S.Gentz's Journey to the Stage

How many more weeks do you have?

You shouldn’t be looking “flat”. Maybe not cut, but “flat” you shouldn’t be. Extreme low carbs leads to a flat look. How many carbohydrates are you eating?

If you are not ripped, you won’t get much info carb loading now.

What is the upper limit of your class? And what is the upper limit of the lighter class than yours?

Actually, you cannot allow that to determine most anything about the contest prep. You need to be as cut as you can be, regardless if you are at the bottom of your weight class.

Take a look up the post. I’ve been logging training and eating since beginning of January.
I picked the weight class going off how I looked last year before I started eating again. I wasn’t super lean but we took a guess on how much more fat would have to come off.
Again. First attempt at this so really concrete plan unfortunately.
You look incredible in the pic btw.
Thanks for your input.

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I just scanned your thread. My initial thought is that you need more carbohydrates. Don’t go overboard. Maybe add about 100grams of carbs.

But you might need to add some cardio to keep the weight coming off. You need to lose more fat. And you don’t have an abundance of time.

It might be helpful if you posted a few other poses. And include your legs in some, even if it only your legs.

Thanks, but I had just got the flu and was as flat as I had ever been. The photo date was fixed and had to be done that day. It was taken in Tampa, FL, about 4 hours drive from my house. He wanted to do an article about my wife.

I’ll take it up to 100g carbs a day or so. See how it goes for a week or so.
Currently doing 2x40min cardio most days.

Your weight might increase a little from your muscles filling with fluid (full look).

2/10/2023 9 weeks out

Weight 191.2

Food 2130kals/27c/119f/240p
Meal1 3 whole eggs/1 slice cheese/6 pieces turkey bacon
Meal2 6oz sliced turkey/2 cheese sticks/5 carrot sticks
Meal3 6oz london broil/2 cheese sticks/5 carrot sticks
Meal4 Half chicken/chef salad/italian dressing/carrots
Meal5 Shake

Training

Chest
Peck deck 4x15
incline press machine 4x12
SS single arm cross body/pushups 4x15
High cable fly 4x15
ab machine 4x15

Cardio
40min AM fasted treadmill
40min post WO treadmill

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2/11/2023 9 weeks out

Weight 190.1

Food 2210kals/54c/108f/234p
Meal1 3 whole eggs/1 slice cheese/6 pieces turkey bacon
Meal2 Shake
Meal3 Cobb salad with chicken
Meal4 6oz chicken thighs/2cups riced cauliflower
Meal5 Shake

Training

Rest day

Cardio
40min AM fasted treadmill
2 hours mall walk/shopping with the wife

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2/12/2023 8 weeks out

Weight 190

Food 2133kals/24c/93f/295p
Meal1 3 whole eggs/1 slice cheese/6 pieces turkey bacon
Meal2 6oz sliced turkey breast/carrots/2 cheese sticks
Meal3 6oz sliced London broil/carrots/2 cheese sticks
Meal4 shake poet WO
Meal5 8oz chicken thighs/lettuce/peppers
Meal6 Shake

Training

Legs
Seated single leg extensions 4x15
Seated two leg extensions 3x15/1x12
Seated calves 6x15
lying leg curls 4x15
adductor machine 4x15
abductor machine 4x15
ab machine 6x15

Cardio
40min AM fasted treadmill
50 min dog walk

Workout was tough today. Energy low. Was thinking of adding in some carbs but I think i will stay the course for now. Weight is coming off good and i would rather be ready a little early and be able to feed into the show than be guessing what to do the last week.

2/13/2023 8 weeks out

Weight 191

Food 1990kals/22c/95f/258p - New macro goals 2000cals C35/F100/P260
Meal1 3 whole eggs/1 slice cheese/6 pieces turkey bacon
Meal2 6oz sliced turkey breast/carrots/2 cheese sticks
Meal3 6oz sliced London broil/carrots/2 cheese sticks
Meal4 Sugar free yogurt
Meal5 2 90/10 burgers/2 slices cheese/pickles/tomatoes
Meal6 Shake

Training

Rest day

Cardio
40min AM fasted treadmill
40min PM treadmill

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2/14/2023 8 weeks out

Weight 190

Food 1960kals/26c/91f/261p
Meal1 3 whole eggs/1 slice cheese/6 pieces turkey bacon
Meal2 6oz sliced turkey breast/carrots/2 cheese sticks
Meal3 6oz sliced London broil/carrots/2 cheese sticks
Meal4 Shake post WO
Meal5 6oz chicken thighs/3 cups salad greens/1 tbsp. macadamia oil/1 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
Meal6 Shake

Training

Arms
Bicep curl machine 6x15
SS rope hammers/rope tricep extension 4x15
overhead tricep extension 4x15
Spider curls 4x12
21’s 4x21
tricep pushdown machine 4x15

Cardio
40min AM fasted treadmill
40min PM treadmill

2/15/2023 8 weeks out

Weight 188.2

Food 1923kals/21c/90f/265p
Meal1 6oz sliced London broil/carrots/2 cheese sticks
Meal2 6oz sliced turkey breast/carrots/2 cheese sticks
Meal3 6oz sliced London broil/carrots/2 cheese sticks
Meal4 Shake post WO
Meal5 6oz chicken thighs/3 cups salad greens/1 tbsp. macadamia oil/1 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
Meal6 Shake

Training

Chest circuit
flat smith bench 4x15
incline dumbbell press 4x15
high to low cable flys
flat bench dumbbell flys4x15
plate raise 4x15
push ups 4x15

Cardio
40min AM fasted treadmill
40min PM treadmill

Starving today!!!

188! Nice work.

Thanks. Dropped cals a bit. It’s starting to get a little uncomfortable.

Yeah but you’re gonna make it my friend. I have faith. It’s temporary and you’ll have a great set of pictures with a story to tell.

2/16/2023 8 weeks out

Weight 185.2

Food 2010kals/27c/104f/237p
Meal1 3 whole eggs/6 slices turkey bacon/1 slice cheese
Meal2 6oz chicken thighs/carrots/1 cheese stick
Meal3 6oz sliced London broil/carrots/1 cheese stick
Meal4 Shake pre cardio
Meal5 6oz chicken thighs/3 cups salad greens/1 tbsp. macadamia oil/1 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
Meal6 Shake

Training

Rest day
Abs 6x15

Cardio
40min AM fasted treadmill
40min PM treadmill

Scheduling 2 rest days now per week. Pretty low energy at the moment. Not much pump in the gym.
May start Velocity diet in the next week or so, My only issue is that this whole diet has been based or very low carbs and if I start the shakes I will be 60g of carbs just from shakes alone. Not sure if this will mess me up or not or if this is good for contest prep?

Thinking of switching to a PPL training split. Thoughts?
Push 1
pull 1
legs 1
off
Push 2
pull 2
Legs 2
off

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That is 240 calories of carbs. I think as long as you are in a deficit, you won’t see a whole lot of bloat.

The weight is coming off nicely BTW.

Would actually be 60g per day not meal plus whatever I ate for my solid food meal.

Thanks. It’s been a battle. Hopefully no muscle going with it!!

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You had seemed committed to your (very) low carbohydrate diet.
Are you second guessing your diet, or this a planned (or realized) change?

You post what exercises you do, but you don’t mention the weight.
My question: Are you losing strength?
If you are losing significant strength, adding carbohydrates is a good strategy, IMO.

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Strength is way down. Just doing what I can in the gym right now.
Not second guessing diet. Planned on adding in the v diet before I even started. That’s what I’m second guessing.