Sorry man, I should have replied much sooner. I cannot for the life of me recall where I read that. I know Poliquin recommends something similar but with heavy cream instead of the calorie free concentrate. Clearly you’re not going to attempt that days before a show!!
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Well, I think you just laid out my weight/reps for next week’s leg day.
I can’t let a 140lb bodybuilder who is 2 weeks out from a show outlift me 
This is going to suck…
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I can and I will. Good luck.
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Yesterday, (Saturday) was the usual 30min LISS in the morning, then to the gym for arms and 20min LISS afterwards. Went to my brother in-law’s birthday party last night and watched everyone eat pot roast, mashed potatoes, veggies, cake and ice cream. Moments like these I’m so glad my wife and I are prepping together. We watched them eat all of that, then ate our chicken and veggies. Common questions that become more frustrating as the show gets closer and you don’t feel like talking to anyone about anything, much less the prep:
“What do you mean you’re not eating?”
“So you just like, eat salads all day and run a lot?”
“Are you trying to gain or lose weight for that?”
“So you can’t eat these grapes? What’s wrong with grapes?”
Rough day yesterday, but woke up tighter today.
Today is LISS marathon Sunday. 30min fasted in the morning, breakfast, then went to the gym for a long posing session in the studio, followed by 45min LISS. Just got home, gonna eat and then head to a 90min massage.
6 more days of battling through mordor, then a week from today, Sunday before the show, is the first day totally off in months. No cardio, lifting, nothin. Nice day of putting the feet up and relaxing. Then next week we start peak week protocol, always a fun week of keto diet leading up to the carb load.
My wife is really excited for the show, she’s had a tough last month, but it’s all paying off. She’s gonna kill it up there, I’m incredibly proud of her and everything she’s accomplished. She works harder than anyone else I know, male or female. Can’t wait to share the stage with her, and an amazing post show meal afterwards.
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Dude…
You obviously dont need me showing up so late to the game here, but damn you are really looking great man. You’re Front Relaxed pose in particular just screams “Bodybuilder!”
Honestly, its quite inspiring and is making me hope I can land anywhere near this condition in 3 months time for the T-ransformation 2017 we are having on this site.
I can’t quite recall if you earned your pro card last year, but I’d be willing to bet on it this year.
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@Lonnie123, man, thank you so much, I really appreciate your kind words and support, they mean quite a lot coming from you and all of your experience! It’s really helpful and motivating, especially in this final week’s push. Thanks brother!
Again, thank you so much man. I didn’t, but that’s the plan this year for sure. I never want to focus too much on the competitive aspect and outcome, ya never know who’s going to show up and it’s an offense only sport. But, it is a motivating factor for me, and I’m hoping to be able to make it happen. Either way, it’s been a hell of a journey this season so far, and since I decided to compete two years ago, and I can’t wait to get on stage next weekend! Thanks again bro!
As usual with the day after a low day, running on fumes all day in the mind and body. Yesterday after the double bout of LISS, I had 90 minute deep tissue massage which was much needed and amazing, but it can be painful and usually the muscles start feeling better after a few days. We spent a lot of time on my quads and hams, so they felt wrecked right out of bed today, this morning’s session on the incline treadmill was brutal. The legs are already always “heavy” feeling when you get to the point where you’re doing cardio every day, I’ve been doing cardio post weights almost every day since I started, and every morning for the past two weeks. It’s definitely working! But legs were just trashed today. Today was my last leg workout before this show, we took out squats and I backed off of weights slightly and focused on a good pump and tension, sat in the steam room afterwards which helped for sure.
Tomorrow is LISS in the morning, back and biceps in the afternoon but no cardio afterwards.
We decided to keep the same cardio regimen this week rather than back off, because I still have some work to do in the glutes, lower abs and lower back, quads could be a little deeper, etc. Next week, and the week after the show, we’ll be doing ZERO cardio, so knowing that break is coming, I’m gonna push this week as hard as possible. I want to leave no doubt on the stage that I came to do some damage.
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Back and biceps today, this is the first week I’ve felt pretty depleted during each workout, but this last week we’re not trying to incur crazy muscle damage and spur new growth. At this stage, I make sure to put maximal tension in the working muscle, shave of 5-10% of the weights slightly only if needed, and make sure I send a signal to the muscles that says “don’t go anywhere, you better stick around!” Mission accomplished. No post weights cardio today, felt awesome to be in and out of the gym in 90 minutes!
This morning I setup a spare 32" monitor and in the basement in front of the treadmill so I can pass the time watching something on Hulu or Amazon during cardio. Better than the phone screen for sure. I also have my Fitbit app running on my phone which displays my heart rate in real time paired with my watch, which is easier than looking at my wrist every 30 seconds. So, now I have the TV going and the phone monitoring my heart rate, good to go. IMO on a prep, especially towards the end, it’s very important to monitor the heart rate during LISS. Last year I was going too hard and it really dug me too deep in a bad way. LISS is just shaving calories and burning maximal fat without risking the body looking turning it into a more aerobic exercise session. If it gets too high, I back off slightly, if it gets too low I go just a little harder. Also gives me better peace of mind knowing I’m doing everything 100%, and anything that provides a physcological benefit on a prep is worth it.
My wife and I take turns going through posing practice after the gym every night now, nothing too long or drawn out, 2 rounds of quarter turns plus once through all of the mandatories. It’s extremely important to be comfortable with posing, it’s always apparent for those who don’t practice enough. Can’t hold poses, look uncomfortable and awkward, out of breath, etc. The pre judging and posing is how you present your hard work, and if you choose to compete and get on stage to be judged, ignoring posing practice in my opinion is a waste of a prep. Feeling good after our session tonight!
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Going into this “warmup” contest better than some competitors will ever look on their best days. The amount of time we’re still going to have afterward to get ready for the Hercules in July is just ridiculous.
Arrrooooooo!!!
S
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Having some coffee before the pre-workout meal, today is delts, triceps, calves, 30min cardio. Tomorrow is LISS in the morning, and THAT’S IT!
Anyone ever tried cryotherapy? Some friends of mine have including a couple of competitors, they all give great reviews. I got a discount for a session at a place this weekend, it’s supposed to be great for inflammation, which should be very helpful for the legs.
Feeling great today, knocked out 45min LISS on the treadmill this morning, and that’s it for the day. Normally HIIT on Thursday, but we’re taking off to allow the legs to relax and recover. Today is the first day in weeks they’ve really felt fresh and not heavy, it’s amazing how much the heavy legs impacts the entire day and energy levels. When you feel like you’ve got 50lb weights attached to your thighs, but you’re used to it, you don’t realize how much it weighs you down until the weights come off.
Also got a new low today of 141.4.
Some food sharing, here’s the most filling 260 calories you’ll ever find. It’s my bodybuilding variation of a Jewish dish I grew up with called a “Matzoh Brei” (pronounced bry), where you take egg mixture like you’d make french toast, but soak Matzoh in it instead. The Matzoh gets all puffy and thick, then you put it in the pan with onions and garlic. It creates a delicious meal that sits in your stomach like a bowling ball, full all day. I made my own variation with a cup of egg whites and a serving and a half of the sprouted grain cereals I eat, with some diced onions and garlic powder, and it was amazing. Very filling for the cals and macros, and I topped if off with a dab of Walden Farms 0 cal maple syrup. Tasted just like pancakes!
Today, with the off day, I also broke my usual 5 meals into 6 smaller meals, which was awesome and is what I’m going to do from now on. Overall cals didn’t change, but having smaller meals and figuring out how to keep them filling has been really beneficial mentally. At the beginning of the prep, having 5 meals a day was fine as cals were higher. Once they got to 1,800, and 1650 on a low day, it became really tough going 4 hours between meals. So, I’ll be doing 6 meals a day from now on.
Tomorrow is my HIGH DAY AW YEAH, since we did legs earlier this week, tomorrow is cardio in the AM, and PM chest and cardio. I’m thinking of subbing out my usual chicken sandwich dinner from the local pizza place for some Sushi, lighter on the stomach and easier to digest, and right now I’m really trying to keep food volume and bloating to a minimum. I’ll go straight tuna rolls if I do.
My carb-loading meals the day before the show will also be high-carb, low food volume, such as:
-Bananas and Reese’s spread
-Cinnamon toast crunch
-Finibars
-Complete cookies
3/4 cup egg whites (20g protein) with each meal, I’ll rotate through those carb choices throughout the day, totaling 350g carbs.
Unrelated to the prep, went to a chair dealer today and settled on the Herman Miller Embody. It’s a big investment, but as I’m sitting for 6-8 hours a day now, I need a chair that’ll be good for my body and allow me to stay productive. I look at it like a good mattress, my wife and I sprang for a Sleep Number last year and LOVE IT. Fortunately, we got a friends and family 1/2 off discount so it wasn’t too bad. But, you spend a 3rd of your life on a mattress, it should be a good one if you can make it happen. Now that I’m spending my working days in a chair for the rest of my career, it needs to be the right one. Combined with bodybuilding and constantly abusing my muscles, a comfortable, supportive chair is a must. At least I get to write it off!
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didnt realise this wasnt even the main event coming up… Unless you are giving up SERIOUS lbm to the top of the weight class you are going to be very, very hard to beat
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^ I want that recipe lol. I’m always looking for ways to find filling foods for low calories, and you make that sound pretty good. Would legitimately appreciate if you’re willing to share!
Very excited to see the “warmup” finished product!
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Thank you very much @Lonnie123! The main event is the Hercules on June 25. As we’ll have such a long time, we’re hoping that since I’m already going to be dialed in for this show, we can have a slow and steady approach with one big push towards the end to really make sure I bring the best package possible.
Always happy to share @staystrong! It turned out really, really good, and it very simple to make. You can obviously adjust the amounts accordingly for your macros and cals:
-1 cup egg whites in a bowl.
-Toss in cereal (50g for me, again you can use what you want/need), I use One Degree sprouted flakes and sprouted rice puffs
-Stir it up and let it soak for 15min
-Spray pan lightly, I use organic coconut oil spray, saute onions for a few minutes. Then put the flame on LOW, pour the egg/cereal mixture in, and cover for about 10-15min (depending on your stove, just check it every now and then.)
-Towards the end, add salt and garlic powder.
That’s it! Again, I topped mine with Walden Farms 0 cal maple syrup, it came out tasting like pancakes.
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Been following this thread and just wanted to say hi and say what a great job I think you are doing. Its very interesting to see the work and dedication that goes into prep and the minor details that make a difference.
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@simo74 thank you so much for your kind words, and taking the time to read and follow along! I really appreciate you taking the time, and it’s always a nice bump of motivation to read comments like yours, especially this late in a prep. Thank you!
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Robostein the badass!
I hope you took some pictures of your 141.4 package – you’re definitely going to rock that stage, brother.
Is your lady still kicking ass and taking names?
Oh, and if that chair doesn’t work out for you, I’ll give you my address so that you can ship it to me. I’m just a friend willing to take it off your hands. Oh, and don’t worry: I’ll pay for the shipping and we can call it even. 
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Thanks bro! Couple from yesterday and today, yesterday was 141.4, today 141.8. Quad separation is really getting deep, glutes coming in more.
I’ll keep ya updated on the chair lol. Can’t wait to get it, just put in my order.
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Damn dude, making noticeable improvements by the day!
Tanning, carb up, etc are really going finish things off nicely.
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wow you definitely nailed it brother.
thats the back double biceps shot of my dreams.
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