Pro Masters Contest at 64

Training Over 35 Lifter
241

Monday, July 23, 2007 - 26 Days Until My Next Contest

Weight 157.4 lbs. (71.55 kgs.) - Target Weight 150.0 lbs. (68.18 kgs.)

Today we did Elite 8 x 8 training. Each chest and triceps exercise was combined with dips.

Chest & Triceps

A-1 Hammer Strength Iso Lateral Wide Chest Press 3 x 8 - 230 pounds
A-2 Dips 3 x 8

B-1 Hammer Strength Iso Lateral Super Incline Press 3 x 8 - 140 pounds
B-2 Dips 3 x 8

C-1 Hammer Strength Iso Lateral Bench Press 3 x 8 - 140 pounds
C-2 Dips 3 x 8

D-1 Life Fitness Pectoral Fly’s 3 x 8 - 150 pounds
D-2 Dips 3 x 8

E-1 Life Fitness Triceps Extensions 3 x 8 - 100 pounds
E-2 Dips 3 x 8

F-1 Life Fitness Triceps Presses 3 x 8 - 175 pounds
F-2 Dips 3 x 8

We ended the workout with Slant Board Crunches 2 x 50 and 20 minutes of Stationary Bike with moderate speed and moderate tension. This was a ball-busting workout. Whooooot!

242

Tuesday, July 24, 2007 - 25 Days Until My Next Contest

Weight - 158.6 lbs. (72.09 kgs.) Target Contest Weight - 150.0 (68.18 kgs.)

Today we did an elite 8 x 8 legs and calves workout with weighted sissy squats between each set.

Elite 8 x 8 Training - Legs and Calves

A-1 Life Fitness Seated Leg Press 3 x 8 - 250 pounds
A-2 Weighted Sissy Squats 3 x 8 - 70 pounds

B-1 Life Fitness Leg Extensions 3 x 8 - 165 pounds
B-2 Weighted Sissy Squats 3 x 8 - 70 pounds

C-1 Life Fitness Leg Curls 3 x 8 - 125 pounds
C-2 Weighted Sissy Squats 3 x 8 - 70 pounds

D-1 Hip Adductors 3 x 8 �?? 250 pounds
D-2 Weighted Sissy Squats 3 x 8 - 70 pounds

E-1 Hip Abductors 3 x 8 �?? 300 pounds
E-2 Weighted Sissy Squats 3 x 8 - 70 pounds

F-1 Seated Calve Raises 3 x 25 - 200 pounds
F-2 Squat Thrusts 3 x 25

G-1 Standing Calve Raises 3 x 25
G-2 Squat Thrusts 3 x 25

We ended this excellent training session with Weighted Crunches 1 x 50 - 100 pounds.

243

Wednesday, July 25, 2007 - 24 Days Until My Last Amateur Contest.

Weight: 157.8 lbs. (71.73 kgs.) - Target: 150.0 lbs. (68.18 kgs.)

Today was our once-a-week non-weight training day and we focused on strength and endurance exercises and cardio.

Weighted Pull Ups - 6 sets of 5 reps with a 25 pound plate strapped around our waist. We used wide, narrow and hammer grip.

Push Ups - 5 sets of 10 reps. We did slow push ups with wide, narrow and normal hand position. Three of the sets were done with our feet elevated on a bench.

Weighted Hanging Leg Lifts - 4 sets of 25 reps, holding a 10 pound dumb bell between our feet.

Weighted crunches - 4 sets of 25 reps on a slant board.

Cardio - 20 minutes of 10 degree elevated, moderate speed tread mill. This workout was fun.

244

Thanks for posting your workouts Old Navy. You are truly an inspiration. I’m a 40 something and i really plan on being in excellent shape in 20 years. Good luck on your contest.

245

Thanks for the props, deputydawg. Love your web name. Very Cool.

246

Thursday, July 26 - Tuesday, July 31. Sunset Beach (Orange County), California

My wife and I are in California for six days to visit my daughter, who turned 21 on the 23rd of July. She is a student at Orange Coast College here and will transfer to the University of California at Irvine soon.

I am about three week out from my next contest, the 2007 NPC Alabama State Championships in Birmingham, so I brought my contest prep mode with me to California. It’s a little tough, though, when you wake up in the morning at the hotel and pull back the drapes and look out at the Pacific Ocean. Cool.

Nevertheless, I went to the 24 Hour Fitness center in Huntington, Beach, introduced myself to the manager, showed him my Pro Card and Personal Trainer certification and he immediately gave me a free week’s membership so I could train at his facility. Sweet. In return, I am giving the club a plug: club105@24hourfit.com, a great place to train.

Thursday was a travel day, so I didn’t work out. Today I did legs and calves. Tomorrow, I will drive to Torrance in Los Angeles County and meet up with one of my Distance Personal Training client-athletes to work out together at Gold’s Gym. I will train at 24 Hour Fitness on Sunday and Monday. Tuesday we fly home.

Unless something unusual occurs, this will be my last journal entry until I return from vacation.

247

Monday, July 30, 2007, Sunset Beach, California - 19 Days Until My Next Contest

Body Weight - 155.0 Target Weight - 150.0

I trained today at 24 Hour Fitness with my one-week courtesy membership. I did a strong chest and triceps workout.

Incline Dumb Bell Flies - 3 x 10 - 35 pound Dumb Bells
3 x 10 Dips

Flat Bench Dumb Bell Flies - 3 x 10 - 35 pound Dumb Bells
3 x 10 Dips

Decline Bench Dumb Bell Flies - 3 x 10 - 35 pound Dumb Bells
3 x 10 Dips

Rope Pull Downs - 3 x 10 - 70 pounds
3 x 10 Dips

Cable Push Downs - 3 x 10 - 100 pounds
3 x 10 Dips

Slant Board Crunches - 4 x 25

20 minutes of moderate speed, elevated tread mill.

I will return to Birmingham tomorrow and meet my training partner at my gym on Wednesday.

248

Wednesday, August 1, 2007 - 17 Days Until My Last Amateur Contest.

Weight: 154.6 lbs. (70.27 kgs.) - Target: 150.0 lbs. (68.18 kgs.)

Today was our once-a-week non-weight training day and we focused on strength and endurance exercises and cardio.

Pull Ups - 5 sets of 10 reps. We used wide, narrow and hammer grip.

Hanging Leg Lifts - 4 sets of 25 reps.

Crunches - 4 sets of 25 reps on a slant board.

Sit Ups - 2 sets of 25 reps (freestyle, without locking the feet)

Skip Rope - 2 sets of 100 skips

Cardio - 20 minutes of 10 degree elevated, moderate speed tread mill. This workout was fun.

249

Thursday, August 2, 2007, 16 Days Until My Final Amateur Contest

Weight: 153.2 lbs. (69.64 kgs.) I have officially made the NPC Open Men’s Lightweight Class.

Today, Eric, my training partner, and I continued 8 X 8 training, with added combination sets of pushups.

Shoulders, Back and Biceps

Epic Strength Lat High Row - 3 x 8 - 140 pounds
Push Ups - 3 x 8

Life Fitness Seated Row - 3 x 8 - 145 pounds
Push Ups - 3 x 8

Epic Strength Shoulder Press - 3 x 8 - 100 pounds
Push Ups - 3 x 8

Life Fitness Lateral Raise - 3 x 8 - 50 pounds
Push Ups - 3 x 8

Life Fitness Rear Deltoid Fly - 3 x 8 - 115 pounds
Push Ups - 3 x 8

Epic Strength Biceps Curl - 3 x 8 - 100 pounds
Push Ups - 3 x 8

Life Fitness Biceps Curl - 3 x 8 - 95 pounds
Push Ups - 3 x 8

15 minutes of flat, moderate speed tread mill

I am still suffering from a bit of jet lag from my California trip. I was beat after this workout.

250

Monday, August 6, 2007, 12 Days Until My Final Amateur Contest

My wife and I helped our daughter change apartments at her college, so I couldn’t train on Friday. I went to the gym on Saturday to do legs, calves, abs and tread mill. Over the weekend, I practiced my individual posing routine and posing rounds.

Weight: 148.4 pounds (67.45 kgs.) - Target Weight 150.0 pounds (68.18 kgs.)

With less than two weeks to go, I have gone below my desired contest weight. I will carb load when the time comes, to fill my muscle bellies and bring myself on stage at 150.0 pounds.

Today my training partner and I had a good chest and triceps workout.

Incline Dumb Bell Press - 3 x 8 - 55 pound dumb bells
Dips 3 x 8

Flat Bench Dumb Bell Press - 3 x 8 - 65 pound dumb bells
Dips 3 x 8

Decline Bench Dumb Bell Press - 3 x 8 - 60 pound dumb bells
Dips 3 x 8

Pec Deck - 3 x 8 - 150 pounds
Dips 3 x 8

Triceps Skull Crushers - 3 x 8 - 60 pound bar bell
Dips 3 x 8

Triceps Cable Push Downs - 3 x 8 - 65 pounds
Dips 3 x 8

Machine Crunches - 2 x 25 - 75 pounds

Tread Mill - 20 minutes at an elevated, moderate speed

We enjoyed this training session

251

Tuesday, August 7, 2007, 11 Days Until My Last Amateur Contest

Weight: 149.4 pounds (67.91 kgs.) Target Weight: 150.0 pounds (68.18 kgs.)

After a re feed day of 228 grams of protein and 200 grams of carbs, I added back a pound of weight from Sunday, a low carbs diet day. This morning I looked hard, lean, vascular and full. It’s coming together nicely.

Legs and Calves Training

Seated Leg Presses - 3 x 8 - 270 pounds plus the weight of the sled

Smith Machine Lunges - 3 x 16 - 160 pounds

Cable Hamstring Stretches - 3 x 8 - 100 pounds

Rumanian Dead Lifts - 3 x 8 - 150 pounds

Extensions - 3 x 8 - 150 pounds

Leg Curls - 3 x 8 - 125 pounds

Seated Calve Raises 3 x 25 - 150 pounds

Standing Calve Raises 3 x 25 - body weight

This was my last legs workout before my competition. I will do quads and ham flexes and stretches throughout next week, but no weight lifting.

252

Wednesday, August 8, 2007, 10 Days Until My Next Contest.

Weight: 148.0 pounds Target Weight: 150.0

I have gone below my contest target weight in order to bring myself up to the desired weight with a Saturday morning carb load. Doing it this way will help fill out my muscle bellies and I will show hard and lean on stage at prejudging. That’s the plan, in any event.

Today was dedicated to body weight exercises and cardio.

Weighted Pull Ups - 5 x 10 with a 10 pound dumb bell held between the feet. We did wide, narrow and hammer grip sets.

Hanging Leg Lifts - 4 x 25. We did extended leg curl ups and side curls in each set.

Slant Board Crunches - 2 x 25. We did these with a 6 pound ball which was thrown back and forth as we did each rep.

Machine Crunches - 2 x 25 - 70 pounds

Tread Mill - 20 minutes of 10 degree elevated at 4.0 mph speed.

We enjoyed the break from weight training, but we still were beat after this session.

253

Thursday, August 9, 2007, 8 Days Until My Weigh-In.

Weight: 147.4 pounds Target: 150.0 pounds

Today I had my final 8 x 8 workout. Tomorrow, my training partner will do legs and calves, while I practice pose and do abs and cardio. I don’t do any heavy legs work a week before a contest. On Monday, we will begin a week of circuit training, using light weights and lots of reps to “pump up” and harden before my contest on Saturday. I will also increase my posing practice and cardio. My training partner will go along for the ride.

Shoulders, Back and Biceps Training

Smith Machine Military Press - 3 x 8 - 100 pounds
Push Ups - 3 x 8

Smith Machine Shoulder Raises - 3 x 8 - 100 pounds
Push Ups - 3 x 8

Dumb Bell Shrugs - 3 x 16 - 60 pound dumb bells
Push Ups - 3 x 8

Hammer Strength Iso-Lateral Rows - 3 x 8 - 200 pounds
Push Ups - 3 x 8

Dumb Bell Curls - 3 x 8 - 25 pounds (standing and incline)
Push Ups - 3 x 8

Bar Bell Curls (I Go, You Go) - 10 x 5 - 50 pounds (10 sets of 5 reps, back and forth)
Push Ups - 1 x 10

Pull Up Curls - 3 x 8 - Palms facing towards you for the curl
Push Ups - 3 x 8

Tread Mill - 20 minutes of flat, moderate speed (3.5)

Great Workout.

254

Friday, August 10, One Week Until My Weigh In

Weight: 147.4 pounds Target 150.0 pounds

As this is my high carbs day, after three low carb days, I should see a slight weight gain tomorrow and look a little harder and leaner. My plan is to come up to my contest weight, instead of dropping down to the weight, as I usually do.

A business commitment kept me from the gym this morning. I will go on Saturday to do a light workout, some cardio and posing practice.

I’m feeling pretty good about my contest next week. I may just come in the best I ever have as I compete in my final amateur show, the 2007 NPC Alabama State Championship in Birmingham on August 18th.

255

Saturday, August 11, 2007, One Week Until The 2007 NPC Alabama State Championships

I met one of my Distance Personal Training clients at the gym this morning and we did an hour of upper body circuit training, which I need to do for my contest prep next week. We did two full circuits of light weight, heavy rep exercises. I enjoyed the break from heavy lifting.

I will practice my posing later today and tomorrow, a Figure competitor and her Bodybuilder husband are coming to my home to work on their posing for the NPC show on Saturday. It will be the second contest for Matthew, who is a young middleweight.

We will do a few instructional rounds and then video tape a practice round so we can review the video together after the session.

I feel pretty good as I begin a series of low carb days. My water is up and I am hungry, in a good way. I’m hungry to do well at this show.

This photo was taken this morning. Body weight: 149.0 pounds. I am entering the Open Men’s Lightweight Class and Men’s Masters 50+ & 60+ Classes.

256

Monday, August 13, 2007, Five Days Until My Next Contest

Weight: 147.0 pounds Target: 150.0 pounds

I am on the second day of a four-day low-carb cycle. My protein is high and my water is high. I continue salting each meal, but will cut that soon. On Thursday and Friday, I will do two high carb days and add a creatine load. I’m feeling great and am looking lean and hard. I’m confident it’s all going to come together nicely for prejudging on Saturday.

Today my training partner and I did circuit training. We worked several machines with sets of 20-25 reps with moderate weight. After, I did 20 minutes of moderate speed, level tread mill. Tonight I will go through three practice posing rounds - I am competing in three classes at this show.

257

Tuesday, August 14, 2007, Four Days Until My Final Amateur Contest

Weight: 146.8 Target: 150.0

I’m in the third of four low carb days and I’m really looking forward to loading up on Thursday and Friday for Saturday’s contest.

Today we continued circuit training. We did 25 reps of 18 different exercises, covering all body parts. While my partner did leg extensions, leg curls and calve raises, I stood by and flexed my quads and stretched my hams, since I am not doing lower body work this week.

I continued the workout with a moderate hitt cardio session and two practice posing rounds.

I’m feeling great. Even with my low carb cycle, I had good energy and strength during my workout.

258

Wednesday, August 15, 2007 - Three Days Until the 2007 NPC Alabama State Championships

Weight: 146.6 Target 150.0

I am in the fourth and final day of my low carbohydrates pre-contest diet. Tomorrow, I begin a two day load to fill out for the contest. My weigh in is Friday between 6 - 8 PM. I am competing in the Open Men’s Lightweight Class and I’m sure I’ll make the 154 1/4 pounds weight limit with no trouble. I am also competing in the Men’s Masters 50+ & Men’s Masters 60+ Classes.

Today, I did a pre-judging type pump up and practice posing session. I will do another pump up and practice posing session this evening.

I am feeling more and more excited as the day approaches. I know I am going to have fun and that’s what matters. I enjoy competing. All that work, for about eight minutes on stage. Is it worth it? Oh, yes!

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[quote]Old Navy wrote:

This photo was taken this morning. Body weight: 149.0 pounds. I am entering the Open Men’s Lightweight Class and Men’s Masters 50+ & 60+ Classes.
[/quote]

good pose. Are your arms getting bigger? Your upper arm looks a little bigger in this photo. You must be doing a lot of things right!

260

[quote]gswork wrote:
Old Navy wrote:

This photo was taken this morning. Body weight: 149.0 pounds. I am entering the Open Men’s Lightweight Class and Men’s Masters 50+ & 60+ Classes.

good pose. Are your arms getting bigger? Your upper arm looks a little bigger in this photo. You must be doing a lot of things right![/quote]

Thanks. It’s an illusion. Actually, my arms are exactly the same size as my Avatar shot taken on June 30. Since that contest, I have been focusing on an intense conditioning program for my contest on Saturday. The reason I look bigger, is because I am leaner. I actually weigh the same in the Avatar shot as I do in the progress shot. I was disappointed in how I looked at my last show, ergo the new conditioning plan. I believe I will look the best I ever have on Saturday (August 18th) at the 2007 NPC Alabama State Championships.