So I haven’t been updating that often. There’s not much that is going on except following my diet and getting to the gym.
I’ll have updated pictures for you guys tomorrow, but it looks like my weight loss is slowing down. This week I’ve been around 188 (188.5 this morning). Tomorrow morning, which will be a week from my last pictures, I expect to be at 188 which is only a pound loss. It’ll be the day after a high day. Normally I put on an extra pound, but the Indigo has kept my weight fluctuations pretty steady. We’ll see what kind of progress the photos show as I don’t really care what I weigh.
I’ve been thinking a lot about what I’ll be doing after the contest. Initially I’m going to L.A. for a week where I hope I don’t just blow up and gain 20 pounds back, but after I definitely want to get on a smart plan to add LBM. Now that I’m over the fact of losing size, I have to deal with the mental stress of being worried about gaining fat. I’ve looked into carb cycling, was considering the Anabolic Diet, etc.
I figure that carb cycling would help me best. Plus it’ll allow a little wiggle room to enjoy my summer and head out on weekends with friends. Really I’m open to suggestions as my goals for after the show are a bit contradicting: stay lean, gain muscle, enjoy my summer with friends
On a side note, as part of Team 1 with Indigo, I may get a chance to work with Shelby or CT. The details are unclear right now, but if I get selected for either of those, that’ll take a lot of the second guessing out of my post-contest plan.
Here’s a photo update for this week. Like I expected, I was 188 this morning. One more week of dieting before peak week and Stu and I plan to push it hard. We’re taking a page out of his book and having me do two low days in a row this week. We’re also dropping the carbs to none (not counting the incidentals from nuts, PB, etc). With carbs basically being 0, we’re getting rid of the intervals and moving to Steady State this week as well. It might be a bit tortuous, but it’s only for a week and hopefully it helps me bring in the tightest physique I can.
[quote]GrindOverMatter wrote:
your hamstrings look huge in the side chest and tricep pose…good job!!
how does it feel to be down from 230 plus? think you’ll venture back there once this show is over?[/quote]
Thanks. Initially it was a mental challenge I had to overcome. I was always over 200 and could easily maintain that without even trying. Friends at the gym would call me ‘hulk’ and now I get called ‘skinny’, lol. Now that I’m over the fact, I actually like being leaner. In my opinion I look better and more muscular.
Once the show is over, I definitely want to pack on some muscle, but I don’t plan in carrying as much bodyfat as I was. Right now, I’m guessing I’ll work my way slowly back up to somewhere between 200 and 210, but I’m not going to let my weight be the deciding factor. I’ll continue taking pictures (maybe once a month) to judge progress and just keep adding muscle while staying relatively lean. If by some miracle, I hit 230 while having a good outline of abs, so be it.
I just want to start from a much better starting point for the shows next year.
Here’s a video from some posing practice I did this past Sunday. I really have to start practicing a lot more as I was out of breath near the end. Like always, I’m open to any suggestions about posing.
The video is a bit weird as I took it at the wrong angle on my camera and had to rotate it on YouTube. Here’s the original. You can see some more definition but it’s sideways…
How far out are you? sorry if this was above somewhere but i wasnt going to read through all this… also exactly how much weight did you drop in water for that last show… I would like to provide some feeback but these are the things I would like to know to make sure what im thinking is correct.
[quote]Swolle wrote:
How far out are you? sorry if this was above somewhere but i wasnt going to read through all this… also exactly how much weight did you drop in water for that last show… I would like to provide some feeback but these are the things I would like to know to make sure what im thinking is correct.[/quote]
I’m 2 weeks out. I’m not sure exactly how much water I dropped last show, but it was a good amount. After depleting, I was about 5lbs lighter but I didn’t weigh myself after the carb-up. Also, I normally hold a lot of water in my legs from the cardio.
[quote]thoughts1053 wrote:
I normally hold a lot of water in my legs from the cardio.[/quote]
I was just checking out your posing video and you’re looking good. As I watched, I was thought ‘man, his legs look huge’ lol. I’m no expert here…but I noticed that when in the front relaxed pose you don’t display much definition or separation in your legs. However, when you flexed your legs for the ‘thigh and ab’ pose and even as you prepped for the ‘double bi’ pose, I was able to see much more definition in your legs. I guess my point is, its there (the definition and lines) but maybe you have flex your legs a bit more in the front relaxed pose…just a thought. Did you do cardio that day? If so, perpahs you were retaining water in your legs… Good work, looking good.
I can’t even flex my quads after a cardio session. This is why you always hear the old adage about not pumping up your legs before going onstage. Any type of inflammation can blur muscular definition, so understand that some days you may look shredded, while others you may appear a bit smooth.
tpagan & Stu, I had just finished cardio and like Stu says it takes away the definition. When I get up in the mornings, my legs look much better. Even a couple of hours after the cardio, my legs will look more defined.
Ok so you look good… And take this as constructive… I assume you are planning to continue doing more contests… Judging from all your pictures starting to now… Your diet may not have been restrictive enough… Trust me when I say I expect you will find upon review of videos or pictures of the coming show that you will agree you could have been leaner… Judging starting weight and what I can estimate your bodyfat I expected you to weigh in well below 180 depleted more like 175 ish… And from pictures and where u said your weight is I feel I am right… Overall you have good size and structure… I will look for examples to post of what I believe 2 weeks out should look Like as far as lean… You can’t expect to hit your first contest or two perfectly so again don’t take this negatively… Use it as fuel for next time… Btw maybe I’m wrong post contest pics… If I am I will be the first to admit it.
[quote]Swolle wrote:
Ok so you look good… And take this as constructive… I assume you are planning to continue doing more contests… Judging from all your pictures starting to now… Your diet may not have been restrictive enough… Trust me when I say I expect you will find upon review of videos or pictures of the coming show that you will agree you could have been leaner… Judging starting weight and what I can estimate your bodyfat I expected you to weigh in well below 180 depleted more like 175 ish… And from pictures and where u said your weight is I feel I am right… Overall you have good size and structure… I will look for examples to post of what I believe 2 weeks out should look Like as far as lean… You can’t expect to hit your first contest or two perfectly so again don’t take this negatively… Use it as fuel for next time… Btw maybe I’m wrong post contest pics… If I am I will be the first to admit it. [/quote]
Swolle, thanks for the constructive criticism. I agree that for contest condition I can be much leaner. This is my first year competing and I’m using this more as a time to learn, both about bodybuilding and about myself and my own body. I didn’t start with the best body composition, but next year when I compete again, I’ll add lbm and stay much leaner allowing me to bring in a better overall package to future shows.
I’ll probably be pretty close to 180 depleted, but you can bet I’ll be posting contest pics when I get them. Hopefully you can give me more constructive criticism then too. I’m not looking for an ego boost; I’m looking to learn and better myself.
Certainly not taking away… contests are not easy but i will say the leaner the better… Every time I did one i always put on size after coming off the diet… so they are a great way to gain additional size … seemed to always get my weight past a plateau. Good luck… Great way to learn what works and what doesn’t… if you are looking for a much simpler diet plan to consider before your next contest. Inbox me and I will point you in the direction of a diet that will get you shredded guaranteed as long as you stick to it… I know dozens of people who have used it and it has never failed… check my profile pictures the last show I did was somewhere between 2001-2003 i forget which contest… that is the kind of lean i am talking about… I am jumping back into a couple contests next spring though and expect to weigh in 25 lbs heavier than in the previous pictures…
Just seeing this now, I’ll get through it all tomorrow. I have a few questions after reading the first page but feel free to ignore those already answered lol
2 hour workouts…is your volume crazy high or just really long rest times? I can’t imagine 2 hours just for chest, for example, but even in general. On my leg workouts I’m about to die after an hour.
Are you able to give info about Stu’s cost for a prep?
Have you incorporated any super high carb/cheat days since starting the prep? Or just continuously increasing cardio and lowering calories/carbs? It seems the latter method is often used by naturals I know of (Stu I believe, Tom venuto, etc.) but also seems like a method many say will result in slowed metabolism and muscle loss as opposed to if incorporating an occasional very high carb day
How has your strength been throughout the prep?
Do you know what your arms and calves measure at? You have some sick wheels.
[quote]Swolle wrote:
Certainly not taking away… contests are not easy but i will say the leaner the better… Every time I did one i always put on size after coming off the diet… so they are a great way to gain additional size … seemed to always get my weight past a plateau. Good luck… Great way to learn what works and what doesn’t… if you are looking for a much simpler diet plan to consider before your next contest. Inbox me and I will point you in the direction of a diet that will get you shredded guaranteed as long as you stick to it… I know dozens of people who have used it and it has never failed… check my profile pictures the last show I did was somewhere between 2001-2003 i forget which contest… that is the kind of lean i am talking about… I am jumping back into a couple contests next spring though and expect to weigh in 25 lbs heavier than in the previous pictures…[/quote]
This has definitely been a learning experience for me. I’ve never dieted this much before, so I am seeing what is working with my body. Stu has me carb cycling, which isn’t difficult. I feel it actually makes the diet more bearable and easier to stick to. Plus it works. But PM me the info, I’m always looking to learn more.
[quote]pumped340 wrote:
Just seeing this now, I’ll get through it all tomorrow. I have a few questions after reading the first page but feel free to ignore those already answered lol
2 hour workouts…is your volume crazy high or just really long rest times? I can’t imagine 2 hours just for chest, for example, but even in general. On my leg workouts I’m about to die after an hour.
Are you able to give info about Stu’s cost for a prep?
Have you incorporated any super high carb/cheat days since starting the prep? Or just continuously increasing cardio and lowering calories/carbs? It seems the latter method is often used by naturals I know of (Stu I believe, Tom venuto, etc.) but also seems like a method many say will result in slowed metabolism and muscle loss as opposed to if incorporating an occasional very high carb day
How has your strength been throughout the prep?
Do you know what your arms and calves measure at? You have some sick wheels.
Thanks man :)[/quote]
It was a combination of both, high volume and long rest periods, plus post lifting cardio. Chest is normally my shortest day, but it can get pretty long on back/biceps day and shoulder/traps/tri day. I would have normally just ramped up to my top set, but Stu had me ramping up to a top weight and then banging out a few sets at that weight. Since I was used to CT’s methods, I was ramping up with a lot of warm up sets. After the 1st show I cut out a lot of the earlier sets and now just do 1 or 2 ‘acclimation’ sets and then do my top weight. Also, closer to the show, I just go into zombie mode between sets/exercises, lol.
Stu’s prep is very affordable. You’ll have to send him a PM for more info though. If you’re not interested in competing, I know he does monthly nutritional/training programs too. Great guy with a wealth of information; he just doesn’t advertise his services.
I have a scheduled high carb day (not Very high) once every 6 days. As the prep went on, my medium and low days dropped a bit, while my cardio increased. The high day wasn’t changed much. Talking to Stu about this and discussing other methods with him, I think it comes down to using just what is needed, not more, to get the job done. If 300g accomplishes the same metabolic boost as 600g, why risk eating more when it can possibly only hurt things.
My strength took a dip at the very beginning of the prep because I went from starting with heavy compound movements to pre-exhausting with isolation exercises before the compound movements. After that initial hit, I started using my working weights as my new baseline. As the weeks progressed, I was actually able to add 5lbs here or a rep or 2 there. Of course, a week out or so from the show, my joints were taking a beating so I cut back a bit on the reps or weight depending how I was feeling.
I normally don’t measure them as I think a number doesn’t count for much. But I actually saw this before bed last night so I measured just for you :). It’s kinda painful to see my measurements drop. Last night my arms were around 16.5" and my calves just over 17". Last time I measured my arms, they were 17" I think. (this is all without a pump). Of course none of these numbers matter; dropping the fat has made me look bigger and more muscular.
[quote]gregron wrote:
you should win this next comp based on your smile alone. lol
if the BB thing doesnt go as planned you could always do Colgate commercials.
All joking aside, you look great. That front double bi is your money shot. good luck for the upcoming show[/quote]
Yeah, my girlfriend was telling me that at the first show I had the biggest and best smile on stage. Although I hadn’t practiced smiling during my poses, as soon as I stepped out, I was grinning from ear to ear. I actually had to relax my face and purposely not smile on rear shots cause my face started hurting.
Stu also told me that he likes to pick a spot on the back wall and just smile at it saying, “Hey Spot, look at me. I look great, don’t I?”. That definitely helped keep a smile on my face.
[quote]thoughts1053 wrote:
Stu also told me that he likes to pick a spot on the back wall and just smile at it saying, “Hey Spot, look at me. I look great, don’t I?”. That definitely helped keep a smile on my face.[/quote]
LMAO Wow, you really did pay attention to everything I said huh?
[quote]pumped340 wrote:
Just seeing this now, I’ll get through it all tomorrow. I have a few questions after reading the first page but feel free to ignore those already answered lol
2 hour workouts…is your volume crazy high or just really long rest times? I can’t imagine 2 hours just for chest, for example, but even in general. On my leg workouts I’m about to die after an hour.
Are you able to give info about Stu’s cost for a prep?
Have you incorporated any super high carb/cheat days since starting the prep? Or just continuously increasing cardio and lowering calories/carbs? It seems the latter method is often used by naturals I know of (Stu I believe, Tom venuto, etc.) but also seems like a method many say will result in slowed metabolism and muscle loss as opposed to if incorporating an occasional very high carb day
How has your strength been throughout the prep?
Do you know what your arms and calves measure at? You have some sick wheels.
Thanks man :)[/quote]
It was a combination of both, high volume and long rest periods, plus post lifting cardio. Chest is normally my shortest day, but it can get pretty long on back/biceps day and shoulder/traps/tri day. I would have normally just ramped up to my top set, but Stu had me ramping up to a top weight and then banging out a few sets at that weight. Since I was used to CT’s methods, I was ramping up with a lot of warm up sets. After the 1st show I cut out a lot of the earlier sets and now just do 1 or 2 ‘acclimation’ sets and then do my top weight. Also, closer to the show, I just go into zombie mode between sets/exercises, lol.
Stu’s prep is very affordable. You’ll have to send him a PM for more info though. If you’re not interested in competing, I know he does monthly nutritional/training programs too. Great guy with a wealth of information; he just doesn’t advertise his services.
I have a scheduled high carb day (not Very high) once every 6 days. As the prep went on, my medium and low days dropped a bit, while my cardio increased. The high day wasn’t changed much. Talking to Stu about this and discussing other methods with him, I think it comes down to using just what is needed, not more, to get the job done. If 300g accomplishes the same metabolic boost as 600g, why risk eating more when it can possibly only hurt things.
My strength took a dip at the very beginning of the prep because I went from starting with heavy compound movements to pre-exhausting with isolation exercises before the compound movements. After that initial hit, I started using my working weights as my new baseline. As the weeks progressed, I was actually able to add 5lbs here or a rep or 2 there. Of course, a week out or so from the show, my joints were taking a beating so I cut back a bit on the reps or weight depending how I was feeling.
I normally don’t measure them as I think a number doesn’t count for much. But I actually saw this before bed last night so I measured just for you :). It’s kinda painful to see my measurements drop. Last night my arms were around 16.5" and my calves just over 17". Last time I measured my arms, they were 17" I think. (this is all without a pump). Of course none of these numbers matter; dropping the fat has made me look bigger and more muscular.
Let me know if you have any more questions.
[/quote]
Thanks for all the detail man (and taking measurements for me lol), good luck with the coming show
