Watch to see how we did it:
If your favourite artist believed in themselves any less then you would have never heard of them because they wouldn’t exist
If you would rather watch than read:
If Akira Toriyama quit after he lost his first art contest, then there’s no DragonBall. And therefore no One Piece, Naruto, or Bleach. Or at the very least, they’d be such different products they wouldn’t be able to be compared
If Araki had never been inspired by Fist of the North Star then there’s no Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure, and therefore all those Jojo references cease to exist and every series that contained one just wouldn’t be the same
If Isayama had quit pushing for Attack on Titan at the first sign of trouble, and there were plenty to come, we wouldn’t have one of the best stories ever made and all the stories that will come to be inspired by it
If any of your legends and heroes believed in themselves any less not only would they not have succeeded, but the echoes of their success would not be felt by the works inspired by that success
It makes me so sad to think of all the masterpieces that exist nowhere but inside somebodies head because they were too scared to release it into the wild
Ask yourself; what gifts are you hiding from the world? What would you be doing if you knew you absolutely could not fail?
And if you’re lucky to be alive, then why the hell aren’t you making it?
Make that game, write that story, draw that comic, play that song, whatever it is DO IT
You only have one shot at this & the time is gonna pass anyway
You may as well give it your all
]]>🔥 YOU SHOULD LIVE LIKE VEGETTO 🔥
There will be times when you need to be like Goku, and times where you need to be like Vegeta
#BEMORESHONEN
Cosplay: Goku
Series: DragonBall Z
]]>It was only when I truly embraced who I was that things began to change
11 years smoke free today. The first action I took to change my life and I did it by visualising the power of a Super Saiyan.
Visualising Super Saiyans to quit smoking? Cringe
Watching anime as an adult? Cringe
Using anime as fitness motivation? Cringe
Cosplaying as your favourite anime character? Cringe
Making content about this entire process? Cringe
And yet, here I am. I’ve been sober for nearly ten years, I have an amazing wife to be, I’ve been a competitive athlete, a world champion cosplayer, I’ve worked with big companies and I run my own business putting my story into actions for others to follow.
Embrace who you are. The only people calling you cringe are those who are too scared to do it for themselves.
Get in the arena my friend 👊
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A lot can happen for your fitness just 6 months! For Goku, a lot can change in a day! But us mortals might have to be a bit patient. It might take longer than we'd like, but it'll happen much faster than it sounds.
It took me a year when I first got started with fitness to go from looking like a guy who’d never worked out a day in his life to a physique that I was happy with. And the journey was so enjoyable it felt like no time at all!
These photos were taken just a year apart and totally changed my self-identity & confidence, which in turn transformed my life as I applied what I learned to everything else.
Depending on your starting point it could take shorter or longer, for Goku afterall, it only took a day for him to become a Super Saiyan God. But the point is that you’re always better off starting than not. And in 6 months time you could totally revolutionise the way you look if you eat right and train hard by pushing for constant personal bests in training.
The time is going to pass anyway & cooking healthy meals, logging calories, and training can be done in less than 6 hours per week if you're efficient. Start today and stick it out for 6 months. You’ve got this 👊
If you need some extra guidance and accountability my coaching slots are open as of writing this if you’re serious about change.
Super Saiyan God cosplay by yours truly, my arms look huge in this. I'm getting really lean right now, and I'd love to do this pose again when I'm done to do a comparison with the added definition!
f#BEMORESHONEN
Cosplay: Son Goku
Series: DragonBall Z
Fitness Coaching
Perfect cell is an amazing legacy villain, combining everything that came before alongside the main hero in a totally organic way to the story. As far as final bosses go, he's pretty incredible. I totally forgot to put Freeza & king cold in this image, no idea how!
That enemy gets his power from the short-comings of the main cast.
It's the actions of each of the cast members which result in Cell becoming perfect. On a side note, it's also these characters being in Cell's genetic makeup which leads to Cell's downfall in Dragonball Z. There's probably an underlying theme of nature here, as Gohan does the exact same thing when he becomes Super Saiyan 2 and toys with Cell in a similar fashion to how Goku treated Freeza on Namek.
Gohan finally surpasses Goku, a plot-thread that had been dangling from the early episodes of Z.
It's constantly hinted at throughout DragonBall Z that Gohan had a hidden power within him that was dying to awaken. Literally from episode 1, to fighting the Saiyans, to fighting Freeza etc. To end the series any earlier without that pay-off would have been a travesty and it's unfortunate Toriyama didn't know how to continue with Gohan in the lead. That's also one of the reasons I believe that this was the perfect end point.
Goku sacrifices himself in the most Goku way possible, taking responsibility for everything that has led to this moment.
Goku's very specific brand of selfish heroics is on full display here. He takes full responsibility for the situation and gives up his life, but it's also what he wants to do and that's how he's always lived his life. He's a hero, but not because he wants to be. That's just who he is (pure of heart) and what Dragonball is about. This is the perfect ending to his character arc.
And when Cell returns, all the remaining characters get pretty conclusive arcs during the final beam struggle as they reminisce on what Goku and Gohan mean to them and everything they’ve done for them. Everybody left on the battle field has a part to play, ending with Vegeta denouncing that he’ll ever fight again and acknowledging Goku and Gohan as ultimately besting him.
It's genuinely hard to believe that this alongside other incredible moments in the Dragonball z anime were actually filler. The Dragonball anime adaptation definitely drags on too long at times, but the amount of extra content is incredible for fleshing out the characters and is definitely partly responsible for the series' longevity
It ends with Gohan defeating Cell; the combination of all the villains that came before and even the heroes. This solidifies that Gohan is the strongest person in the series, not only surpassing his father but surpassing everyone.
This moment is such a conclusive ending for the Dragonball arcs because Cell represents EVERYONE and he's getting blown away by a one armed Gohan. It's excellent visual storytelling to show that Goku has passed the torch to his son, and he's surpassed everyone in the story in every single way. Side note; the broken arm is an extra reference to future Gohan failing to destroy the androids in the future where he never had his fathers guidance.
Goku staying dead so villains stop coming feels like an ending. It’s strong, tragic, but also a very hopeful and Goku way to go out. Protecting earth in his absence, whilst fighting bozos in the afterlife. It’s a win for our main character, that we know the earth will be safe and that Goku’s adventures will continue.
The story of Journey to the West is about Monkey obtaining 'god-hood'. DragonBall takes a lot of inspiration from that story, in this instance that Goku trains with Gods in DragonBall, Dragonball Z, DragonBall GT, and DragonBall Super. Dying and entering the afterlife could be interpreted as a pretty conclusive way of delivering that homage without having to have him literally become the Super Saiyan God. Basically, every 'ending' of DragonBall since the Cell arc has re-invented the idea of Goku becoming a 'god' and passing on the torch.
Lastly, we get a great feel good moment with the cast one final time. And we feel Goku’s spirit watching over them, forever.
DragonBall has a lot of myths and rumours surrounding it and there’s a lot of conspiracy theories of when DB was meant to end, all of them unsubstantiated. It's frequently cited that it was meant to end at Freeza, however there is very little evidence (none really) to suggest that this is true.
Plus it would be a pretty naff ending to just have the hero not be able to escape and die on his own whilst suffocating in space and being blown limb from limb. It also isn't a satisfactory ending for Gohan's character.
The Cell arc probably wasn't the intended ending either, but it does the whole Goku dying thing far better imo. If Toriyama chose to end his story this way? I can’t think of a more perfect place to end it. As a side note, I also think this is why so many games have historically ended at the Cell saga; because it just fits so damn well.
Ahhh yes, the perfect ending to DragonBall. Sky Goku will fight bozos in the afterlife forever whilst the rest of the cast also live happy lives. Win win!
My original video response:
You might of heard this before. Is it really about calories? What about hormones? Thyroid problems? Food quality?
Hormones might make it easier to store fat, thyroid issues might effect your metabolism, genetic pre-dispositions with our poor food environment might encourage obesity, & low quality foods might be easier to store as fat.
But the reason why is still down to caloric expenditure and calorie intake, these things are issues because they effect what calories you expend and how many calories you consume & utilise. That’s not to say weight loss is easy, these things certainly make it harder and in some cases almost impossible without medical intervention. But it’s still the underlying process responsible, and it’s reasonably simple.
If you don’t have the calories to store as bodyweight you can’t store bodyweight, if you think otherwise please tell the starving nations of the world what your cutting edge strategy is because they’re literally dying for it. Fat is stored energy, you can’t make energy out of nothing.
Understanding and accepting this fact is the first step towards positive change in regards to your body composition. You can’t implement a strategy without knowing how the problem works and expect to see results. Tony Youn as far as I can tell is a good guy and not trying to scam anybody, I agree with the intent of his message, even if it is factually faulty. Billions have been made by charlatans selling you ‘the real truth’ behind obesity and fat loss and none of them could pass GCSE biology with their answers. Don’t fall for it, the science behind this is very understood, even if it’s difficult and even if it’s unfair.
It’s definitely harder for some to lose weight, but I believe you can do it. All you need to know is that it’s possible, never stop trying 👊
I think it's best to think of calories like money. Due to circumstances within and without our control, some people have more than others. But we still have to budget it to get a desired result!
#BEMORESHONEN
Cosplay: Joseph Joestar
Series: Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure
Fitness Coaching
#BEMORESHONEN
Cosplay: Son Goku
Series: Dragon Ball Z
Fitness Coaching
👊 WHAT IS IIFYM? 👊
"If it fits your macros, eat it"
That was the phrase used on bodybuilding.com forums before this diet took on a movement for itself.
So, what the hell is "IF IT FITS YOUR MACROS"? What even is a MACRO?!
This video has your answers 💪
Here are some infographics that you may find useful to further explain the concept:
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I always struggle to rank the parts of this series, I love them all for different reasons. To me they're all 10s.
So I compiled the rankings from My Anime List (MAL is the gospel of anime rankings, trust me bro) and used them as a bit more of an objective base to sort out my own ranking.
Let me know in the comments what your personal part ranking is 👊
Check out the video discussing the ranking here:
Check out the Dio Vs Star Platinum 'God-Crusher' design mentioned in the video here. Most cathartic skull smash of all time.
So, what was the point of this? Here are the advantages to each 'form' (😂)
Fluffy:
>Eating in a bigger surplus (+500cal per day) means you're going to get the most out of your training in terms of muscle gains. So combined with an optimal program and consistent progression, strength flies up.
>You recover faster so you can train more often. More opportunities to train; more strength gains and less injuries.
>You eat more. Like, a lot more. No poverty food or 'macro friendly' cook books necessary. Shonen scran = Shonen muscles.
Lean:
>Paradoxically, you look bigger when you're leaner. Muscle definition begins to show and you get to accurately assess body composition progress rather than just strength gains. Example: Look at my shoulders in both photos. In my fluffy photo my extra fat masks my capped delts.
>Generally speaking it's healthier being lean for a wide range of reasons. Not too lean mind you, there is a limit to this. But within the ranges in these photos (20% body-fat down to 12% for men) it's usually healthier to be on that lower end.
>Increased confidence. This is definitely more on the subjective side but I am way more confident when I'm lean compared to when I'm fluffy. A combination of not only societal factors but because I can actually show off my hard work and look like I have a body that trains 6 days a week.
For the average person who just wants to get in shape a big bulk and cut probably isn't necessary, and If you're a male above 20% body-fat you have no business bulking. Leaning down and training hard will be sufficient! For example my clients are all currently making progress in strength gains and losing body-fat concurrently.
However for those of us who want to push the limits of our strength and muscle mass to milk everything we're capable of, gaining body-weight is a necessity after years of training productively. Combined with training it's the most anabolic thing a natural can do!
I'd even go as far to say that staying too lean for too long has actually halted my progress for years on end. When you get to this point, don't do what I did. Gain a bit of body-weight slowly, spend the majority of your time there, and cut for the summer con season 💪
#BEMORESHONEN
Cosplay: Joseph Joestar
Series: Jojo's Bizarre Adventure
Get Coached By Me
Cosplay: Goku
Series: DragonBall Z
Personal Training
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It’s been my goal since I started Be More Shonen to become the worlds strongest cosplayer. To that end, my personal approach to training has always been one of powerlifting and bodybuilding. A powerbuilding approach, if you will. After almost ten years of training with a barbell, I figured it was about time I did a meet.
But I’ve also always been cursed with chronic back pain that I constantly have to keep in check with my training, diet, and lifestyle. Because one day I can be fine, the next day I have to spend it in bed.
Unfortunately, two weeks out from my meet I pulled something in my back. I wasn’t doing anything ridiculous, it was just unfortunate timing. But now I was crippled. I felt like there wasn’t any way I could get to the platform and that I might have to dip out of the meet.
But with some encouragement from my girlfriend and a night of reading Berserk, I decided that it wasn’t in me to quit just yet.
The main character Guts wears something called the Berserker armour, it drives out all of his primal dark urges and allows him to activate the ‘Berserk mode’; a real life mind-state where your fight or flight response goes into overdrive and you can achieve things you couldn’t possibly do without it. As a consequence, it destroys your body. But the armour props up the body whilst it’s being used, basically making the person invincible and super-human whilst they’re using it.
I took that mindset going forward whilst also doing everything in my power to heal before the event. Stability work, mobility work, an anti-inflammatory diet, appropriate supplementation, anything that I knew I could do that would work, I did it.
And on meet day although I didn’t put up any personal bests I did way more than I planned to just coming off an injury, I got my first meet under my belt, I didn’t re-injure myself, and I placed second with only one point each between 3rd, 2nd, and 1st.
My squat was 180kg, my bench was 130kg, and deadlift was 220kg. Roughly 10% less than my all time bests, not bad for being crippled the week before!
After going through all that and seeing how strong everyone else was at the meet, I feel so much stronger. Like new potential has been awakened inside me, like I haven’t even scratched the surface of what I’m capable of. You're always capable of more than you think when you dedicate your whole mind to it
Over the past 5 years I allowed my chronic pain to make me feel weak. But in reality, we all have a Berserker mode. We all have hidden potential inside of ourselves that is our duty to control.
This meet was a good start, on towards the future 💪
Be More Shonen
If this article resonated with you consider working with me to hit your fitness goals. I provide affordable online coaching that actually brings results and has anime fans in mind 💪 Click here to enrol!
Angelus Sapphire Blue Leather Paint
Neotrim Red Leather Trim (I used 3 metres)
Brush Kit
Here is the video tutorial:
Hope this helps y'all guys, lets get some sick anime kicks going 💪
#BEMORESHONEN
Cosplay: Son Goku
Series: DragonBall
You start by walking every day
Walk for ten minutes
Then twenty
Then thirty
Then go for an hour
Once you’ve gotten used to that, start walking on the treadmill at the gym
When you feel comfortable with the environment of the gym, try using the weight machines three times a week (structured, see my programs for more info)
Then once you’re confident with that, try your hand at the barbell movements at the end of your workout using an empty bar
When you’re confident that you’ve got the technique down, swap weights for barbells and start adding weight
You're now lifting 3 times a week and walking 4 times a week. You now meet the requirements for an active lifestyle that almost nobody hits! The weights fulfil the criteria for flexibility, muscular strength, and muscular endurance whilst the walking takes care of your mobility and cardiovascular fitness. Boom!
This is a very streamlined version of exactly what I did to get comfortable in the gym and become athletic! I think it’s an excellent way of going from being totally untrained to being a badass when the idea of going to the gym fills you with utter dread.
The one thing I would do differently, though it obviously isn’t mandatory, is that I would have gotten a personal trainer or an online coach to explain training and nutrition concepts to me when I first went to the gym. I think I would have progressed a lot faster if I had the ‘me’ now telling me what would work then and what would work in the future.
If you want to work with me as an online personal trainer, join the £35 tier on my patreon (early bird price). I have 4 slots left for people who want to see real change in their health: https://www.patreon.com/bemoreshonen
#BEMORESHONEN
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Cosplay: Joseph Joestar
Series: Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure
Wig: Nomes Cosplay
Personal Training
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Series: Jojo's Bizarre Adventure
Cosplay: Jotaro Kujo
Drip: leftside91.com (use code MINNEY91 for 10% off)
Training & Coaching
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