6 Pack Fitness X BSN Supplements Athlete Ryan Hughes Pt. 2

BSN Supplements athlete Ryan Hughes is an IFBB superstar, and as one of the first to go pro in the new Physique Division, he knows a thing about paying his dues. In our first blog with Ryan, he talked about flipping the switch and going all in on his training while working a full-time job. The story continues below as Ryan details how he meal preps, deals with eating on the road and offers advice on supplements and nutrition. What's your meal prep process like and how do you go about planning your daily meals? I used to cook on Sundays and I'd spend two or three hours creating meals for the week. I'd freeze half of those and put the rest into containers, which I would pull out and eat from throughout the week. I actually just hired someone to do meal prep for me, so now I have a chef prepare all of my meals. What kind of input do you have into what the chef makes for you? Do you go in blind or do you have strict rules they must follow? I tell him exactly what to cook for me, down to portions and everything. He delivers it to me and it's already in the tupperware, so it's easy for me to pack up and go. I've never been big on variety, which I know sounds pretty boring, but usually I only would pick one or two protein sources for myself. That way I wouldn't spend a bunch of time cooking multiple things, I would mostly cook a bunch of one thing. I've stayed with that even though I don't cook anymore. I usually have chicken and steak as my current proteins. I'll throw some fish in there, but I'm not a huge fish fan. What about when you're on the road for competition? I take with me a bunch of stuff that has been precooked, mostly proteins. I use my 6 Pack Bags during travel, which is great. I will throw everything, freeze half of the meals and use those meals as the ice packs that keep everything else cold. The bag really helps with transporting a large amount of food. I will put all of my chicken in large bags and put them in the side compartments, the main compartments and just fill up the whole thing. It all keeps itself cold and you can get through the airport with no problems. What BSN products are you using in your current diet/training regimen? I pretty much use everything. I change up the creatine a lot, but for the most part I'm taking the pre-workout, N.O. Explode, Nitrix and two different kinds of protein and a new one that is coming out soon. What would you suggest for someone who is just starting out getting their health back in terms of diet and supplements? What about someone starting a competitive bodybuilding career? For someone new to supplements, it usually starts with a multivitamin, a pre-workout and a protein powder. Then maybe some amino acids. In terms of food, it starts out with preperation. Most people when they just start out, they aren't preparing their own meetings. Most people I work with in Manhattan are eating out two to three times a day. Typically, they are spending way more than they need to on food, but they are also not getting the ideal nutrient profile they should be getting. You should always have your meals laid out at the start of your day. I'd suggest something similar supplement wise for someone starting competitive bodybuilding. Those four things (multivitamin, pre-workout, protien powder and amino acids) are the same basic components for everyone. I would add on a testosterone booster and creatine. A lot of people I talk to don't know how much they should be eating for this type of competition. If they are dialing down for the first time or getting ready for their first show, a lot of people are quick to jump on the low carb thing, but slow and steady is the way to do it.