How Did You Get Started?

In seventh grade I started playing Pop Warner and I had a good season but not a great season mainly due to the fact that I was about 5 feet tall and 105 lbs. That year for my birthday I got my first set of dumbbells and started lifting weights for the first time. I put on ten pounds for the next season and I had a great season that year. This followed into high school and I continued to lift and get stronger. I loved the feeling of being able improve myself and make myself a better athlete by lifting weights.

Watching myself week by week just grow was the best feeling. Eventually I quit football because I loved lifting so much and I started lifting at Hard Nocks gym and that is where I was really taught everything I know about powerlifting and bodybuilding. That gym also gave me the confidence to be able to participate in a competition because everybody in that gym was very supportive of my dreams and helped me every step of the way to get ready for a show.

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Kareem Agha.

What Workout Plan Worked Best For You?

My cutting cycle usually gives me the best lean gains and moderate strength gains compared to any one of my other workouts. My workouts during this cycle follow the H.I.T principle and I try and get out of the gym within an hour and fifteen minutes.

TERMS YOU'LL NEED TO KNOW

Superset - Two exercises are performed consecutively without any rest. Failure - That point in an exercise at which you have so fully fatigued your working muscles that they can no longer complete an additional repetition of a movement with strict biomechanics. You should always take your post-warm-up sets at least to the point of momentary muscular failure, and frequently past that point. Drop Sets - Also known as strip sets, drop sets involve the immediate reduction of weight between sets with no rest. This will thoroughly burn out a muscle. Pyramids - Increasing the weight with each new set while decreasing the number of reps. The weight is then reduced and the reps increased. [ Learn More About Reading Workout Logs ]

Day 1: Chest

• Bench Press:

1 warm-up set of 12 reps
6 pyramid sets of 8, 6, 4, 2 reps
1 set of 2 reps
2 drop sets of 4, 6 reps
1 set to failure

• Incline Dumbbell Press:

1 warm-up set of 12 reps
6 pyramid sets of 8, 6, 4, 2 reps
1 sets of 2 reps
3 drop sets of 4, 6, 8 reps

• Cable Flyes:

1 warm-up set of 15 reps
3 sets of 8 reps
1 set to failure

Day 2: Back/Abs

• Pull-Ups: 5 sets of 8 reps
• Straight Bar Rows:

1 warm-up set of 12 reps
4 pyramid sets of 8, 6, 4, 4 reps
1 drop set of 6 reps
1 set to failure

• Pull-Ins:

1 warm-up set of 10 reps
3 pyramid sets of 8, 6, 4 reps
2 drop sets of 6, 8 reps
1 set to failure

• Reverse Shrugs: 3 sets of 8 reps
• Side Curls:

1 warm-up set of 15 reps
3 drop sets of 10 reps
1 set of 15 reps

• Plate Twist: 3 sets of 30 reps
• Leg Raises: 3 sets to failure

Day 3: Cardio

• Wind Sprints: 20 sets of 40 yards

Day 4: Biceps/Triceps

• Overhead Extensions:

1 warm-up set of 20 reps
2 sets of 12, 10 reps
5 drop sets of 10, 8, 6, 5, 8 reps

• Skull Crushers:

1 warm-up set of 15 reps
4 drop sets of 8, 6, 4, 4 reps

• Giant Set:

Triceps Pushdowns: 4 sets of 15 reps
Close Grip Pushups: 4 sets to failure
Overhead Extensions: 4 sets of 12 reps
Overhead Rope Extensions: 4 sets of 15
Rope Pushdowns: 1 set to failure


• Superset:

Biceps Curls: 1 set of 16 reps
Hammer Curls: 1 set of 16 reps


• Hammer Curls:

2 sets of 12, 8 reps
3 drop sets of 6, 4, 6 reps
1 set to failure

• EZ Bar Curls:

3 sets of 21, 12, 8 reps
4 drop sets of 6, 5, 4, 6 reps
1 set to failure

• Cable Curls: 4 sets of 15 reps

Day 5: Shoulders/Abs

• Superset:

Side Laterals:
1 warm-up set of 12 reps
5 drop sets of 8, 6, 5, 4, 5 reps
1 set to failure
Front Raises:
1 warm-up set of 12 reps
5 drop sets of 8, 6, 5, 4, 5 reps
1 set to failure


• Shoulder Raise:

1 warm-up set of 12 reps
5 drop sets of 8, 6, 5, 4, 6 reps

• Shoulder Presses:

1 warm-up set of 12 reps
4 drop sets of 8, 6, 4, 6 reps
1 set to failure

• Crunches: 3 sets of 100 reps

Day 6: Legs

• Squats:

1 warm-up set of 20 reps
8 sets of 12, 8, 6, 5, 5, 5, 5, 5 reps
3 drop set of 5, 6, 8 reps
1 set to failure

Day 7: Off

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Kareem Agha.

What Nutrition Plan Has Worked Best For You?

This is my diet I pretty much follow all year unless I need to drastically lose/gain weight in a short period of time. It helps keep me constantly fueled all day long and provide me with the proper energy I need to make it through the long day.

Meal 1: Breakfast

• 4 hard-boiled eggs
• 6oz of broiled potatoes
• 2 slices of whole wheat bread
• 2oz of cheddar
• 8oz of cottage cheese
• 2oz of yogurt
• 1/2 cup of granola
• 1 cup of assorted fruits

Meal 2: Pre-Workout

• 14oz of whole wheat pasta
• 12oz of grilled chicken
• 2oz of parmesan cheese

Meal 3: Post-Workout

• 14oz of white pasta
• 18oz of grilled chicken
• 4oz of spinach leaf
• 3oz of shredded carrots
• 3oz of mixed peppers
• Balsamic vinegar
• 8oz of cottage cheese
• 2oz of yogurt
• 1/2 cup of granola

Meal 4:

• 8oz of cottage cheese
• 2oz of yogurt
• 1/2 cup of granola

Meal 5:

• 2 scoops of ON Nitro Core 24
• 1 banana

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Kareem Agha.

What Supplements Have Given You The Greatest Gains?

BSN's CellMass and VPX's NO Shotgun gave me great gains. When I first took cell mass I gained about 7 pounds in a little more than a month and NO shotgun gave me unparalleled focus in the gym that I have not seen with any other product.

Why do you love Bodybuilding?

I love fitness/bodybuilding because it is something truly divine. It is just you against the weight and the struggle to get the weight up. Bodybuilding is definitely frustrating sometimes when you hit a plateau, but there isn't a better feeling when you throw up a weight you have been struggling with for weeks and break through your plateaus. I also love it because it really is a test for yourself to see how hard you really are training and how much you want something. 200 lbs is always going to be 200 lbs and if you throw it up once you should always be able to do it the next time and if you can't that just means you're not training hard enough because the weight didn't get any heavier.

What Motivates You To Follow A Healthy Lifestyle?

I couldn't imagine living any other lifestyle. Walking around and seeing all the overweight people in America motivates me more than anything to follow a healthy lifestyle because I could never imagine being in the shape they are in. I love being able to walk around and have people strive to be able to accomplish what I have done with my body.

What Made You Want To Achieve Your Goals?

It started off as me wanting to get better at football but as I started to get bigger it transformed into me wanting to reach my max potential. I want to lift as hard as I can for as long as possible until I know I have reached my potential. The thing is though that day will never come because I know I can always get a little bit bigger, a little bit more defined and a little bit stronger.

What Are Your Future Bodybuilding Plans?

For right now I am in an experimental period with my body as I am trying to bulk up to 160 pounds because I have always wanted to know how I would look at that weight. At that point I will either continue to bulk up to 165 or I will cut down to 155 if I lose too much definition bulking up to 160. I plan on doing this over the course of about 10 months as I am trying to gain lean muscle rather than a good amount of fat.

Click To Enlarge.
Kareem Agha.

What One Tip Would You Give Other Bodybuilders?

Never ever be content. Always go for the extra rep, the extra set, the extra meal, whatever it may be, never be content. Always know that you could be better and that you're never perfect. Always strive for perfection and never stop until you reach the top.

Who Are Your Favorite Bodybuilders?

Of course Arnold Schwarzenegger, this man revolutionized bodybuilding and opened the door for bodybuilding today. He also is helping break the stereotype that all bodybuilders are just dumb meatheads who don't know anything in this life except to lift. Also Dorian Yates and his insane training methods really influenced the way I train.

What Features Do You Use On Bodybuilding.com?

The store. I am consistently reading articles and blogs from various different people.

More Bodybuilder Profiles:

:: Current Teen Of The Week.
:: Other Previous Teens Of The Week.
:: Adult Amateur Bodybuilder Of The Week.
:: Over 40 Bodybuilder Of The Week.

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