Stefan Ianev Trainer & Educator

Weight loss statistics are shocking…

Studies have shown that 95% of people will gain back all the weight they lost or more within 1-5 years.

Out of all the failed weight loss attempts, one to two thirds of those will regain more weight than they started with.

And the number one predictor if someone will regain more weight than they lost is actually...

The number of failed weight loss attempts.

That means every time you fail a diet, the chance of failing again in the future increases.

So why is it that losing weight and keeping it off is so difficult?

Well I published a new article on my website explaining why this occurs and what you can do about it.

👉 Click the link my bio to check it out.

I see a lot of coaches recommending just steps and resistance training for health and weight loss...but what about cardio?

Unfortunately neither steps nor resistance training can replace cardio...

Sure you might be able to match the energy expenditure...but you'll miss out on important health benefits for the heart and mitochondria...

Yes resistance training is associated with numerous health and body composition benefits...

But these are different adaptations than from cardio training...so you should really do both.

One does not replace the other!

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Happy birthday 🥳🎂 to my little princess!

https://stefanianev.com/why-more-exercise-doesnt-always-lead-to-more-weight-loss/

Why More Exercise Doesn’t Always Lead to More Weight Loss - Stefanianev.com We’ve known for years that exercise as well as caloric restriction can induce compensatory changes in non-exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT), and to a lesser degree resting energy expenditure (1,2). However, what remains unclear is: 1) What specifically causes this to occur 2) Why some people ...

It looks like my winter building phase has come to a temporary halt...

I've been really enjoying pushing some heavy weights again the past few weeks...

I've been back to training the way I mentioned in yesterday's reel...which has always worked best for me.

My weight was back up to 99kg and my poundages were climbing each week...

But unfortunately I've just built up so much scar tissue in my chest and shoulders over the years that my shoulder just couldn't hold up.

I had to start getting treatment for it and now I can't train for a few weeks..

Even when I resume I'll need to gradually build up my poundages back before I can get back to where I was.

It's a shame but sometimes setbacks just happen and you need to roll with it.

Weight loss is not a sprint...but it's not a marathon either!

If you don't have a bit of urgency behind you...you won't gain any momentum, you'll keep losing focus and starting over...

And ultimately you'll just keep kicking the can down the road.

What could've taken months turns into years...and you're still in the same spot or worse.

That's why it's important to find the right balance between something that's sustainable but also keeps you motivated!

For most people, apart from those that are very overweight... about 0.5% to 1% of your bodyweight per week is optimal.

Most people can sustain this comfortably for about 8-12 weeks before they might need a small break from dieting...

Then they can resume their diet if they've got more weight to lose.

A 3-month bulking cycle followed by a 3-month cut and my man .craigie is sitting at 2-3kg heavier at 2-3% lower body fat.

This is what it looks like to execute a successful bulk and a cut for a natural lifter.

18 inch arms 💪 don't count if you're sporting a 38 inch keg🛢️...

I see so many guys at the gym year after year busting their nuts to pack on more muscle mass...

But instead they're packing more inches on their waistline than anywhere else.

These are what we call the perma-bulkers...

They are the opposite of the fitness bunnies who perpetually remain in a caloric deficit.

They are constantly stuffing themselves with food in fear of losing their hard earned muscle.

But here is the reality...aesthetics is all about illusion!

The quickest way to look like you packed on 10kg of muscle is to lose 10kg of fat.

At my biggest my arms got up to 18 inches but my waist also got up to 36 inches...

My arms actually looked a lot bigger at 17 inches when I was about 6-7kg lighter on stage and with a ripped 6-pack.

So for my perma-bulker friends out there...if you want to look more musclar try stripping of some body fat.

You will also feel much better and you'll be a lot healthier ❤️‍🩹

PS. You're not going to lose your hard earned muscle if you strip fat off the right way...you might even gain a bit of muscle in the process 😉

Happy

No value post today...I'm just posting this cause my arm looks massive in it 😂

But seriously...would you take muscle building advice from me if my arms looked like toothpicks?

That's like going to a virgin s*x therapist lol

Currently sitting at 98kg (220lbs)...heaviest I've been in a while...

Where has it all gone? Mostly to my legs and ass 😂

I've been hitting legs a bit harder the last few weeks and you can already tell.

These pants weren't fitting so tight a couple of weeks ago.

Still need to bring out the hamstrings a bit more I think to match the glutes.

The cutest 🥰

4 week progress update...in just 4 weeks my boy has dropped from 14% to 9% bf.

This is only week 4 of his 17 week cutting phase but by giving ourselves plenty of time...

We have a chance to come out of the deficit at the midpoint for about 2-3 weeks to give us a nice little anabolic rebound...

And allow the metabolism and hormones to at least partially recover before stripping off that last bit of fat.

When someone is that lean I don't like keeping them in a deficit for more than 6-8 weeks at a time.

I find that by breaking up the diet...that last stretch becomes a lot more bearable...and lean muscle retention is greater!

What is your least favourite muscle group to train?

For me it's normally legs...but I have to say lately back work has been really taking it out of me.

I've not been super excited about hitting my back workouts lately so yesterday I switched up my back routine to more machine and isolation based exercises...

And that seemed to hit the mark a bit better.

What about you...which muscle group(s) do you enjoy training least and why?

Current physique update...this is what my winter physique looks like...currently sitting at around 9% bf at 97-98kg (215lbs).

I have to say that for the most part I've been cruising with training this year...it's not like last year at this time where I got motivated to get shredded for my 40th bday shoot.

I've been hitting the gym 3-4 days a week averaging 30-40 minutes a session for the last few months...and I just took a week and a half off the gym.

Reason I still like to post these physique updates...even when I'm not at my best is to show people that it's not hard to maintain this type of physique year round.

You don't need to be hitting the gym 5-6 days a week, doing endless hours of cardio, or eating nothing but chicken and broccoli 🥦

In fact I enjoy eating between 3500-4000 calories a day 😂

I'm also not any TRT or any hormonal replacement therapy... honestly most people in their 40s don't need that s**t.

And I can also tell you that there's nothing special about my genetics...at my age my dad was a type II diabetic with a 40+ inch waist.

So why is it so easy for me to maintain my physique?

Because I follow a system that I've developed and refined over the last decade or so that makes it very easy for me to do so.

The same system that I've used to help countless people transform and maintain their physiques over the years.

If you want to know more just download my free guidebook...the link is in my bio!

New blog post!

I've just restarted my blog. Click the link below to check out my newest blog post.

In this blog I break down 3 of my favorite nutritional periodization strategies that I've used with myself and clients over the years.

3 Highly Effective Nutrition Periodization Strategies You Are Not Using - Stefanianev.com Over the years I’ve experimented with numerous nutrition periodization models with both myself and clients. While it’s not the case with everyone, a large percentage of people tend to respond more favorably to intermittent rather than continuous caloric restriction. Even in the literature, inter...

What makes you think you'll be one of the 5% of successful dieters who maintains long term weight loss...when you approach weight loss like the 95% of dieters who fail?

Everyone thinks they are the exception to this...but trust me you are not!

If you want long term success you need to think like and model those who've achieved long term success.

Stop looking for quick fixes...there's no such thing as a get rich quick scheme.

Every 8-week challenge that you enroll in...or every new fad diet that you start...takes you a step futher from your long term goals.

Have you downloaded a copy of my guidebook yet? Get it while it's still free...

Link is in my bio.

1 month mass gains with online client Garry

The average male will typically gain about 3 lbs of muscle over 3-months naturally.

I have some of my clients do that in a month...

If you want to find out how you can get up to 3 times better results in the next 3-6 months...

DM me the word 'RESULTS'

Unless you can do 12 chin ups and 12 dips with your own body weight...

You really don't need to have an arms day or split up your upper body training over multiple sessions.

I see guys all the time that can barely do a chin up doing 4 exercises for their biceps on a designated arms day.

Instead your time would be much better spent building a solid foundation by getting stronger on the basics.

As a rule of thumb most beginners will do best training the full body on 3 non-consequtive days a week...

While intermediate trainees will do best hitting the upper body and lower body twice a week each.

Now, once you've built a solid foundation if you want to maximise arm development...

Then it does make sense to split up the upper body and hit arms on a day of their own.

Training the arms on a day of their own when they aren't fatigued will maximize motor unit recruitment.

There's no way I could've gotten my arms up to 18 inches naturally without having an arms day.

But you must first learn to walk before you try to run.

Using advanced training principles when you're not actually advanced significantly slows your progress down.

In many cases it may lead to no progress at all.

My guidebook is now available for download...Click the link below to get your copy!

Here's some of what you'll find inside...

✅ The exact WORKOUTS and diet plan I follow to stay in better shape than most 20-year olds.

✅ How to cycle your training and nutrition throughout the year to avoid plateaus.

✅ How to apply my training principles to craft your own training plan.

✅ How to add more flexibility to diet so that you can still enjoy life.

✅ Lifestyle practices that can enhance your RESULTS and improve your quality of life!

https://stefanianev.com/ebook/

If you were just starting out training with the knowledge and experience you have now...

What is one thing you would do differently?

For me it would be doing more high incline pressing...in that range of 60-70 degrees.

I think this is one of the most neglected movement patterns.

Most people limit themselves to 45 degrees or less when incline pressing...

But I've found nothing hits those upper most pec fibers quite as effectively as high incline pressing.

These days I do a lot more of this movement pattern and my pectoral development is a lot more balanced...as well as my pec to shoulder ratio...

But I only wish I started doing them much sooner.

Obviously there are many other things I'd also do differently...but this is one I seem to have the most regrets about.

What about you...what would you do differently?

with .craigie

Alex went from 80kg (176lbs) to 85kg (187lbs) in 14 weeks.

See you don't have to lose your abs when you're in a building phase 😉

If you struggle to build muscle without putting on too much body fat...or if you struggle losing fat without losing muscle...

DM me the word "RESULTS"

I'll break everything down for you and show you exactly where you're going wrong in a FREE strategy session.

This is a no obligation call. I'm not going to hard sell you.

If at the end of the session you decide you'd like me to help you with implementing your personalized strategy...

Then we can definitely have a chat about what exactly that looks like.

But if you decide that you just want to take the strategy and run with it on your own...that's also perfectly fine.

So, if that sounds of interest to you DM the word "RESULTS"

Speak soon!

The last couple of months I've been training only 3 days a week with mostly isolation exercises.

This is what I would call more of an extended transition phase.

After coming off a strength phase my joints and body were feeling quite beat up and my training motivation was shot.

I'm wise enough to realize at this point that I can't push my body hard all the time... especially at this age.

Transition phases are critical for giving your mind and body a rest from hard training.

They allow your body to heal and your motivation to return before entering another hard training phase.

And as you can see I haven't withered away to nothing or packed on a whole bunch of body fat.

The sooner you realize this truth...that you can't train all out all the time...and that you don't need to be a hero when your body is telling you otherwise...the better off you'll be!

I guess that kind of wisdom only comes with age and experience...it only took me about 13 years to realize that 😂

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Building your body is as much an art form as anything else.

It's about having the right proportions and asymmetry to create a balanced and aesthetically pleasing physique.

It's not just about trying to pack on as much muscle as possible and getting as lean as possible.

In fact, rarely should you train everything with equal emphasis.

That's because we all have our respective genetic strengths and weaknesses...and some muscle groups will naturally respond much slower than others.

For me my primary weaknesses have always been the deltoids, triceps, and upper pecs.

And what I found worked best to bring those muscle groups into balance was not training them harder...but scaling back on training my dominant muscle groups.

This not only enables you to divert all your adaptive reserves towards your weak points...but the fastest way to make one muscle group appear larger is by shrinking a competing muscle group.

For example, these days I do very little work for my lower pecs...and as a result they don't end up detracting from my upper pecs and deltoids.

I also don't train my glutes a lot or they end up overshadowing my hamstrings.

I used to wonder before why guys that were 10kg lighter than me looked bigger than I did...and its because its all an illusion.

That extra 10kg was all in my ass, waist, and lower t**s 😂

Posted • THIS IS NOT ANOTHER QUICK-FIX, FAD DIET, OR GRUELLING WORKOUT PROGRAM...

I’m looking for 5 women who want a lasting transformation — without the extremes.

This is for you if…

✅ You are tired of wasting your time with ineffective diet plans and workout programs that you can’t stick ✅ You are frustrated because you feel like you’ve tried everything, but nothing has worked.
✅ You are ready to break the endless cycles of yoyo dieting once and for all and transform your body and life for good.

This is NOT for you if…

❌ You are looking for another quick fix approach to weight loss.
❌ You are not willing to make lasting long-term changes to your exercise and nutrition habits.
❌ You are not willing to invest the time and money to reach your goal.
If that sounds like you…send me a DM with the word “RESULTS” now.

I’ll give you some info on what I got and just ask you a few questions to make sure we’re a good fit.

This won’t be a hard sell. I want to make sure I can actually help you reach your goal and it’s a win-win for both.

DM me “RESULTS” now if you want the details.

Max-OT which stands for maximum overload training was created by the CEO of AST Sports Science Paul Delia back in the late 90s.

The whole system was based on the premise of minimizing fatigue while maximizing mechanical tension.

This involved performing fewer reps per set (4-8 reps), doing a moderate number of sets per muscle group (6-9 sets), taking longer rest between sets (2-3 mins), training only 1-2 muscle groups per workout and keeping workouts under 45 minutes, and allowing ample recovery before training a muscle group (5-7 days).

Only in the last 4-5 years has the scientific community caught onto this paradigm as recent research seems to suggest that Max-OT was almost spot on the money with regards to all the above training variables.

Now, although Max-OT may be as close as it gets to the optimal hypertrophy system, and I've used it myself with much success in the past...

There are 2 main caveats that you should be aware of:

1. Doing 4-8 reps on some exercises like leg extensions or triceps extensions is simply not practical when you reach a certain threshold of strength.

2. Training heavy like that all the time will cause you to mentally burn out and it will destroy your joints over time.

Therefore, I do not recommend training like that indefinitely, although Max-OT certainly has its place in the context of a periodized plan.

Have you tried Max-OT before? Let me know your thoughts on it and if you would like me to post my modified version of Max-OT!

Posted • Everyone wants to lose fat by tomorrow, but there are problems associated with rapid fat loss such as:

More pronounced metabolic adaptation

Lean muscle loss

Unsustainability

Greater potential for weight regain

 
So how fast is TOO fast for fat loss?

According to a 2005 by the Journal of Theoretical Biology:

“A limit on the maximum energy transfer rate from the human fat store in hypophagia is deduced from experimental data of underfed subjects maintaining moderate activity levels and is found to have a value of (290+/-25) kJ/kgd. A dietary restriction which exceeds the limited capability of the fat store to compensate for the energy deficiency results in an immediate decrease in the fat free mass (FFM).”

In other words, the maximum rate of fat loss you can expect per day without sacrificing lean muscle is approximately 69 kcals per kg of fat mass.  That means the leaner you are the less aggressive your deficit needs to be.

If someone is carrying 10kg of fat mass, their maximum deficit would be around 700 kcal per day. On the other hand, someone who is carrying 20kg of fat mass can go almost as high as a 1400 cals per day deficit. 

That is why we say having a higher amount of fat mass is lean mass sparing.

Having said that, even if you could go to 1400 cals per day without sacrificing any lean tissue, the metabolic compensation would be much greater.

We generally recommend no more than a 500-calorie deficit per day for leaner individuals and up to 1000 calories per day for overweight individuals.

If you don't make the time for your health and fitness now...you are making time for disease later on.

In life every action or inaction has a tradeoff...so choose the consequences of your actions wisely.

I know life often gets in the way...we all have work, family, and other things to attend to....

I'm not one of those 25 year old fitness models that's going to tell you that if you can't train for two hours 6 days a week you don't want it bad enough.

But...if you can't dedicate at least 150 minutes a week to exercise then your health is very low on your list of priorities.

If you are currently doing more than that but not seeing the results that you desire then you need to re-evaluate your approach and look at other lifestyle factors as well..

Don't keep putting your health and fitness goals on the back-burner and let another year pass you by...

If you are really serious about making some changes this year and getting in the best shape of your life...

Then DM and let's have a chat about what's really possible for you!

The new year is here and that means it's time for a new you!

To make this your best year yet ask yourself the following 3 questions...

1) How will this year be different?

2) What new habits will you commit to no matter what?

3) What habits will you leave behind that are holding you back?

Take a moment to answer those questions honestly and really commit to your intended outcomes...and a year from now you won't be able to recognise yourself!

Want help and accountability in reaching your health and fitness goals this year?

DM us to find how we can help you get there!