Not a band kid, but I would certainly hire Rob as a coach!
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@dchris thanks man! I may or may not actually already have something in the works for 2018ā¦(I do.) 
@pitbull97 thank you very much, I really appreciate that!
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the front lat spread with the medal and trophy is a really great photo.
if i had a photo like that, i would just put in on the wall of my living room and feel proud until the day i die.
it tells so much.
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@Gorillakiv83 thank you very much man! It is really incredible to look at the photos, and think about everything that went into them. No doubt still trying to improve, but to think about where I was 10, even 5 years ago, itās mind blowing. Not just the prep for that show, but the past two years of prepping/competing in general, and then even further back to when I was 205 pounds of fat with my belt buckle popping off and hitting the wall. Thatās a great idea for the photo, once I finish my writing projects I think Iāll get some prints done and hang them up!
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Put 'em up next to the Aquaman figure 
S
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Sorry for the long hiatus all, still training hard and eating well, just been in full on āholy crapā mode trying to finish my workload for the season. Marching bands are starting their summer rehearsals and band camps, and as always, the last few clients get their info to me late. Trying to finish my projects so I can have a semblance of a summer with my family. At the very least, we do have some solid vacations booked, including PA, VT, and our very favorite, CO Springs!
So, why am I posting this on here and not just on my training log? Looks like Iāll be posting on here more than I planned, becauseā¦thereās a good possibility Iāll be competing next year at the Hercules. Originally I planned to take a long and possibly permanent off season, but now that Iām feeling better and am almost done my writing for the year, Iām realize how much I just love the sport, the prep, all of it, and truthfully thereās still part of me that just wants to do well at that show and get the illusive WNBF pro card Iāve been chasing.
It started with my wife, Katie, who as you may remember if youāve been following along, competed this year. We prepped together and competed together at the ANBF Gamblerās Classic, she looked outstanding and kicked ass on her prep. Recently, sheās been getting the bug again, and she is now determined to compete at the Hercules next year. Weāre gonna start lock-down prep mode in February, and to help her along, Iām going to prep with her. It really makes the whole process smoother when weāre both doing it. Eating the same meals, one of us doesnāt have to watch the other one eat awesome food while the other canāt, etc.
My priority has to be my work, this year it really suffered with the prep, I couldnāt get any writing done the last few weeks and it really set me back (Iād be done by now if I didnāt prep.) So, Iām going to plan on competing, but if the prep starts interfering too much with my livelihood, real life will have to take the priority.
Heās my plan of attack to ensure my best chance of success and getting on stage next year:
-Continue to slowly gain mass over the summer. Currently Iām at 158, and still surprisingly tight and striated.
-Once school starts in September, the wife and I are going to do a prep style āmini cutā for 6-8 weeks, total prep mode, to lose ~10lbs and start tightening up. Starting a prep as lean as possible always makes for a better experience.
-After that, maintain and then go into a slight caloric surplus if possible until February.
-Start my lock-down prep in February no higher than 153lbs, putting me 10-12lbs away from stage weight.
Iāve been handling 300-350g carbs every day very well. My thought process is by February I will have added more LBM, further increased my ability to tolerate carbs and more cals, and being 10-12lbs away from stage weight, should make for a more manageable experience. One of the hardest aspects this year was doing two shows that were 7 weeks apart. Getting ready for the first show wasnāt too bad, suffering was minimal until 4 weeks out. Maintaining sub 6% body fat for 7 weeks really trashed me, so Iād only be aiming for one show - the Hercules. I was able to get in great condition for the first show on pretty high carbs and minimal cardio until a few weeks ago, so if I can do that again I think Iāll be set.
So, Iāll probably be going back to doing most of my posting on here, detailing my current gaining phase, mini-cut in September, maintenance/gaining phase, and then prep.
Side note - I recently learned that diabetes runs in my family, BIG TIME. My grandma, all her brothers, and my uncle have it, and apparently my momās levels are getting close. Keep in mind my mom is like 5 feet tall and maybe 105lbs, is in fantastic shape, goes to the gym 5 days a week, eats very clean, takes tons of vitamins and supplements and such, I never knew diabetes was an issue in my family. I DO think this helps explain my poor insulin sensitivity and sluggish metabolism, and why I notice I gain fat really quickly if Iām not careful with my carb choices (always slow carbs, except post workout.) Fortunately, hard training and always eating well, my levels have never been an issue. But, good to know so I can keep everything monitored as time passes.
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You know I am following along for the ride!
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S
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Yay, I love your prep thread!
Thatās awesome that this is something you and your wife can enjoy/suffer through together.
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When Rob n I were chatting on the phone yesterday, I was obviously very excited that Rob wanted to get back up there. Thatās whatās always appealing to me about the sport; you compete, assess, plan improvements, and repeat. Itās a long term endeavor for those who wish to really see how far they can go.
As he started to explain how he had come to this decision, the first words out of my mouth were:
āso, you missed being miserable?ā -lol
S
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I donāt miss a whole lot from prep but one thing you canāt replicate is the absolute craziness and focus you get in desire to kill your upcoming show. I remember driving to the gym at 6 AM in my car just screaming random pump up statements! (My time, This is what the F I do, Coming for whatās mine, etc) It is an experience that is priceless because it is just so damn crazy
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Donāt forget the āSend off partiesā at Minados. As far as Iām concerned, all good contest preps should start and end with all you can eat Sushi
(I know Aquaman agrees -lol)
S
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This threat was an amazing insight, I plan on competing next year for the first time, Iām 5ā6 & canāt seem to get under 180lbs & am around 15-16%bf I want to do a pre-contest prep to find out physically & mentally what it takes I canāt seem to get lower in body fat % I eat 1600 Cals 171gs protein/140gs Carbs/ 35gs Fat can anyone help me or give me any advise Iām struggling and feeling lost.
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Obviously there could be a myriad of factors leading to your apparent stall in Weight. Without answering every little factor (because I do actually prep clients -lol), Iād suggest looking at what you are doing now, what the last changes you made were, what effects they had, and how long itās usually been between last adjustments and stalls.
Best of luck! Itās an amazing experience seeing it all come together on game day.
S
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Do you do any cardio? how long have you been eating 1600 cals with no weight loss?
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5 weeks with no weight loss and I do cardio 5-6 x a week around 30-45 mins
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Thanks bro, I really appreciate your feedback and always following along!
LOL! Kind of, always happens that way though. I think hopefully just aiming for one show will decrease the length of inevitable misery!
HA! I can relate. I definitely had some screaming sessions in the car on the way to the gym, sometimes itās the only way to keep from imploding.
Thanks man, glad youāre finding some of this info beneficial! As @The_Mighty_Stu said itās helpful to know exactly what your daily nutrition and training is like, and what youāve been doing leading up to this point. But, if youāre 5ā6" and 180lbs, eating 1600 cals a day and stalled out, then most definitely something is amiss. Could be a few things:
-Youāre eating more than 1600 cal a day. Assuming youāre measuring/weighing your food and not cheating what-so-ever, havenāt eaten one bite of anything not on your plan?
-Whatās the cardio sessions, length and intensity like? How long have you been doing cardio?
-Any HIIT?
-Howās your sleep?
Again with more specific info it would be easy to give more specific feedback, but if you really are eating 1600 cal every day with all that cardio and no weight loss, I would imagine youāre feeling like complete death all the time. So, refeeds are always helpful, and maybe just taking a break or easing up from cardio for a bit might help. But again, post more info and Iāll do my best to give some assistance.
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You should invest in a freezer that size for your home, and just fill it with Halo Tops.
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No way!? Iāve gone to every grocery store nearby and they only carry 1-3 flavors and theyāre usually out.
Iāve never actually seen the better flavors in person
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