phenom”.
“When I first took over Vitor, it was very difficult for him to make middleweight, 185. And in time, you know, we fast-forward to what we did in Brazil [for his fight with Bisping] Vitor only cut four pounds. The weigh-in day in Brazil, everybody was commenting on just how amazing his physique looked. Well, it’s because he had been living properly for two years and, you know, they make statements-very uneducated statements- about how he was able to look like that, and this drastic difference. It was two years of work that culminated in that body and that performance. It’s nothing store bought, it’s nothing that you can just go out and pick up, you have to work hard, you have to live the right lifestyle.”
That lifestyle is predicated on principles, as Dolce puts it, that help individuals nourish their bodies properly based on intake of earth-grown nutrients every two-to-four hours. In doing so, blood sugar remains stable and metabolism is continuously moving. However, food intake is based on satisfaction and eating until your body feels good and not until you’re full, which only serves to put a “bottleneck” in your digestive system.
“Think about driving down the highway, and if you have to keep stopping at these bottlenecks and intersections, it takes so long to get where you’re going. Now if the streets are wide open, you can drive even slower and get to where you’re going much faster, much more efficiently. These are some of the general, universal principles, and really it’s that easy. And people say because I have all this success with these elite athletes that there must be something crazy scientific. The craziest thing I can say is: it’s common sense.”
Read the original post on BJPENN.com
 

In Ep. 16, Mike Dolce talks to phlebotomy specialist Tony Notoroberto about the importance of blood tests and gets insider tips on how to get the most out of your relationship with your doctor. Mike also explains how to use a lifestyle approach to offset the need for medicine while still embracing modern science. Mike answers YOUR questions on athlete endurance training, green tea, eating healthy while doing shift work & graveyard shift, cross fit vs. generic gyms, fat burners and what his favorite meals are during fight week and fight day.

Mike answers your questions! Topics include energy drinks, the FDA on fish mislabeling, healthy restaurant dining, sweet snacks, nutrient timing, stretching, strength training for MMA, the difference between Living Lean and Living Lean Cookbook, juicing, intermittent fasting, what Mike would have done differently in his earlier years and more!
Additional Media
1) Mike talked about the controversy involving the FDA and mislabeled fish products. Here is the article he referred to:   Nationwide study casts a wide net over seafood fraud
2) Mike referenced Tom Platz’s legs in episode 15. Here is a picture of them below.

3) Listener Gabriel Stein shared his frozen grape recipe with us: Blend frozen grapes, coconut milk and honey in a Magic Bullet. “It’s one of the best things I’ve ever tasted and it’s all natural,” he said. Thanks for sharing Gabriel!

 In episode 11, Mike talks about dealing with negative people, the necessity of carbs, increasing cardio endurance, 100 lbs. weight loss, cancer, weight cutting, body fat percentage for men and women, Valentine’s Day recipes and more!
Additional Media
The Dolce Diet Valentine’s Day Menu is here!
Click to go to our Amazon page for the FREE Kindle download!

Check out this video where Mike answers over 65 different questions on a variety of topics asked by members of The Dolce Diet Facebook page! Feel free to ask your own question and join in the fun!

Check out this video where Mike answers 50 different questions on a variety of topics asked by members of The Dolce Diet Facebook page! Feel free to ask your own question and join in the fun!