The Transformation of Gus Pacho
by Chris Shugart


A few months ago, we received a letter from a reader that
included this paragraph:

"My name is Gus and I'm a lifetime natural bodybuilder. I've
been lifting for 21 years and I've struggled for every pound of
muscle. But believe it or not, I've never been ripped. I just want
to see my abs for once!"

Like a lot of experienced lifters, 37-year-old Gus Pacho took
supplements and trained his ass off in the gym. The problem was
that he needed a radical new training program, an outside push to
take him to the next level, and (most importantly) he needed to get
control of his eating habits.
We accepted Gus into our Physique Clinic right before Christmas
of last year. His results? About four months later, Gus had dropped
close to 40 pounds of fat and lost 9 inches off his belly.

Gus kick-started his plan with Chris Shugart's Velocity Diet and a Chad Waterbury workout program, then he
transitioned into a Christian Thibaudeau program, and finally, the
Shredded in 6 Days plan.
Gus truly represents what Testosterone is all about: hard
training, good nutrition, proper supplementation, and hardcore
dedication. We recently checked in with Gus to get his thoughts on
his experience and to see what's next for him.
Chris Shugart: Gus, before you were chosen for the Physique
Clinic, where were you at with your physique goals?
Gus Pacho: Before the Physique Clinic, I kind of gave up on
trying to drop to just 200 pounds. I was on a modified Anabolic
Diet program that I didn't give 100% compliance to. I'd keep my
carbs low Monday through Thursday and then have wild carb-ups on
Friday, Saturday, and Sunday!

I just couldn't help myself once I started eating. I'd
literally start up my carb load at Krispy Kreme and finish off a
half dozen doughnuts on the drive home.

So I just said "screw it" and decided that if I can't get
lean, then I'll get as big and as wide as I could. I figured that
as long as I could get my shoulders wide then my fat waist would
look smaller. I know now that was just an excuse to overeat.


Gus: Before
Shugart: That's an important point. While the bulking
bodybuilder needs a "full tank" of calories to build muscle
optimally, too often he greatly overflows his tank. If he's visibly
storing that much blubber, then those calories are clearly
excessive. It's not necessary, it's difficult to lose, it instills
bad eating habits, and it's just plain unhealthy.
Gus: Yes, my doctor informed me I was borderline high blood
sugar. My family history of heart disease was always in the back of
my mind too, getting closer to reality for me.

Mentally, the thought of being ripped and having clearly defined
abs was something I didn't think was in the cards for me with
my eating habits. Sure, I had 17.5 inch arms, broad shoulders, and
was strong, but my waist was over 40 inches sometimes!
Shugart: And a 40-plus inch waist is very often a sign of
impending diabetes.
Gus: I was just a fat bodybuilder thinking I was "jacked!" But
the mirror never lies, and every time I took off my shirt, my eyes
would focus on my love handles, rolls of back fat, and my dreaded
"pooch." I really can't stand looking at my old photos
anymore. I can't believe how bad I let my physique go.


Waist measurement before starting V-Diet.
Shugart: Sum up your overall Physique Clinic results for us.
Gus: I started the Physique Clinic weighing around 210 to 215
pounds depending on what I pigged out on that day. My belly
measurement was 39.5 inches. About four months later, at the end of
my Physique Clinic, that was down to 30.5 inches.

I weighed 167 on the morning of my last day of the "Shredded in
6 Days" program, but my normal hydrated weight is 173. So I lost 43
pounds total, or about 37 pounds of fat and then a few pounds of
water before I took my final photos.



Most of my measurements dropped in inches for a good reason: I
had a lot of fat covering up my muscles. It's not like I shrank
down to nothing. Instead I discovered a muscular body with good
definition that I thoroughly enjoy having.
Shugart: You did a great job dealing with the numbers game, Gus.
Sometimes it's difficult for a lifter to watch the numbers on the
scale fall, even if he knows it's excess body fat coming off, not
muscle.
Some bodybuilders would rather brag about being 215 pounds than
admit that 20 pounds of that is flab. It's psychologically tough to
drop under that coveted 200 pound mark, but — depending on
your height and genetic structure — that's often where a
natural bodybuilder looks best.
Plus a 16-inch ripped arm looks more muscular than an 18-inch
flabby arm. You lost over an inch from your upper arm measurements,
yet your biceps now look "bigger."


Gus looks "bigger" today (pic on right) even though he's about 40
pounds smaller.




Now, your transformation was jump-started by getting on the
Velocity Diet. What were the results from those first 28 days on
the V-Diet?
Gus: I dropped from 210 to 188.5 pounds on the 28-day strict
phase of the Velocity Diet. That's a loss of 21.5 pounds and 5.5
inches of fat off my belly in just four weeks!


Gus's belly measurements after four weeks of V-Dieting.
The amount of fat loss is just incredible on the program. Sure
is a lot easier than a twelve-week program of regular dieting! I
wasn't able to see my abs clearly yet, but I was definitely on
my way with the V-Diet jumpstart.
Shugart: Did you experience any of the taste / craving /
behavioral changes that usually accompany the fat loss during the
V-Diet?
Gus: You bet! My cravings for good food started around day seven
and it really hit me hard around week three. I remember being able
to taste the sweetness in vegetables and just loving the taste and
texture of them, as well as chicken, steak, and salmon. I
simultaneously lost all my cravings for sweets and breads.

For me, it seems that the longer I was on the V-Diet, the less I
desired the usual garbage foods. Yeah, I know it sounds like a
commercial, but this is what I experienced. I didn't know how
intense my cravings for good food would be. The weekly HSMs
(healthy solid meals) were really instrumental in the taste changes
I developed.

Those taste changes were key to good, long-term eating habits,
which lead me to developing a more defined physique. In the past,
my eating habits held me back from ever leaning up. I was
determined to make a drastic change in that area of my bodybuilding
life.
Shugart: Now, you started your V-Diet on Christmas Eve. No
holiday dinners, no New Years partying, etc. Some would say you
were nuts for starting when you did. How do you respond to
that?
Gus: Everybody said I was crazy for starting on Christmas
Eve! Especially starting a mostly-liquid diet! I just told
everyone, "This is what I'm going to do to drop my fat. And I
don't care what or when I have to do it since I already made
up my mind to do this."

I gave myself no outs on this program and always remembered how
fat my waist was when I measured it pre-Physique Clinic. Remember,
I thought my waist was around 36 inches and not almost 40!

Finding out the truth after lying to myself for so long was a
huge motivating factor for me since I was so pissed off about it.
Thanks for making me do the measurements, Chris! That was more than
enough to start the fire in me.

The holidays were challenging, but I just wanted the changes so
badly. I mean, my buddies came over to my house for New Year's
Eve to drink up and I had to refuse them, which isn't easy to do
with your friends. This sacrifice lasted all through the holidays,
my birthday, and ended up on Super Bowl Sunday!

No cheating, no let up, and no excuses... period. It always
comes down to how bad you want your goal and what you'll do to
accomplish it.