[quote]krazykoukides wrote:
I would definitely buy your book too man. Your posts are always insightful and very easy to understand. It would probably be invaluable to aspiring natural bodybuilders![/quote]
Gotta agree with that for sure. You gotta be the most humble and down to earth pro out there 
Thanks guys. The book is obviously on the back burner, at least until after the Wedding this summer, but itās nice to know that Iāll have at least a small market of T-folk planning to support it
If Lonnie wants to share the tidbits he copied down for himself, I certainly have no problems with it. Itās basically little sections taken from various posts of mine (most seem to be from past contest prep threads) over the last few years. I read through it on my phone while at the gym, and while the entries donāt have dates on them, rereading the file reminded me what I was thinking when I wrote each entry.
Iāve certainly thrown a lot of my thoughts out there into cyberspace, glad to know people are benefiting from it and appreciate it!
S
Here are my āLessons From Stuā, which is essentially what I have collected over the coarse of this thread and his previous one. Any post that resonated with me I copied into a document and kept, so it isnt necessarily every bit and piece, but its got some great stuff in here:
The formatting may be crappy since it a huge Copy-And-Paste from GMailā¦ But sift through it and see what you can find.
An interesting point I figured people should note, is that two days ago (Friday morning) I weighed 195.6, but after loading the carbs in all day yesterday (high cals and high carbs), everything kicked in and I got my weekly drop. A lot of newbie dieters donāt realize just how important it is to meet your numbers each day. Sometimes that means eating even if you donāt want to. I found myself last evening just looking for higher carb foods instead of what most people would do, which is look for higher protein at each feeding (3 slices of Ezekial wheat with a chicken breast, 2 servings of Cheez-its with a scoop of Met Driveā¦). Once your basic protein requirements are met each day, as long as youāre in a deficit, you can load in as many carbs as you can and continue to make progress. Just keep in mind that the human body stores water with carbs, so a lot of people may not get the drop in weight they expect the day after a higher carb day, but that doesnāt mean that progress isnāt being made.
For my Spring 2010 Prep, I added 20 mins of steady state incline treadmill every morning at 10 weeks out. Iām thinking that Iāll do the same this year, at 12 weeks out (starting next week).
By keeping the session āeasyā, and away from my weight session, it becomes less stressful on the bodyās recovery, and more about just a small calorie burn. A lot of people just tack 45 mins - an hour of cardio after their weight session, which is an option when you absolutely need it, but IMO itās preferable to take advantage of the bodyās ability to handle multiple sessions with better effect (at least when time allows you to).
I honestly believe that the best time to ingest the bulk of macros is around the time you plan on putting the most stress on it (peri-workout). Thus far, I have maintained the exact same protocol as I was when I wasn't cutting. In trying to leave the macros unadjusted though, I ended up having to cut my food inatke throughout the rest of the day.
Obviously I feel the effects throughout the day, however, my training remains unaffected, and my strength hasn't wavered even the smallest bit - In fact, it's gone up (and this is after dieting for the past 8 weeks!)
Obviously you see my concern (expressed earlier) at having to cut a few cals from my peri-protocol, but right now, I don't think I could limit my macros from anywhere else in the day without having it affect my day to day functioning (I get seriously cranky when hungry -lol). Everything I've read seems to concur that the last places you want to play around with your calories and carbs is the peri-workout window, and first thing in the morning.
Even on 'low' days, I'll keep my morning oatmeal (I don't do weight sessions on my low days, otherwise I would skip the oatmeal, and have a FINiBAR before training instead)
--//---------
Well, As of now, I'm thinking I may not need to add more in. I've got my interval sessions (25 mins max) every third day (low carb/low cal days), and a small bit of steady state, EASY treadmill walking every morning before breakfast. IF I feel I need a bit more tightening (and I don't want to push things too hard, as I've got a few shwos lined up and would hate to lose more muscle than I absolutely need to), I could throw in 15 mins of easy bike work AFTER weight sessions.
I'd rather not have to, as I think small dietary manipulations are better than continually wearing your body down with extra physical activity. I do plan on dropping my carbs for the LAST time this week. I haven't dipped under 200g a day yet (except for low days), so I may just drop to 175g (which was what I dieted on last year at the START of my prep!) from here on out for my medium days. Obviously I have to make small changes and see what the effects are, and make decisions accordingly.
-----------------------------------
I'm not planning on dropping any more carbs, as I think that's been key in maintaining so much added thickness this year. Still having morning oatmeal, and still having pre-workout finibars. The morning steady state cardio is about 30 mins, The 'off' days interval is at 25 mins (don't want to increase this as I know it's very taxing), and I just started some very easy 20 min steady state after the weight sessions (I did this last year the last two weeks, and I think it added to my overall conditioning).
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OKay guys,.. Saturday morning, just shy of Peak Week. Today, according to my cyclical diet, is scheduled to be a high day (usually 250-300g carbs, 2800-3000 cals). I'm probably going to keep the numbers a bit more moderate (200g carbs, 2500 cals), which is still a bump up from my average days the past week or so. Tomorrow I will take off completely from training, and eat as a typical medium day would entail (maybe 150g carbs, 2400 cals). Because Monday will begin my glycogen depletion (<50g carbs, and antagonistic supersets in the gym), I want to 'swing the pendulum the other way' as it were. My weight is continually erratic, fluctuating from 177.2 - 180 this past week at various times. I'm just hoping the water drop, and the stopping of the high sodium condiments I make use of on a daily basis will allow me enough leeway to make the weight class cut off. If not,.. well, I've said it before, and I've certainly told it to other competitors,.. it's not the weight, but the conditioning, and I don't think my conditioning is too bad at this point. Obviously I think I'll be bringing a tighter package for the 2nd show 2 weeks later, but even at last year's show, I beat the guy who went on to win the Light Heavyweight Open Class (I think we were both in the Masters class, where he placed 2nd to me).
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eek is to run down my glycogen stores, not only will my workouts be antagonistic supersets, but my diet will be <50g of carbs a day, as well as <175g of protein (too much protein and your body will make glucose from it!). The basic dietary outline I'm following will be:
6am- 4 whole eggs, 2 slices cheese, green veggies
9am - 4 slices salami, 2 slices cheese
11am - chunk tuna on lettuce, 1/2 cup cashews, 1 sugar free jello snack pack
2pm - 4 TBSP Almond Butter, 1 sugar free jello snack pack
4pm - 4 slices salami, 2 slices cheese
7:15 - 4 whole eggs, 2 slices cheese, green veggies
9:30 - 17 pieces pepperoni, 2 slices cheese
If I'm totally starving, I will throw in some extra lettuce, or green veggies. This will only be until Thursday when I will drop all veggies and lettuce (don't want intestinal bulk). All condiments and diet items (diet soda, diet ice tea etc) will be dropped on Wednesday (lot of sodium!). I'm counting on the higher fat content in my food selections to satiate me somewhat, in addition to the extreme amounts of water I will be downing Mon - Thursday. --------------------------------------
I understand why someone would say that you want your 'off' day to recover, but if that means that you'll have to do so much on the other days that it becomes counterproductive,.. well, how is that helping you in any way? Also, by planning interval sessions on your lower carb intake days, I feel you take advanatge of the body's situtaion and really get mroe out of it (when Shawn Clarida informed me that he did the exact same thing, I felt a lot better -lol).
------------------------------
The last thing I want to do is get insanely heavy, only to cut back down and have it yield a net gain of a single lb. Having the perspective I now have, I would much rather slowly control my rebound, keeping an eye on future shows, and then slowly coming back down (from a lesser bodyweight) and actually coming in heavier as a result. While this show I just did (USBF Pro Show) didn't have weight classes, I know other feds do,.. in fact, I frequent the WNBF/INBF Worlds every year, and they are run like a typical Amateur show in that there are weight classes (light, medium, and heavy,.. no bantam, welter, or light-heavy though), and then there is a pose off for the 'overall'.
----------------------------------------
When I initially brought my weight down from 205 to 190 (part 1 of my "lets see if I can cut weight while retaining muscle" experiment), I was actually eating 3000 cals a day, so I'm sure because of the amount of muscle I was carrying, my actual caloric needs were higher than the 200 lbs male average figure that I tossed out above (yet another factor into your individual BMR). This year, realizing that I could get away with more calories, I was able to get down into the low 170's onstage, and was eating upwards of 2700 cals for the majority of my prep (I always read about natural BBers dieting on 2200 cals!), as well as averaging over 200g of carbs/day right up to the last week of my prep. Give yourself time, and try to err on the side of guessing a little higher, rather than lower (better to have to adjust the next week than loss some LBM due to a mistake you could have prevented).
Okay then,ā¦ Iāve certainly had enough questions over the last few months, and now itās time to nut up or shut up. Today, 1/4/10 begins my official prep for a couple of BBing shows a few months from now. Actually, I will have 15 weeks leading up to the 1st one which I plan to compete in (April 17, in Atlantic City).
I like to think that I learned a hell of a lot from my experience last year, and have examined, and scrutinized every tine detail of what I did last year in hopes of bringing an even better package to the stage. First, a few things that I am doing differently this time out:
1- 15 weeks instead of 14 weeks. This may not seem like a big deal, but this time I have an actual game plan from day one, unlike last time where I think I flopped around between a few approaches until I was a good 6-7 weeks in.
2- Higher calorie intake. I really think I dropped way to quickly when I started dieting last time. Trying to emulate Brian Whitacreās exact macro breakdown was a bad idea, and I need to remember that I am not Brian.
3- Starting from a much heavier bodyweight. I had started the āofficialā contest diet last time at about 190 lbs. Tonight at the gym I weighed in at 208.6 lbs. While certainly not shredded in the least, I have seen a hell of a lot sloppier off season bodybuilders. As my body has gotten used to the caloric intake of maintaining this weight, I feel that I can diet on a much higher number of cals than when I started at 190.
4- Higher carbohydrate intake. As long as I am dealing with a caloric deficit, I am going to keep my carbs a bit higher in an effort to hold on to more LBM. My average when I started dieting last time was about 175g on my medium (baseline) intake days. This time I will be ingesting about 225g on most days, with up to 300 on my one high day.
5- I will be incorporating my 6 day split right from the start. Last time I eventually settled on a 6 day rotation where every 3rd day was a low cal/low carb / interval day. I think this worked very well, and allowed me to really get into tight condition while still being one of the largest guys in my weight class. Again, I think this coupled with the higher carb intake should allow me to come in even larger.
6- FINiBARs and ANACONDA. I have been quite happy with the strength gains, and obvious increases in my overall thickness while incorporating these new supplements into my program. Iām really banking on CTās Peri-workout approach to add to my overall LBM retention.
I will try to update as much as I can, and have already laid out 4 different spreadsheets detailing my total cals and macro breakdowns (and each specific food item as well as time to eat), each further planned into a rotating low, medium, and high intake day. I will go from āstage 1ā, to āstage 2ā all the way down as I begin to plateau. Some weeks will involve a cal drop, others will call for the same number of cals, but with a drop in carbs.
My starting numbers (stage 1) are as follows:
LOW DAYS:
Cals: 2300 - 2400
Carbs: 100g
MEDIUM DAYS:
Cals: 2700 - 2800
Carbs: 225g
HIGH DAYS:
Cals: 3000 - 3200
Carbs: 275 - 300g
Again, I will try to be as detailed as possible, I know a lot of people find this fascinating, and hopefully I will do as well this time out as I did last time.
S
From time to time, I will bring extensions into my selection, always first in my order though. As someone who always felt his physical development lagged behind his strength levels, I like to employ pre-exhaustive approaches where I can (I like to to laterals before shoulder presses as well).
I do plan on keeping the full 3 bar protocol until Iām really just a few weeks out when I MAY have to drop to 2 bars (Iāll have to see what the rest of my day adds up to). Obviously I think the pre/peri workout window is the last place to drop carbs from until absolutely necessary (ie. peak week when you cave to deplete carbs in order to load right before the show). Also, like most Natty competitors I know, I think that you want to have as many carbs in your daily intake as YOU can handle while still maintaining a caloric deficit and making progress (losing fat). In my opinion, they keep your muscle fuller, and will actually allow you to spare much more LBM.
------/---------
Skip Lacour had written a long while back how he would take a scoop of Whey protein powder just before each solid meal, and how he felt he really helped him make big improvements in overall LBM from one year to the next. So I figure that even if Iām not getting the optimal effect of going for a longer period without food, then creating an actual pulse, and soon after eating a solid meal, Iām still benefiting from the addition.
Truly this is the acid test if youāre trying to make some sort of bodybuilding progress and continue leading your life. If you make all the gains in the world, but alienate your friends, perform badly at work, and really just make people avoid you, what sort of life are you leading? -lol.
The way I figure it, a competition bodybuilderās best friend is the mirror, while his enemies are the scale and tape measure. If anyone ever takes the plunge for a contest, it will freak you out something awful the first time. I remember stripping down backstage for the weigh in at last Mayās show, and eying all the other competitors who looked like they had just stepped out of magazines. All I could think about myself was that I had shrunk so much that I must look like crap. Your brain will mess with you every chance you give it, so your best bet is to avoid giving it any more fuel to add to your self doubts.
I do think it can be helpful, but thinking about how I THOUGHT I looked dieted down (compared to how I feel offseason), and how I actually APPEARED TO LOOK onstage, I realize that if I had listened to the voice in my head telling me how much smaller I looked, how long I had trained to be the size I was before dieting, how I was going to regret deciding to competeā¦ well, I wouldnāt have accomplished what I did, and Iām sure my outlook would agree with taking measurements.
The real quetsion for a competitor is how do you look compared to YOURSELF?, (the judges donāt actually measure your biceps and then the guy on your rightās biceps), whether you are in proportion with your other bodyparts, whether you appear symmetical, conditioned, etcā¦
Itās been said a zillion times on here, but Bodybuilding is all about the āIllusionā, and while I may never know how much size I actually lost dieting down, I do know that when I look at the contest pics, Iām damn proud, and really glad I stuck it out.
----------1111
As of now, I cycle 3 different days (low, basline and high), with the low and baseline each entailing a different degree of caloric deficit. The carbs cycle up and down accordingly as well (based on what I will be training on that given day). Obviously I expect to have to drop my overall numbers a bit as the weeks go on, but I donāt want to rush into dropping excessively as there is no surer way to lose muscle. Even last prep, I think except for the last couple of weeks, my baseline never went below 2400 cals, and yet I hear about people on here who are routinely eating 4000 cals a day, suddenly dropping to 2200 and wondering why they donāt look good afterward.
Cardio - You always want to do just what you need, as too much will undoubtedly lead to LBM loss as well. I started at 20 mins the first week (feeling very unconditioned), and will up to 25 mins this week. I doubt I will ever go about 30 mins a session, as I believe dietary manipulation is a much better way for the majority of fat loss to occur than through over excessive caloric expenditure. As I prefer to do interval work, the prevailing reational (I have read through many many sources) is that while you do in fact burn less calories during a session, you will ultimately be losing more fat due to the partitioning effect on your body (will rely on burning fat throughout the day). Considering that I choose to do my cardio work on days where I am intentionally ingesting lower overall cals and carbs, obviously you walk the line of hammering your body too hard (ie. 60 min of intervals while eating only 2000 cals and zero carbs -lol).
My students get a real kick out of my little hobby. There are always the questions because some kids are used to seeing me at 210 lbs, while others think my cheeks always look sunken in. I also have a history of eating in class, mixing up my met drive shakes, and lately, lugging around my jug oā MAG-10 (everyone has their theories about what Iām actually drinking -lol). I answer questions when I can, but try not to let it derail actual classroom lessons. The few times Iāve had to grab a workout in the school weight room have always been interesting (when was the last time you saw your high school art teacher shoulder pressing 2 plates and change per side?). I just constantly try to remind the kids that just because you can lift a lot, or even get some muscles, it doesnāt make you a better person, and it definitely doesnāt make you better than anyone else. All it means is that you can be proud of yur accomplishment.
Weighed in yesterday at 188.6 lbs, down from 197.2 in the last 7 weeks. Definitely keeping a nice easy pace, with 14 weeks left to go. Iām actually a little shocked at how certain areas are coming in much quicker this time than in past preps. My Rectus Femori are visible now, whereas they were always the last holdout bodypart right up to contest day in the past. Also, my mid chest is already starting to āsplinterā with fibers when I his certain poses.
I had hoped to get some photos or vids to share, but having had to train by myself each evening since last Fall, and now, on the verge of actually having to move (finally moving in with Cat in a new apt!), itās been a bit difficult. Luckily, once things settle a bit, Iām assuming Iāll be training the same times as her, so I can always get a second set of trusting eyes, as well as some company en route each evening (walking 20 mins to the gym each dark, winter night hasnāt exactlty been a fun experience the last few months).
Checking online, I found a couple of gym options for the new location, but all will require drivingā¦ could be worse though, as they all seem to be a 10-15 mins drive, certainly not too bad if youāve got company
S
Eating breakfast now, and felt like sharing how much I love high carb days -lol. I just finished putting half a bottle of ketchup on my eggs, and even have some āWeight Watchersā carrot cake (almost pure sugar but very little fat) to have with my mid morning protein bar and lunch just to jack up the carbs a bit 
S
Hi Stu:
Been a lurker thus far, and enjoyed the thred. Decided to chime in with a few questions that I hope you donāt mind answering:
- Do you tan in preparation for the show? If so, how often and at which week do you start? This is one aspect I never enjoyed.
- On average, how many weeks out do you start the contest prep? It appears you start roughly 15 weeks out but I wanted to check.
Iāve competed several times and I have my own protocol, but itās great to compare experiences. Thanks
Stu, have you heard of the new federation DFAC? I know they are putting on a few local shows. Having you guest pose would be awesome.
[quote]ghost87 wrote:
Hi Stu:
Been a lurker thus far, and enjoyed the thred. Decided to chime in with a few questions that I hope you donāt mind answering:
- Do you tan in preparation for the show? If so, how often and at which week do you start? This is one aspect I never enjoyed.
- On average, how many weeks out do you start the contest prep? It appears you start roughly 15 weeks out but I wanted to check.
Iāve competed several times and I have my own protocol, but itās great to compare experiences. Thanks[/quote]
Of course I donāt mind answering -lol, you guys should know by now that I try to be as helpful as I can in sharing from my experiences.
1- I tried the tanning booths before my first show in an attempt to get the famous ābase tanā. Didnāt work out quite like I wanted though, as it really didnāt do much more than dry out and irritate my skin. There also wasnāt as much color as I was hoping to achieve. Iām not sure if itās just an individual thing, as my complexion is pretty pale, as I was advised to do just brief sessions (getting tanning advice from Mike Mentzer I guess), but it just didnāt work for me.
Eventually I realized that I can use Pro-Tan, which absorbs into your skin a bit, and actually dyes it over time, as my base coloring. Then, on contest day, I use more of a wet, āon the surface of the skinā tanner (dream-tan), which creates a much darker appearance, but never truly sets in (so youāve got to get used to it a bit if youāve never tried it).
2- In the past, Iāve given myself 16 weeks for a contest. In 2010, and 2011 I did two shows fairly close together, with the second one always allowing me to bring a tighter and fuller package. As such, this year Iāve allotted 20 weeks for the single show Iām doing, hoping that a slower drop will enable me to come in even better than previous outings. There are some other Pros who will take up to 25 weeks in getting ready for a contest.
Obviously everyone is different, and while each year your body may respond in a different manner than the year before, it really is an individual learning experience. This is my first time taking such a prolonged prep period for a single show, so Iām going to learn from this as well as the rest of the folks following along.
S
[quote]wallstrt wrote:
Stu, have you heard of the new federation DFAC? I know they are putting on a few local shows. Having you guest pose would be awesome.[/quote]
Yes I have heard of DFAC. Iām actually friendly with Rich Fitter on Facebook, and as he was the former Editor of Natural Bodybuilding & Fitness magazine, he was the guy who contacted me after my Sprng 2011 win to write that piece on my shoulder training that they published. Itās certainly an interesting turn of events where one of the top guys in such a large, well known federation (The WNBF) leaves, and soon after is a top officials in a newer organization.
I know they have their first (I think)show April 28th in Jersey. I was made aware of this because the promoters (who are owners, and competitors in their own right, of a training clothing company that I own quite a few items from) actually contacted me and asked me if I was interested in judging the show! Quite a compliment, but if I had agreed to lend my hand, it would have made me persona-non-grata with the WNBF.
The last thing I want is to be the guy who quickly nabs that much sought after WNBF pro card and then immediately jumps ship. Just not the way I like to conduct myself. Down the line? Who knows. Obviously I donāt plan on competing forever, and it would be fun to judge, and eventually promote my own contest. I guess weāll have to see down the line
S
Oh yeah, almost forgot to updateā¦
Weighed in at 187.6 lbs this morning, 13 weeks out.
Down from 197.2 lbs n the last 8 Weeks.
Definitely a good rate of progress. Diet isnāt too strict, cardio is 25 mins of intervals twice every 6 days, NO steady state workā¦ been pretty easy actually -lol.
S
[quote]The Mighty Stu wrote:
Oh yeah, almost forgot to updateā¦
Weighed in at 187.6 lbs this morning, 13 weeks out.
Down from 197.2 lbs n the last 8 Weeks.
Definitely a good rate of progress. Diet isnāt too strict, cardio is 25 mins of intervals twice every 6 days, NO steady state workā¦ been pretty easy actually -lol.
S[/quote]
sounds ideal!
put my on your growing list of āguys who will hire stu when they eventually have enough mass to competeā
[quote]The Mighty Stu wrote:
[quote]wallstrt wrote:
Stu, have you heard of the new federation DFAC? I know they are putting on a few local shows. Having you guest pose would be awesome.[/quote]
Yes I have heard of DFAC. Iām actually friendly with Rich Fitter on Facebook, and as he was the former Editor of Natural Bodybuilding & Fitness magazine, he was the guy who contacted me after my Sprng 2011 win to write that piece on my shoulder training that they published. Itās certainly an interesting turn of events where one of the top guys in such a large, well known federation (The WNBF) leaves, and soon after is a top officials in a newer organization.
I know they have their first (I think)show April 28th in Jersey. I was made aware of this because the promoters (who are owners, and competitors in their own right, of a training clothing company that I own quite a few items from) actually contacted me and asked me if I was interested in judging the show! Quite a compliment, but if I had agreed to lend my hand, it would have made me persona-non-grata with the WNBF.
The last thing I want is to be the guy who quickly nabs that much sought after WNBF pro card and then immediately jumps ship. Just not the way I like to conduct myself. Down the line? Who knows. Obviously I donāt plan on competing forever, and it would be fun to judge, and eventually promote my own contest. I guess weāll have to see down the line
S[/quote]
Gotcha.
Do you know Mike L. too? Heās got a training studio down the road from me. I was one of his clients for a bit but the HIT routines were beating me up pretty good. I fare much better on the high frequency type routines.
[quote]jake_j_m wrote:
sounds ideal!
put my on your growing list of āguys who will hire stu when they eventually have enough mass to competeā[/quote]
Jake, the time is now. Honestly, you will be waiting FOREVER if you wait āuntil Iām big enoughā - TRUST me. There is ALWAYS another 5 pounds of mass to addā¦ALWAYS.
Think of competing as a chance to force yourself to work at your highest possible level for a concentrated period of time instead of simply a time to show off your muscle mass. Done correctly you really shouldnāt lose any, AND it will set the stage for better gains in the future.
Hell, under the guidance of someone like Stu, your contest prep could be the most productive few months of training ever.
[quote]Lonnie123 wrote:
Jake, the time is now. Honestly, you will be waiting FOREVER if you wait āuntil Iām big enoughā - TRUST me. There is ALWAYS another 5 pounds of mass to addā¦ALWAYS.
Think of competing as a chance to force yourself to work at your highest possible level for a concentrated period of time instead of simply a time to show off your muscle mass. Done correctly you really shouldnāt lose any, AND it will set the stage for better gains in the future.
Hell, under the guidance of someone like Stu, your contest prep could be the most productive few months of training ever.[/quote]
I definitely get what your saying, Iām pretty sure in about 2 years time I will give it a shotā¦ for now I have my sights on doing a powerlifting meet in the summer to at least start to break the competing āin some wayā barrier. I do agree that if I did compete, even if my lack of mass was very embarrasing, it would probably make the year of training afterwards my most productive ever.
Mmnn high carb day Carb feedings included (not entire meals, just highlights)
2 cups of oats (precooked)
4 slices of Ezekial Wheat Bread with jelly
3 pieces of āweight watchersā (low carb, super high sugar) carrot cake
1 poptart (of course -lol)
3 Finibars
1 scoop of SWF
#'s were around 400g carbs, 275g prot, and ~3300 cals. Amazing how seriously clean carb sources can come in at such a relatively low number of calories.
My weight has always been relatively low at the beginning of the week for the last month or so, only to dance all over the place immediately after. Today, it was the same as yesterday. First time I weighed exactly the same 2 days in a row. Iām sure Iāll be holding a bit of water tomorrow from all the carbs today, but after the leg session I just completed (10 sets of front squats followed by 10 sets of back squats for quads!), I definitely earned them!
S
Have you ever considered dropping wheat/gluten containing products? Idk if youāve heard of it but there was a pretty interesting thread about the book āWheat Bellyā.
EDIT: And link, just in case: Book: 'Wheat Belly' - Supplements and Nutrition - Forums - T Nation
Damn I learn so much from this thread, and I am not even close to a bodybuilder.
Okay, Iāve said how I feel kinda bad not being able to provide pics so far due to my current gym/work situation, but I quickly snapped this is the same crappy mirror near the elevator in my building that has been responsible for some of my favorite past photos.
13+ weeks out, quick ab flash while waiting to take the pup out this morning
S
Quick update cuz Iām up early waiting for some furniture movers to show upā¦ weighed in at 186.6 this morning (about 12 weeks out), which is a little shocking as I only was 187.6 for the first time just a few days ago. Of course Iāve come to expect some extreme fluctuation by now, but Iām wondering if the fact that Iāve not only been sick for the last few days, but been stressing out of my mind (moving out of my apt) as well is having some effect.
Despite my steady drops though, Iāve still been hitting my #s each day, nothing crazy in terms of either diet or cardio. Still, as Iāll be running around all day today between 2 Apts, and Cat and I have a wedding to go to tonight, Iām thinking I may actually skip todayās session (just abs and cardio). Despite feeling so under the weather, I still hit y actual weight sessions the last 2 days,ā¦ I doubt missing one short interval session will be the maker or breaker this prep.
S
[quote]The Mighty Stu wrote:
Quick update cuz Iām up early waiting for some furniture movers to show upā¦ weighed in at 186.6 this morning (about 12 weeks out), which is a little shocking as I only was 187.6 for the first time just a few days ago. Of course Iāve come to expect some extreme fluctuation by now, but Iām wondering if the fact that Iāve not only been sick for the last few days, but been stressing out of my mind (moving out of my apt) as well is having some effect.
Despite my steady drops though, Iāve still been hitting my #s each day, nothing crazy in terms of either diet or cardio. Still, as Iāll be running around all day today between 2 Apts, and Cat and I have a wedding to go to tonight, Iām thinking I may actually skip todayās session (just abs and cardio). Despite feeling so under the weather, I still hit y actual weight sessions the last 2 days,ā¦ I doubt missing one short interval session will be the maker or breaker this prep.
S[/quote]
Stu, I was running around yesterday, combined with a decreased motivation to train, and decided that since I dropped my calories even more this week that I could skip my cardio for that day.
I figured that if a single cardio session over 20 weeks was the difference between showing up in shape or not, I made many more mistakes than that.
I think youāll be just fine with all the moving your doing. NEPA for the win!