“I Want to Look Like that Guy” – Stuart MacDonald Tells All About His Shocking Transformation
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I was recently introduced to what may have been the most inspiring fitness documentary I have seen to date (and believe me I have seen them all). This documentary is titled “I want to look like that guy”. This film follows an “average Joe” on his journey to discover what it really takes to look like the guys on the fitness magazine covers.
What better way to look like a fitness model than to train like a fitness model right? This is why he hired IFBB pro Jeff Willet to help him with his transformation. What Stuart (MacDonald) discovers on his journey to a ripped six pack is shocking. And even more shocking than his discovery is his physical transformation. Over 40 years of age with a close to 30% body fat, Stuart manages to build a noticeable amount of drug free muscle mass while cutting down to a razor sharp 6% body fat with a simple diet and even simpler exercise plan… oh and did I mention this all happened in about 6 months?
I was so inspired by Stuart’s story that I had to share it with you guys. Before I just wrote a quick post about the film in hopes that you guys would check it out, I decided to reach out to Stuart and see if he would be interested in doing an interview. To my surprise, I was able to contact him and he was nice enough to let me conduct an interview. So without further adieu, let’s find out how this “average Joe” managed to transform his physique and look like the guys in the muscle mags without steroids or any dangerous drugs.
“I want to look like that guy” – Stuart Macdonald Interview
Stuart, can you tell me a little about yourself and what really pushed you to want to get a body like “the guy” in the fitness magazines?
Stuart: I’m a filmmaker and have been for the past 13 years. I’ve made about 300 commercials and corporate videos plus a short movie drama. I’m also into fitness. When the idea for the documentary struck I was struggling with my weight and thought about making a movie about my progress. The concept for the movie came out of pure curiosity. I did see the movie “Supersize Me” and thought it was great. That documentary was followed by others of the same kind of topic but no one was attempting something extraordinarily hard. That being said, I started a quest to explore what it takes to achieve the ideal body we are all sold when buying fitness products. The best part about my research showed me was that everyone has been affected by unrealistic expectations found in nearly every marketing piece I came across. The magazines with the guy or woman with chiseled abs on the cover or the perfect looking fitness model on TV telling you that “this product got me this incredible body in just 4-6 weeks!” The marketing these products use to back their products is like a perpetual money motion machine. They don’t work so the customer tries the next new “thing” and the cycle starts over. It’s basically an industry that’s selling snake oil on a scale so huge nothing can stop it. The only “out” these fitness and diet products have is the legal ease found deep in the fine print. “Results may vary, best if combined with diet and exercise.” The bold and large print on the label tells the consumer that the product will make you lose more weight in less time or cause your muscles to grow faster than any other method. To me, that’s fraud. People struggling with weight problems need an easy plan based on science and physiology NOT gimmicks. I also found the worst violations are the photos of the bodybuilders on steroids in photographs for supplements telling consumers that the product they use will give you HUGE gains, more power and lift heavier. The perceived result is that you’ll look like that guy in the photo, but you can’t unless you take steroids and trim down to 3 or 4% body fat, a very risky level that’s incredibly hard to maintain. The last sentence is really the thrust of the movie. The photo of fitness models is usually taken after months of dieting or in the case of bodybuilder’s right before or after a competition. No one is telling the world the reality of what it takes to look like that, until now.
For the readers who have not watched the movie yet, could you give a brief breakdown of what your workout week looked like?
Stuart: It was a 5 day program and varied from time to time. The best part is that it was incredibly simple. Monday: Back and traps, Tuesday: shoulders, Wednesday: chest and abs, Thursday: legs, Friday: biceps, triceps and forearms. The MaxOT style is maximum overload training. The idea is to lift as heavy as you can for 4-6 reps for 3 times(sets). Once you hit 6 reps easily you bump up 2.5 lbs. The cardio followed every workout and lasted only 16 minutes max. Any longer and you start to eat away muscle. The longer you do cardio the more you risk your gains. Think of it this way. Runners are thinner because they train for long periods aerobically. Why carry more meat than your need right? When I see guys on the juice talking about their 45 – 60 minute cardio I have to laugh. That kind of training won’t fly without help from a pharmacy. That’s another lie uncovered and again perpetuates the long struggle to achieve a look that is unattainable by the means these ads are selling. Sorry I was on a stump there. The MaxOT workout is really simple. You are encouraged not to use machines only free weights. The movements are simple and not complex. You’ll never do a preacher curl here or leg extensions. The idea is to use your skeletal frame to maximize its design to carry a load. Yes the workouts do get boring because it never varies but it’s so simple you can commit it to memory after the first workout. The other advantage is time. My entire workout including cardio lasted at the most 45 minutes or less but here is the kicker, it’s a grueling workout. Lifting as much as you can is incredibly draining. When you do this workout right it will build muscle.
You were training cardio about 5 days per week following your weight lifting. What type of cardio were you performing?
Stuart: I ran on a treadmill or stationary bike. I forgot to add one thing about the 16 minutes of cardio. You must push yourself to go farther every time within the 16 minutes. Trust me you will hit a max distance that will be hard to beat but you have to keep trying to beat your best distance every time. That’s hard to do but the only way to burn calories on a huge scale.
You mentioned that you tried all sorts of things to “look like that guy”…can you name a few of the supplements and/ or gadgets you found no success with?
Stuart: I have a crusher bar, thigh master, a sit up seat, a rubber tube gym in a bag and push up discs. I’ve even done aerobic videos and tried a few fad diets. Nothing stuck for long. The shine wears off fast with these products and they all seemed to end up in a box in the back of the closet or in a rummage sale.
You mentioned that you took some supplements, could you tell me exactly what your supplementation consisted of?
Stuart: I used AST products. Creatine, Glutamine and Whey Protien. I also had a meal supplement that’s no longer available. Just about any meal replacement will do as long as it’s about 25 grams of protein. I did try a fat burning pill but stopped using it because it made my heart race. It’s not in the film and I think they can be dangerous in hot weather or not taken properly.
During your journey to competing, you broke your toe, got sick twice, and injured your bicep. However, you still managed to push through and successfully “look like that guy”. When anyone would have made these reasonable excuses to veer off, you didn’t…what was your mindset like to overcome these obstacles and keep pushing forward?
Stuart: I had the documentary to motivate me. If I didn’t achieve the goal I had nothing. What spurred me on was the dramatic weight loss I was seeing in my still photos. I knew if I continued the path I would have the look I was shooting for. Pushing through every barrier was ungodly hard.
What do you think were the key components to getting abs that popped like yours during the show?
Stuart: Diet. Ask anyone who has competed and they will tell you the same thing, it’s all diet. I didn’t do crunches to “isolate the muscle” like those ads will tell you. Diet is the only way you will get a washboard look. That diet is the key component. The other key is caloric timing. As the day wears on you need to cut your carbs down as the day progresses. Most of your carbs center on your workout times. You also have to eat every 3 hours to keep the machine running. That’s 6 meals a day at the same time every day.
On a scale from 1-10, 10 being the best…how close to the diet and exercise routine did you stay during phase 2?
Stuart: 8 is what I would say. The exercise routine I stayed 100%. The diet, well I veered off a few times. The famous burrito scene in the film is what fans talk the most about. I had one burrito because I was going crazy with the diet. I needed some relief and paid a price for it. I watched my abs fill in with fluid over the course of the day. I felt great physically and mentally after the meal but the guilt over powered me. I thought I had ruined my chances to see it through. Actually looking back I think it helped to a degree. Lucky for me it wasn’t too close to the competition that would have been a huge fail.
At what point, if any, did you feel a decrease in strength? And how drastic was the decrease?
Stuart: Actually I didn’t see much strength go away. What did go was stamina. The last 2 months the calories were incredibly low but my output was incredibly high. The bad part about this scenario is that you have no energy reserves. The fat is nearly gone and you are eating fewer calories. I think at one point I was burning nearly 10K calories a day and eating only 1300 calories. Talk about fat burning and low energy.
Now, there was a lot of accountability because you were creating a documentary for a specific purpose. With that being said, how much of a roll do you think the camera played on your success?
Stuart: I think the camera played a huge role. I was making a film about a process so I had to stick to it. I was on a path of discovery for the viewer and myself. I was truly showing the world what it takes to look like the guy in the ad and as it turned out it was incredibly hard, way harder than any ad will tell you. Advice I tell people who are trying to loose weight is this; take an unflattering photo of yourself. Date it and do the same every week and compare the photos. Once you see progress you’ll be energized, excited and most of all motivated to see it through.
What advice would you give someone who didn’t think it was possible for them to ever achieve a body like the guy in the fitness magazines?
Stuart: I would say this; anything is possible. The reality is that what you are looking at is the result of an extreme lifestyle. Meaning this; your life revolves around eating and training, plain and simple. If you can’t live with that then you won’t get the look. Everyone wants a great body fast and easy to maintain. Sorry to burst that bubble but it’s not easy by any means. Others may argue the point but in general I think it’s true. If you were to peer into the personal life of these fitness gurus, bodybuilders and fitness models you will be hard pressed to find a way to make their lifestyle fit into yours. What people need to do is realize a goal that’s achievable based on their lifestyle. I’m talking about your job and family life. Example; if you are a roofer and think bodybuilding is right for you I’d think again. Your job is already physically demanding. What price is worth the reward for a trophy? Do you think you can do your job effectively and safely while training and eating as hard as I did? Probably not. If you are raising a family, you will also run into problems. Training and eating is incredibly self centered. If you have a 2 year old, your wife will be a very busy woman while you are taking care of your needs first. Training to an extreme level is full of isolation; you can’t party, socialize or eat anything that’s off diet. Anyone that tells you that you can have it all is selling you snake oil. Unless your partner is also a bodybuilder you’ll be hard pressed to find someone willing to live up to your expectations year after year. Remember it’s an extreme lifestyle on every level.
Did you ever think you would do as well as you did in your bodybuilding show?
Stuart: Yes! Well not in the beginning but prior to the show, I’d say 2 weeks out I was really excited. I was posing well and had very little fat if any showing. Jeff was instrumental in getting me prepared and without his guidance I wouldn’t have had the confidence to “see” myself as a winner.
How big of a roll does fitness play in your life today?
Stuart: I train everyday but I have no expectations to get anywhere near what I as in the foreseeable future. Right now I’m training for a ½ marathon and very excited about it.
You know I have to ask…did Jeff ever reveal his “secret formula” to you?
Stuart: In this version of the film Jeff adds an orange flavoring to my whey protein shake that makes it taste like a push-up bar. All I can say is that it’s orange syrup, nothing more.
Sneek Peek at “I want to look like that guy”
Points by Stuart MacDonald
Points I’d like to make:
- If you are planning on doing a contest I would highly recommend you get a trainer or a reliable training partner. Jeff Willet is a great coach and does consultations on his website www.jeffwillet.com
- New releases. The film has gone through another phase thanks to fans. I created a director’s cut that’s 4 hours long. The movie is 2 hours with 2 more hours of special features. This is about as close to living the film as you can get. My talks with Jeff are unedited and some private rants were put back into the film for a complete emersion into my quest.
- The “I want to look like that guy System.” This is our answer to those other fitness systems. It’s a 7 DVD set complete with workouts and training programs by Jeff Willet. Yes it also includes the documentary and a DVD on posing for competition. If you are a bodybuilder or are thinking about entering a competition this is the perfect companion for you.
- Steroids. Yes even I have been accused of steroid use by the message boards. No I haven’t used, didn’t use and was tested at the show for steroids and was found not to have taken any. If I had used them and trained like I did I don’t think I would have dropped down to 154 lbs. Others say Jeff has taken them too. Use the same barometer and I did on myself; he was only 195 lbs in competition after training as hard as he did. Was he pushing heavy weights? Not really when you compare to the steroid guys. That’s a huge clue. Jeff is a compact guy, under 5 feet 8 inches so his muscles aren’t “stretched” over a taller frame, genetics! On stage he looks towering but he’s not, it’s part of the illusion of bodybuilding. Jeff is a super athlete who trained for only one purpose, to achieve the most dramatic muscular physique possible without the use of steroids or any other pharmaceutical. Once he did that the natural crowd thought he was taking them and the roid crowd thought he was too. Even being tested constantly through his carrier he was trapped in no man’s land. I can tell you that Jeff is without a doubt not on any steroids and looks completely normal. Yes, he’s bigger than most guys his size but he’s TRAINED and worked very hard to get that look. He also lived an extreme lifestyle for 15 years. So on behalf of Jeff I’m telling the world he’s clean and so am I. His story is remarkable.
- Where to buy the DVD, learn about Jeff and his products: www.jeffwillet.com
- Where to find more information about the movie: www.iwanttolooklikethatguy.com
