Busy-ness hit a whole new level last week. My new program and diet plan, coupled with my wife being out of town, and compiled with last Sunday being unavailable to me for weekly food prep meant that last week was a challenge to beat all challenges.
I made it. Saturday I slept for an hour in the afternoon. It was better than sex.
In other fun news I somehow managed to pull my left psoas (or something in the hereabouts) about a week ago. Two visits to the physiotherapist (is it weird that he had one of my legs over his shoulder, and was leaning over me grunting and heaving?), an hour with a massage therapist (she dug her fingers into my hip down to the first knuckle, and actually raised bruises on my neck… bitch), and about 9 days of rehab later and I’m kinda back to normal.
This is an odd injury. I get a deep, diffuse, pain right at the hip joint, but only when I’m bent at the waist. Sitting for long periods is painful, and bending down to tie my shoes can literally make me lightheaded it hurts so much. I had to spend last Monday standing at my desk with the keyboard on a platform.
But squatting under load causes me no pain whatsoever except when I go way below parallel. It’s weird. But the upside is, I’m managing it, it’s improving, and it isn’t interfering with my training.
I miss this place and I am hoping life soon allows me to be involved like I used to be. I realize I’ve been saying that for a long time now, but I well and truly miss this place and the exceptional relationships I’ve fostered here. Some of you have become an invaluable support system. And others I am so deeply invested in helping support you. It pains me that I can’t be that at the moment, but we will get there.
Dealing with injuries and joint pain in general just comes with being an over 35 lifter. It sounds like you took a good aggressive approach that worked. I can’t say enough about the mobility forum, it has helped me big time with my issues.
I’m currently trying the mega fish oil dosing to see how that works.
I’m getting used to this massive food intake. I’m in big trouble when I have to scale it back for fat loss. Make no mistake, every bite is still work. But I’m getting it done, and it causes me a lot less distress.
This morning at the gym my iPod died. I was forced to listen to some profoundly idiotic gym drivel. AND a ridiculous 70s rock revival station. NEVER AGAIN!!!
I think I work out with a fairly hard core crowd at the YMCA at 5:30 am. Several times now when I get downstairs to “the pit” I was forced to wait for a squat rack because both were in use… by people doing legitimate heavy barbell work. For the past 3 months the place has actually been crowded!
My workout program calls for me to use the adductor/abductor machine. I believe I have to trade in my man card for good this time. But then again this is all geared towards stripping nearly naked and posing for a largely male audience… oh man I think this definitely getting ambiguous…
I got fitted for my trunks. Black and purple. I asked for extra coverage. The designer thinks I’m nuts.
Yesterday I did something I haven’t done in YEARS: I left the gym in the middle of the workout. I was tired, I was defeated, and I simply didn’t have it in me. I did the money sets and then threw in the towel. I made this comment to a pal of mine and he gave me the biggest unholy bitch-slap I’ve ever had the pleasure of receiving in my life!
“Somewhere out there your competition finished his workout while you quit early. I hold you to a higher standard. I suggest you push back your training schedule and re-do that workout. Its the only way to fully redeem yourself. Our mind will ALWAYS quit before our body.”
I was wrong. He was right. I went back this morning and made the workout my bitch. I lose a rest day in the deal, but it was my own doing. This is real. No excuses.
Check this out. The chills start at 1:17 through 1:39, and 2:43 through 3:05.
Music can bypass my higher brain functions and tap right into my core. It can completely re-write my mood, re-boot my brain, make my heart explode with excitement, joy, or love. It can make me move, make me lose my breath, or make me burst into tears.This one makes me jump out of my chair and mosh in my office.
I’m at the awkward part of my bulk where underwear is a strategically difficult endeavor. I can’t wear briefs with loose pants because my thighs chafe something awful. I can’t wear slimmer pants with boxer briefs because the bunching is ridiculous, and if anything makes me cranky it’s bunched up undies. Come to think of it, I can’t wear any of the slimmer-legged jeans anymore either. Crap. It’s ime to bust out the fat pants!
When is the competition again? I am the opposite of you, it is so hard for me not to eat, I enjoy it I eat when Im not hungry, I eat when Im bored, I actually think I have been eating shittier of late yet Im about 5 lbs lighter at 238, its weird. Keep on trucking brother, it will all be worth it…your buddy is right, always assume your comp is fucking wrecking it every session so you make sure you do! good stuff.
I’v never considered myself a picky eater before. But since subbing out my usual Gatorade powder for stuff like dextrose, malto, and (god forbid) waxy maize, I’m struggling mightily to choke down my workout drinks. This stuff is so disgusting it makes me gag!
Ok, I think you can keep the man card as long as you drop the chick hip movements after the show. You are right about the difficulty in switching from high calorie to pre contest diet. I’m sure your coach will have a good plan. When I got hungry when dieting I usually made myself a huge batch of egg whites which I would cover with salsa or some tomato paste for flavor. My contest prep was always 16 weeks. I kept a food log and would vary my calories from as low as 1800 to 2500 to keep my metabolism from slowing down. Would also do lots of slow and steady cardio to burn fat.
I’m new around here–am enjoying your log. Thanks for sharing.
I’m currently dieting hard–I’ve averaged 2000 cal/d since August 20th. I second the egg whites-and-salsa (I eat 'em 10 at a time). However, my savior throughout this ordeal has been coffee–it really kills my appetite. On carb+ days I’ll flavor it with a little Coffeemate (has a few carbs, but no fat), whereas on low-carb days I’ll flavor it with a splash of heavy (whipping) cream (has fat, but no carbs). I don’t think I could do this w/o my coffee…
My workout program calls for me to use the adductor/abductor machine. I believe I have to trade in my man card for good this time. But then again this is all geared towards stripping nearly naked and posing for a largely male audience… oh man I think this definitely getting ambiguous…
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Sure. First you need to come to my gym and tell buddy who squats 6 plates ATG that he has to give his up to. He’s not really that big for a MONSTER.
[quote]Canada_K wrote:
5. I got fitted for my trunks. Black and purple. I asked for extra coverage. The designer thinks I’m nuts.
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Already? And how is it big enough to have 2 colours?!?!
[quote]Canada_K wrote:
6. Yesterday I did something I haven’t done in YEARS: I left the gym in the middle of the workout. I was tired, I was defeated, and I simply didn’t have it in me. I did the money sets and then threw in the towel. I made this comment to a pal of mine and he gave me the biggest unholy bitch-slap I’ve ever had the pleasure of receiving in my life!
“Somewhere out there your competition finished his workout while you quit early. I hold you to a higher standard. I suggest you push back your training schedule and re-do that workout. Its the only way to fully redeem yourself. Our mind will ALWAYS quit before our body.”
I was wrong. He was right. I went back this morning and made the workout my bitch. I lose a rest day in the deal, but it was my own doing. This is real. No excuses.
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Well, we have a date and it’s May 5th. For some reason that scares the shit out of me.
Todd - Yeah, it pays to have people in your corner who will kick you in the hindquarters when you need it. That day I needed it. I’m lucky to have a guy like that backing me up and keeping me honest. I don’t have any time to waste being a pansy.
I’m getting two pairs of trunks, on the advice of a vet, one of each color. And yes, I’m getting it fitted already. The seamstress does early fittings and then adjusts closer to the show.
Your avi still geeks me out. TIGHT!
Dentist - I don’t drink coffee. When I was a teenager caffeine gave me headaches and as an adult I jsut never developed a taste for it. What keeps me focused on a hard cut is diet Coke.
Jersey - The federation I’m in, you 30 seconds to pose to house music. We get judged primarily on comparisons and manditories. So I’ll have a routine, but I don’t get to choose my song. And I agree that what can make even the buffest dude look girly is swinging the hips on stage. There will be no hip swing. My routine will be butch.
Matty - Eating is fucking WORK! The fact you find it easy is why you are a built like a big lumbering beast and I am built like a Britney Spears backup dancer.
A friend fo mine on my OTHER site had this video to share when I complained about the un-manliness of using the multi-hip machine. Even though Kai Greene is a freaking MONSTER, there is no way the multi-hip is even fractionally as ghey as the crotch cruncher movement he’s doing at the start of the video.
I get really queasy when I see a huge bodybuilder using baby weights. What’s the story on that? I’d rather watch videos of Branch Warren incline benching 400 lbs for reps. Now that’s bodybuilding.
What’s your program, Kent? Are you looking at heavy weights now and light later?
[quote]cavalier wrote:
I get really queasy when I see a huge bodybuilder using baby weights. What’s the story on that? I’d rather watch videos of Branch Warren incline benching 400 lbs for reps. Now that’s bodybuilding.
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Queasy? The better you get at bodybuilding, the better you get at making light weights feel heavy through the mind-muscle connection and constant tension. Lighter weights for high reps is also used extensively by powerlifters when they are trying to add muscle mass.
Heavy weights for low reps doesn’t necessarily hit the target muscle. 400 lb inclines might be all shoulders and tris when the weak area is upper chest. But, I do agree that heavy work should always be in the mix.
