EXCLUSIVE Adam Pfau Interview!

[NaturalPursuit]

Team Natural Pursuit had the pleasure to sit down with 21-year-old phenomenon Adam Pfau and had the privalage of asking him a few questions! Here is the exclusive interview posted here and at www.natural-pursuit.com!



Name: Adam Pfau
Age: 21
Height: 5'9
Current Weight: 170
Competition Weight: 160

What got you into bodybuilding?

When I was 15, my mom encouraged me to join a gym with a friend. I wasn't doing any other sports at the time and she thought I needed the exercise. I always wanted to be in good shape even has a kid but was embarrassed to admit that I wanted to work out. Once my mom suggested I join a gym, I was able to use the excuse that my mom wanted me to join so that took away any embarrassment I felt. I think I would have ended up bodybuilding anyway but she definitely forced me to start at a younger age which turned out to be very beneficial. My intentions were never to step on stage. I just wanted to be in shape. I ended up doing my first competition because I wanted to get shredded for summer and figured I should just take it to the next level and try competing.

I was never the typical new kid in the gym. Right from the start I began researching proper ways to train and diet. I was bombarded with so much conflicting information. I finally stumbled upon the Bodybuilding.com forums and that is when I really started learning. I know how hard it is to find reliable information which is why I started a blog at www.pfaufitness.blogspot.com to help beginners learn the basics of getting in shape.

What is your diet like?
I've always liked plain foods and typically eat very plain and boring. My carbs consist of a lot of oatmeal, whole wheat sandwich thins, and cinnamon raisin bagels for the most part. I get my protein from whey, casein, chicken, eggs, and turkey burgers and my fat from eggs and peanut butter. When dieting, I keep my protein moderate and carbs as high as I can with pretty low fat. When bulking, I still keep protein pretty moderate and increase the carbs significantly and fat a little bit too. I usually eat between 4 and 6 meals per day. I like eating 4 times per day rather than 6 because each meal is larger and more satisfying.

What are some supplements you wouldn’t train without?
I'm not a big believer in supplements. I do take a lot of health oriented supplements such as a multi vitamin with joint support, whey and casein protein, fish oil, vitamin C, and vitamin D. If I'm dieting, I'll also take amino acids during my work outs and green tea extract. I also recently started taking Apple Cider Vinegar because I heard it helps with skin and I haven't gotten pimples since. I never take creatine or pre work out supplements though.



What does your training look like?

I tend to get bored after a couple of months on the same routine and as a result, I like to vary my routines several times per year. I believe the best routine is a power/hypertrophy split where you hit every body part twice a week. The first time you hit the body part is a power day where you go heavy and the second time in the week is a hypertrophy day where you go lighter. The basic break down is

Day 1: Upper Power
Day 2: Lower Power
Day 3: Off
Day 4: Chest/Back hypertrophy
Day 5: Legs
Day 6: Arms/Shoulders hypertrophy
Day 7: Off

I've followed a 4 day version of this as well where I combined both upper body hypertrophy days into one.

Currently, I'm following 5/3/1 which is a strength oriented routine but I modified it slightly to fit me better. Whatever routine you do, I recommend hitting every body part twice a week. Single body part splits just aren't optimal for making muscle gains but I will use them occasionally if I'm dieting and only trying to preserve muscle.

If you want to see some examples of the routines I follow, check out my work out journal athttp://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=137584143



What are some of your bodybuilding accomplishment?

I won the junior class at the 2010 INBF Natural Connecticut which was my first show. I also placed 3rd in the open light weight division. I took 5th out of 14 in the middle weights at the 2011 INBF Natural Connecticut. I also took 6th out of 12 at the 2011 INBF Hercules. However, despite it being my worst placing, it was the best condition I had ever come in which was probably my biggest bodybuilding accomplishment.

What are your current future plans?
I don't plan on doing another bodybuilding show in the near future. I'm thinking about doing an NPC Men's Physique competition soon but I'm really just focused on staying lean year round and getting stronger. Competition is stressful and takes over my life. I don't want to deal with the negatives of it for another couple of years at least.

What are some accomplishments you’ve made outside of bodybuilding?
I've made the Dean's List every semester at my University and have a G.P.A. just under 4.0. I also bowled in High School and had an average of over 200 which qualified me to go to all counties.

Do you have a day job? If so, what is it?
Currently, I'm a senior in college. I'm a business student and will be graduating in the Spring of 2012.



What are your thoughts on overtraining?

I think the term overtraining is highly overused. More often than not, people are just under eating and under sleeping. I do believe there is a limit where you can overtrain though which is why I think it is important to deload once every 8-12 weeks to prevent it from happening. Even if you feel fine, you should deload because if you wait until you are feeling symptoms of overtraining, it's too late.

What advice would you give to beginners?
Check out www.pfaufitness.blogspot.com for some beginner articles on routine, diet, and supplements. In general though, I would tell a beginner that diet is the most important part. Although training is important too, it doesn't really matter what you do in the gym if you aren't eating what you need to outside of the gym. Get used to tracking your macro nutrients now so it becomes a habit. Also, with training, a lot of the time less is more. You don't need to do 15 to 20 sets for a body part. Usually, depending on the body part, 3 to 10 is enough.

What advice would you give to an experienced bodybuilder looking to
bring up a lagging body part?
Train that body part 2-3 times per week. Try to hit it from every rep range possible. That particular body part may respond better to a different rep range than every other body part. You won't know that unless you experiment.

Do you ever have cheat meals? If so when do you have them and what are
your favorite cheat foods to eat?

I never really have cheat meals by choice. I'll only cheat if I have to go out to a family dinner or if I'm going out to dinner with my girlfriend. Even then, I try to fit my meal into my macros as best as I can. Usually if I have a craving, I'll just change my foods for the day but still hit the same overall macro nutrients. My favorite foods are pizza, burritos, and chicken Parmesan but I haven't had any of those in a while. If I do want it, I'll usually just make my own so I know what I'm putting into my body.




Contact me through my blog at www.pfaufitness.blogspot.com. You can also send me an e-mail atAPYANKS24@yahoo.com.