My name is Alon Gabbay. I was born in Kirchheimbolanden, Germany, on March 28, 1987. My parents moved to Jerusalem, Israel when I was at the age of 3. I have 1 younger brother. I moved back to Germany in 2005; my parents and brother remain in Israel. Sports were always big part of my life. As a child I liked swimming, running, and I played basketball, football along with other sports. I also trained in the art of taekwondo. My love for bodybuilding began just when i turned 17, and since then I can’t leave the dumbbells out of my hands.

I have never competed in any bodybuilding competitions, because I don’t like to compete. I am just doing it for myself – for the love of the sport, for my body and soul, and for my own satisfaction. Although I have never stood on a stage, I still see myself as a professional, who learned, trained, and studied the life of bodybuilding all the way, and transformed it from a hobby into a life style. So yes, this is my way of life. I do have other interests as well, like playing the guitar, Web-design, Photo & Video editing, and I am still playing basketball on a team twice a week in my local hometown.

My goal in bodybuilding is to achieve the best i can as a natural bodybuilder, and to stay healthy and strong.

What were you like before you started body building?

I was a skinny kid and I always wanted to be bigger and strong like the cartoons I saw on TV. That stayed in my head since then and now I made my dream come true.

What have you noticed has changed after you started lifting?

Well, people look at me in a different way now, there is much more respect, but there is also jealousy and distance. Friends allways call me “giant” or “machine” or names like that, and in public you can see people reactions when they see me. It feels good to know that somone is looking at me sometimes. Many people hurry to make claims like “this guy is on steroids”, but the people that know me knows that I am natural. The girls like it as well, some says it is “too much” and I should stop, but i am not doing it for them I am doing if for myself.

What is your diet and routine like?

Eat 5 to 6 small meals/snacks each day. This means you are to eat something every 2 to 3 hours. Ideally you should be consuming small meal throughout the day. You have to plan and be innovative to be able to do this. You body craves nutrients all day long. If you do not meet these needs, you body will begin to break-down energy sources that are needed for muscle growth.

If you are into counting calories, multiply your bodyweight by 18. This is how many calories you need to consume each day to gain lean muscle. They should be consumed according to the break-down below.

You want to eat both protein and carbohydrates throughout the day. Try to eat some protein at each meal. Despite the current craze to significantly reduce carbohydrates, carbohydrates are very important for energy and overall health. High quality, fiber-filled carbs should make up the majority of your caloric consumption. Do NOT consume too much protein. Protein dehydrates the body and excessive levels can have adverse effects on some of your internal organs

.Here are some general guidelines:

PROTEIN — should range from 30 to 35% of your total calories

Protein is in every living food; it’s also in vegetables and fruit. You should consume between 0.8 grams to 1 gram per pound of bodyweight each day. Try not to consume more than 1 gram per pound of bodyweight each day. .

Good Sources:

• Deep. cold water fish (tuna, salmon, cod, haddock, sea bass)
• Lean beef, chicken, turkey
• low-fat milk, low-fat cottage cheese, low-fat yogurt (plain)
• eggs (don’t be afraid of 1 or 2 whole eggs each day),
• beans, sugar free peanut butter
• a handful of raw nuts (almond, pistachio) – keep in the refrigerator
• a handful of raw seeds (pumpernickel) – keep in the refrigerator

CARBOHYDRATES – 50 to 60% of your total calories

Complex vs. Simple –Complex carbs (whole grain) are digested more slowly and provide more even, constant supply of energy than simple carbs (sugar).

Good Sources:

Note: Look for additive free and no sugar added Brown rice, brown bread, pasta,

• whole grains for these
• Whole grain cereals
• choose cereals that have more than 5 grams of fiber
• Oatmeal –not in the little packets as this contains sugar;
• Sweet potatoes/yams
• Dark green vegetables:
• (spinach, broccoli, asparagus, peas, lettuce (eat romaine not iceberg)
• Fruits: Eat many different colors each day. The darker the color the better. Blueberries are the best! Apples, strawberries, bananas, etc

FAT – 10 to 20% of your total calories

• Try to get EFA (essential fatty acids) such as olive oil, flaxseed oil;
• limit animal fats and fried foods and get non-hydrogenated fats.
• Eat a handful of walnuts/almonds and pumpkin/sesame/sunflower sees. These contain Omega 3 fatty acids
• Fish also contains fat and it’s the “good” fat

MEALS

This is a general, overall guideline. It can be modified to fit one’s schedule and time constraints. A more detailed, meal by meal diet plan can be provided.

BREAKFAST

One of the two most important meals you will eat.

Get up 10 minutes earlier and eat for 10 more minutes!

As soon as you get up, drink 8 ounces of water.

Do not drink milk and OJ together at the same meal. Drink milk; OJ later in the day.

Things to eat: Oatmeal (not instant), Cereal (whole grain), eggs, whole-grain: bread, or bagel or muffin; bananas; pancakes or waffles

Lunch foods also make good breakfast foods (ex. peanut butter and jelly on wheat); wraps; turkey bacon/sausage without additives; protein shake

Mid-morning snack

-Whole grain bagel, piece of fruit and water

Lunch

Eat a reasonable sized meal – with a moderate amount of both protein and crabs

Ex. Eat some chicken (or beef or fish) and a fair portion of rice (or pasta or potatoes), oatmeal, salad, vegetables, some whole grain bread and a piece of fruit

Pre-Workout Meals

Eat some carbs and some protein.

Things to eat: Pasta, potatoes, oatmeal, rice, salad, meat/fish

90 minutes before working out

- Consume between 250-300 calories with a 1:1 ratio of protein and carbs.

Ex.: 8 oz. of low-fat cottage cheese and an apple; nuts/seeds; dried fruit

Post-Workout Meals

A. Between 30 minutes to 1 hour after working out consume about 60 grams of a fast-acting carbohydrate and 30 grams of protein

Ex. 60 grams of dextrose or 3 slices of WHITE bread can be your fast-acting carb and a protein drink for the 30 grams of protein.

B. 2 hours after working out – have a “balanced” meal

Eat a medium sized meal – one with a moderate amount of both protein and carbs.

Ex. eat chicken (or beef or fish) and a smaller portion of rice (or pasta or sweet potato), vegetables; salad and fruit; some EFA’s (nuts)

Bedtime Snack

Shake – Ideally a Casein Protein Shake which is a slow release protein which we see you through to the next morning.

You will not eat again for a long time, so make sure you eat something.

OTHER NOTES

• Drink a lot of water (about 1 gallon) throughout the day.
• Have 5 or 6 servings of fruits/vegetables each day.
• Try to sleep at least 7 hours every night (preferably 8 hours).

Supplements:

If you eat properly then you may limit supplementing accordingly.

Many people don’t fully supply their body with minerals, Vitamin C, B-Complex and flaxseed oil.

If you want to do a protein shake or meal replacement drink, do one that is whey protein based. (Look for whey protein concentrate on the label if you take it after you workout or use a micellar casein supplement if you take it before you go to bed.) A supplement is, by definition, something extra. The most important thing is to eat properly. If you do this, the need to supplement is not as great. At a maximum, consume two protein shakes per day and make sure you consume no more than 35 grams of protein at one time. Don’t forget that companies want you to consume a lot of their product and their suggested serving size are far too great. Also, “weight gainers” frequently have a lot of their calories which come from sugar sources and this is not healthy and should be avoided.

A very good vitamin-mineral supplement is called Endurlyte put out by Seroyal International. It’s a powder and many collegiate athletic programs use if after kids finishing their athletic event.

Every 10 weeks, take one week off from lifting. Give your joints a rest.

Hope the above gives you a valuable insight into how I eat to stay in shape. If you’re interested in my workout routine be sure check out my website -www.AlonGabbay.com

About my routine:
Well, I have all kinds of training programs and routines, so I can’t just mention a specific one. I think each body deserves its own training program. Making a good training prgoram involves many aspects, like one’s age, weight, body fat, training background, diet, and of course what goals you have establsihed and how much time and effort you are willing to commit. It therefore wouldn’t be relevant for me to tell you which of my routines I find to be the best or what is the one I am currently using. You will eventually need to build your own, but you can base it on the information that I have provided you.

What are your future plans?

My goal in bodybuilding is to achieve the best i can as a natural bodybuilder, and to stay healthy and strong. I am planing to start personal training soon and giving consulation over the internet, this is how i could live my dream.

Alon Gabbay Links: