6:30am weigh-in 206.2
I mentioned in yesterdays post that in one week’s time I’ve lost 2 pounds. Actually from last Monday’s 6:30am weigh-in to this morning’s weigh-in, I have lost .04 pounds.
It’s pretty amazing how you can change how you look through food manipulation.
The mirror has changed so much in one week. My skin got even thinner, my legs have even more definition and separation, but I did become flat, which will come back. All from losing .04 pounds of fat
Zero carbs again today, going to do same as last week. Zero carbs on my training days (MWF) that will leave me at 14 days out come Saturday (two weeks).
I think this week is going to get rid of the remaining 2-3 pounds of fat. It wouldn’t surprise me if I’m not around 2%bf come Saturday.
If my thinking is correct and I do strip down to 2%, then just for the hell of it and to make sure I don’t lose muscle (no fat left) I will eat a 5 pound bag of potatoes (Yukon’s) on Saturday, just to see how my body reacts on Sunday. I have plenty of time at this stage and I’m always up for learning.
This will shoot my caloric intake to 4800 calories (3200 carbs, 1400 protein, 200 fat) My body should come back nicely in terms of muscle hardness and size, but let’s see what Saturday brings first
Why potatoes? Well for no other reason then they are one of the foods with the highest amounts of potassium and we all know potassium holds water in your muscles, so why not? I always got a great carb pump from running on potatoes before, might as well stay with something you know that works well
Now it is starting to get good!
Time for a protein drink
Monday, October 12, 2009
Sunday, October 11, 2009
20 days out from competition
6:30am weigh-in 204.4
So I woke up weighing .06 heavier this time.
Let us look back at the week. I decided to go zero carbs on my workout days (M W F)
Monday was the first day of zero carbs; I woke up weighing 206.4 to start
On Tuesday after one day of zero carbs, I weighed 206, losing .04 of excess water carbs.
On Wednesday after a one day of eating carbs, I weighed 206 again, leveling off
On Thursday after the second day of zero carbs, I weighed 204.8 dropping 1.2 pounds this time and really changing, starting to become flatter and more separated
On Friday after a day of carbs, I weighed 204.8 the same again just like earlier in the week after a carb day.
Now yesterday after my 3rd day of zero carbs, I woke up 203.8 and my BF (the mirror) made my legs look like they never looked before at this weight, so separated
So here’s were it gets interesting, I wake up today after yesterdays carb day and was heavier at 204.4, not staying the same weight as the other 2 days following a carb day, but gaining weight
My legs looked just as separated as yesterday, but now they are fuller and harder and when squeezed I have cross strides
Remember when the time comes you engorge yourself with carbs which fill the muscles to hardness
Doing zero carbs on the workout days is working out just as I hoped for, I’m going to keep it going again for next week
In one weeks time I lost 2 pounds and have changed so much
Time for a protein drink
So I woke up weighing .06 heavier this time.
Let us look back at the week. I decided to go zero carbs on my workout days (M W F)
Monday was the first day of zero carbs; I woke up weighing 206.4 to start
On Tuesday after one day of zero carbs, I weighed 206, losing .04 of excess water carbs.
On Wednesday after a one day of eating carbs, I weighed 206 again, leveling off
On Thursday after the second day of zero carbs, I weighed 204.8 dropping 1.2 pounds this time and really changing, starting to become flatter and more separated
On Friday after a day of carbs, I weighed 204.8 the same again just like earlier in the week after a carb day.
Now yesterday after my 3rd day of zero carbs, I woke up 203.8 and my BF (the mirror) made my legs look like they never looked before at this weight, so separated
So here’s were it gets interesting, I wake up today after yesterdays carb day and was heavier at 204.4, not staying the same weight as the other 2 days following a carb day, but gaining weight
My legs looked just as separated as yesterday, but now they are fuller and harder and when squeezed I have cross strides
Remember when the time comes you engorge yourself with carbs which fill the muscles to hardness
Doing zero carbs on the workout days is working out just as I hoped for, I’m going to keep it going again for next week
In one weeks time I lost 2 pounds and have changed so much
Time for a protein drink
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Spray tanning booths… who would think?
Back in my day (mid 80’s) when I used to compete, preparation for competition was tanning everyday for 30 minutes, (you can never be dark enough for the stage) which was how long the sessions were back then, we’d even pull doubles. Boy you would sweat out so much water, which was nice before a show.
Earlier this year, I started to tan 3 months out from the Jay Cutler classic on May 4th. Tanning now is only 12 minutes, not much sweating these days, but you still get dark, well maybe not dark enough for competition.
My friends in the gym were starting to make fun of me because I was so dark. I even used Jan Tan, a product that you paint on you the day or so before a show, that actually washes off and doesn’t stain anything.
Well it washed off alright, along with my tan as I was sweating during competition. So needless to say, I was looking pretty white on stage that day
I remember from back in the day, I used to use this product called Pro Tan, now this stuff doesn’t come off, in fact, its on you for a few weeks and stains everything, but if it doesn’t turn you green or orange (some people) you’re good to go with a deep rich dark tan, perfect for competition.
I reached out to a friend of mine who owns a few tanning places, Mark Taslakian http://www.glowtanningcenter.com/ and is a great competitive bodybuilder as well and asked him if the Pro Tan that’s out these days is the same as back then
He told me to save my money and come down to one of his place, he has a spray booth that will do the trick.
Spray booth are you joking me?
What is does, if I understand what Mark said to me, the solution that is sprayed on you works with the proteins in your skin and kind of causes the air to oxidize your skin, as an apple would if pealed and left out in the air.
Well, it took less then 20 seconds to get sprayed and as each day passes, I’m getting darker and darker
I was told to come back the week of the show for 2 more sprays, one early in the week, then one the day before competition
So if you're looking to compete in bodybuilding and want to save time and money or you just want a nice real looking tan all year long, check out one of the Mark’s locations
Time for a protein drink
Earlier this year, I started to tan 3 months out from the Jay Cutler classic on May 4th. Tanning now is only 12 minutes, not much sweating these days, but you still get dark, well maybe not dark enough for competition.
My friends in the gym were starting to make fun of me because I was so dark. I even used Jan Tan, a product that you paint on you the day or so before a show, that actually washes off and doesn’t stain anything.
Well it washed off alright, along with my tan as I was sweating during competition. So needless to say, I was looking pretty white on stage that day
I remember from back in the day, I used to use this product called Pro Tan, now this stuff doesn’t come off, in fact, its on you for a few weeks and stains everything, but if it doesn’t turn you green or orange (some people) you’re good to go with a deep rich dark tan, perfect for competition.
I reached out to a friend of mine who owns a few tanning places, Mark Taslakian http://www.glowtanningcenter.com/ and is a great competitive bodybuilder as well and asked him if the Pro Tan that’s out these days is the same as back then
He told me to save my money and come down to one of his place, he has a spray booth that will do the trick.
Spray booth are you joking me?
What is does, if I understand what Mark said to me, the solution that is sprayed on you works with the proteins in your skin and kind of causes the air to oxidize your skin, as an apple would if pealed and left out in the air.
Well, it took less then 20 seconds to get sprayed and as each day passes, I’m getting darker and darker
I was told to come back the week of the show for 2 more sprays, one early in the week, then one the day before competition
So if you're looking to compete in bodybuilding and want to save time and money or you just want a nice real looking tan all year long, check out one of the Mark’s locations
Time for a protein drink
21 days out from competition
6:30am weigh-in 203.8
I didn't lose as much as I expected, only one pound. Kind of confirms what my BF (mirror) is showing me, that I’m pretty rock bottom in terms of body fat and excess carb held water (flat) a good place to be at this point in the game
I would say from this passed week of zero carbs every other day (workout days) I lost at least 2 solid pounds of fat. I can see this by how much my lower abdominals have changed.
You might not think that 2 pounds is a lot, but think about, take 2 pounds of fat (trim off some meat) and put it down on a table, I bet you will be surprised. The same for muscle, 2 pounds is a lot of muscle. Shit I’d be trilled just to put on 2 pounds every 3 months.
Here is a web site that you can look up Nutritional data; it’s a pretty cool site. Just punch in whatever food you want to look up and you’ll get a bunch of options; it even gives you brand names and fast food places you might find yourself eating in
Check it out… http://www.nutritiondata.com/
We are off to Topsfield fair today, I haven’t been this in over 25 years…can’t wait to see how much fun my 8 year old (Anthony) is going to have. http://www.topsfieldfair.org/
We are leaving around 12:30 right at my 3rd meal, which will take me 5 minutes to eat. I’ll pack all my carbs and protein for the rest of the day. I’ll carry dry carbs with me and protein powder with water to mix it, so traveling is relatively easy.
With every meal I take a chewable Vitamin Mineral supplement by a company called Pioneer. http://www.pioneernutritional.com/
I remember when this company just came out back in the mid 80’s, (I competed from 85-92 and used this product then) this is a great product, but make sure you get the one that has no iron or else you will have hard “shit happens”. Unless of course you bleed a lot, which is the only time you lose iron.
You can find this product at your local WholeFoods Market
Time for a protein drink
I didn't lose as much as I expected, only one pound. Kind of confirms what my BF (mirror) is showing me, that I’m pretty rock bottom in terms of body fat and excess carb held water (flat) a good place to be at this point in the game
I would say from this passed week of zero carbs every other day (workout days) I lost at least 2 solid pounds of fat. I can see this by how much my lower abdominals have changed.
You might not think that 2 pounds is a lot, but think about, take 2 pounds of fat (trim off some meat) and put it down on a table, I bet you will be surprised. The same for muscle, 2 pounds is a lot of muscle. Shit I’d be trilled just to put on 2 pounds every 3 months.
Here is a web site that you can look up Nutritional data; it’s a pretty cool site. Just punch in whatever food you want to look up and you’ll get a bunch of options; it even gives you brand names and fast food places you might find yourself eating in
Check it out… http://www.nutritiondata.com/
We are off to Topsfield fair today, I haven’t been this in over 25 years…can’t wait to see how much fun my 8 year old (Anthony) is going to have. http://www.topsfieldfair.org/
We are leaving around 12:30 right at my 3rd meal, which will take me 5 minutes to eat. I’ll pack all my carbs and protein for the rest of the day. I’ll carry dry carbs with me and protein powder with water to mix it, so traveling is relatively easy.
With every meal I take a chewable Vitamin Mineral supplement by a company called Pioneer. http://www.pioneernutritional.com/
I remember when this company just came out back in the mid 80’s, (I competed from 85-92 and used this product then) this is a great product, but make sure you get the one that has no iron or else you will have hard “shit happens”. Unless of course you bleed a lot, which is the only time you lose iron.
You can find this product at your local WholeFoods Market
Time for a protein drink
Friday, October 9, 2009
22 days out from competition - 0 carb day #3
6:30am weigh-in 204.8
Am I good or what... I had a feeling my weight was going to stay the same after yesterday's carb eating day, just like the other day, weight comes down, then levels off
My prediction after tonight's Back and Shoulders workout is I will drop 1.2 pounds, weighing in tomorrow morning at 203.6. I may even drop to 203, Back is a big muscle workout and takes a lot out of you.
Back damage tonight will start with pull-ups and chin-ups, alternating between them for 4-6 sets total. I chalk my hands for dryness and go to town (much stronger with dry hands). I can get 15 reps for both on the first set, then only half that for the following sets. (Short rest 30 seconds) This movement works the whole back, for upper and lower width and thickness.
From there a wide grip bent over movement (or machine) working the upper width and thickness for 4-5 sets. My reps range anywhere from 8 to 20 (energy permitting) I always strive for higher reps for the back, in the 15 to 20 range.
#3 should now go down to your lower lats. A close grip will hit that. Remember always keep your shoulders as low as you can on all back rows and your chest and ribcage out and up as high as possible, squeezing your shoulder blades back and down. If you pull the bar below your belly button, this will help you with that.
Your back muscles are just like your chest muscles, only going the other way. That dimple you see at your arm pit (tie-in spot) for your chest. Well your back has the same kind of dimple too by the shoulder blades.
So please make sure you contract your back as much as possible by keeping your shoulders low and chest and ribcage out and up, during your row movements and always stretch out as far as you can and please don't be afraid to row the weight as if you were rowing a boat
The last movement is some type of reverse grip with your palms facing up (like chins) or a pullover off a bench with a barbell or a dumbbell. This really stretches the Back muscles and hits the front part of your lats that tie into your intercostals and really helps open up your ribcage
Time for a protein drink
Am I good or what... I had a feeling my weight was going to stay the same after yesterday's carb eating day, just like the other day, weight comes down, then levels off
My prediction after tonight's Back and Shoulders workout is I will drop 1.2 pounds, weighing in tomorrow morning at 203.6. I may even drop to 203, Back is a big muscle workout and takes a lot out of you.
Back damage tonight will start with pull-ups and chin-ups, alternating between them for 4-6 sets total. I chalk my hands for dryness and go to town (much stronger with dry hands). I can get 15 reps for both on the first set, then only half that for the following sets. (Short rest 30 seconds) This movement works the whole back, for upper and lower width and thickness.
From there a wide grip bent over movement (or machine) working the upper width and thickness for 4-5 sets. My reps range anywhere from 8 to 20 (energy permitting) I always strive for higher reps for the back, in the 15 to 20 range.
#3 should now go down to your lower lats. A close grip will hit that. Remember always keep your shoulders as low as you can on all back rows and your chest and ribcage out and up as high as possible, squeezing your shoulder blades back and down. If you pull the bar below your belly button, this will help you with that.
Your back muscles are just like your chest muscles, only going the other way. That dimple you see at your arm pit (tie-in spot) for your chest. Well your back has the same kind of dimple too by the shoulder blades.
So please make sure you contract your back as much as possible by keeping your shoulders low and chest and ribcage out and up, during your row movements and always stretch out as far as you can and please don't be afraid to row the weight as if you were rowing a boat
The last movement is some type of reverse grip with your palms facing up (like chins) or a pullover off a bench with a barbell or a dumbbell. This really stretches the Back muscles and hits the front part of your lats that tie into your intercostals and really helps open up your ribcage
Time for a protein drink
Thursday, October 8, 2009
23 days out of from competition
6:30am weigh-in 204.8
Last nights zero carb Leg workout, was a tough one to say the least. My energy wasn’t as high as it was on Monday’s zero carb workout. (Chest and Arms) I’m definitely at rock bottom in terms of carbohydrate/caloric intake, definitely in survivor mode.
My BF looks awesome this morning, my legs are the most separated so far and other then being flat, everything looks in-line
I’m one to pretty much be self sufficient, when it comes to training. I can always motivate myself in the gym and pretty much always have awesome workouts, but sometime when things aren’t “normal” a training partner is irreplaceable!
What that being said, I want to thank my training partner for showing up, not only to train, but to train hard… Rock on Rodney!
I got to the gym at 5:50 (we start normally at 6) and he was already doing his first set of squats. After being sick for the last 10 days and not being able to train, he was all fired up and had the energy I needed to have as much of an intense workout as I could, not having any carbs again for the second time in two days and my caloric intake almost cut in half.
My body weight did as expected drop double the amount from the first day of zero carbs. It wouldn’t surprise me, after today’s carb day, my weight will be the same for tomorrows weigh-in. Leveling off just like it did on Tuesday’s weigh-in
Now Friday’s zero carb day workout, (Back and Shoulders) will be the hardest one of the week, being the last day of completely hitting all the muscle groups and it wouldn’t surprise me, if come Saturday morning I lose 3 times as much weight
But I know I will have an intense work out!
Time for a protein drink
Last nights zero carb Leg workout, was a tough one to say the least. My energy wasn’t as high as it was on Monday’s zero carb workout. (Chest and Arms) I’m definitely at rock bottom in terms of carbohydrate/caloric intake, definitely in survivor mode.
My BF looks awesome this morning, my legs are the most separated so far and other then being flat, everything looks in-line
I’m one to pretty much be self sufficient, when it comes to training. I can always motivate myself in the gym and pretty much always have awesome workouts, but sometime when things aren’t “normal” a training partner is irreplaceable!
What that being said, I want to thank my training partner for showing up, not only to train, but to train hard… Rock on Rodney!
I got to the gym at 5:50 (we start normally at 6) and he was already doing his first set of squats. After being sick for the last 10 days and not being able to train, he was all fired up and had the energy I needed to have as much of an intense workout as I could, not having any carbs again for the second time in two days and my caloric intake almost cut in half.
My body weight did as expected drop double the amount from the first day of zero carbs. It wouldn’t surprise me, after today’s carb day, my weight will be the same for tomorrows weigh-in. Leveling off just like it did on Tuesday’s weigh-in
Now Friday’s zero carb day workout, (Back and Shoulders) will be the hardest one of the week, being the last day of completely hitting all the muscle groups and it wouldn’t surprise me, if come Saturday morning I lose 3 times as much weight
But I know I will have an intense work out!
Time for a protein drink
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
24 days out from competition - 0 carb day
6:30am weigh-in 206
Legs today gone tomorrow
I actually started writing this blog last night. I can’t get “legs day” out of my mind. In fact, I started thinking about legs right after Monday night’s workout.
I keep roll playing my workout in my head, thinking about squatting my ass off and getting a sick pump, and when it’s all said and done, my legs are gone, completely wasted.
The next day the legs just have that numbing feeling and you feel so accomplished and during my working out, I can’t even walk normal my legs are so pumped and that's just from squatting, I haven’t even gotten to hack squats yet or leg press or front squat (any of those 3 would be my 2 second movement)
Then onto walking lunges for #3, if you really want to shape your legs, build thickness and tie everything in (glutes and hams), add walking lunges to your routine, trust me.
#4 is squeezing my quads on the leg extension machine, starting with both legs to warm up, then onto singles, one after the other, left to right to left to right, like if you were doing dumbbell curls, talk about a blood pump burn!
There’s nothing like squeezing blood filled quads until you can feel them again, it’s like your squeezing the blood out of them, but at the same time changing the blood pump to a burn.
Then hamstrings, where when lying down on the legs curl machine, your quads have so much blood in them, that it lifts you even high off the pad, causing an even more stretch on your ham and with every curl, your quads burn, because your stretching them every time you curl your hams and your hams cramp with every rep, but only to stretch out when the weight is lowered…. Oh I can’t wait for tomorrow...
And of course my new found favorite exercise (thanks to Kai Greene) where you get down on all 4’s behind the leg curl machine. (So the machine is behind you) Put one foot on the pad where your ankle would go if you were in the machine doing leg curls. You then push on the pad backwards using your ass like a kick back… talk about burn.
Not too long ago I pulled my left groan muscle (still not 100%)and I still had to go to the gym to train legs when legs day came. I tried to squat just with the bar, no go. (I should have figured, seeing it hurt just to get out of the car) I tried pressing, it hurt less and was able to do one set with a very light weight (3 plate aside), but wasn’t getting a pump at all in my left leg, so I stopped.
I was determined to get an even pump on something. I tried lying down and standing curls, no go… forgot to mention I also pulled (at the sometime) the muscle behind your knee that works for pivoting movements.
Finally I tried the ass movement exercise (Kai Greene's) and although I could feel the back of my knee pain, all the pressure was on my glutes. Never in my life time have I ever got just a ass pump, this was the weirdest feeling to have nothing else pumped but my ass… so I know first hand this exercise really hits your glutes
A whole day of eating carbs, yet the body weight stayed the same, this tells me my game plan is working, coming down a little, then leveling off
After today’s no carb workout, I should come down another ½ a pound or more and then level off again the following day…
I still need to bring my hams in more. I may need to go zero carbs longer and really force my body to rid these few pounds of fat.
At this point, I’m not worried about losing size, I can always eat myself big again (which is the plan) the leaner I get and the more flat I make the muscles (from this point on) the more POP they will have when I eat my ass off 48 hours before the show… I need to get more ripped
I’ll know more by Saturday
Time for a protein drink
Legs today gone tomorrow
I actually started writing this blog last night. I can’t get “legs day” out of my mind. In fact, I started thinking about legs right after Monday night’s workout.
I keep roll playing my workout in my head, thinking about squatting my ass off and getting a sick pump, and when it’s all said and done, my legs are gone, completely wasted.
The next day the legs just have that numbing feeling and you feel so accomplished and during my working out, I can’t even walk normal my legs are so pumped and that's just from squatting, I haven’t even gotten to hack squats yet or leg press or front squat (any of those 3 would be my 2 second movement)
Then onto walking lunges for #3, if you really want to shape your legs, build thickness and tie everything in (glutes and hams), add walking lunges to your routine, trust me.
#4 is squeezing my quads on the leg extension machine, starting with both legs to warm up, then onto singles, one after the other, left to right to left to right, like if you were doing dumbbell curls, talk about a blood pump burn!
There’s nothing like squeezing blood filled quads until you can feel them again, it’s like your squeezing the blood out of them, but at the same time changing the blood pump to a burn.
Then hamstrings, where when lying down on the legs curl machine, your quads have so much blood in them, that it lifts you even high off the pad, causing an even more stretch on your ham and with every curl, your quads burn, because your stretching them every time you curl your hams and your hams cramp with every rep, but only to stretch out when the weight is lowered…. Oh I can’t wait for tomorrow...
And of course my new found favorite exercise (thanks to Kai Greene) where you get down on all 4’s behind the leg curl machine. (So the machine is behind you) Put one foot on the pad where your ankle would go if you were in the machine doing leg curls. You then push on the pad backwards using your ass like a kick back… talk about burn.
Not too long ago I pulled my left groan muscle (still not 100%)and I still had to go to the gym to train legs when legs day came. I tried to squat just with the bar, no go. (I should have figured, seeing it hurt just to get out of the car) I tried pressing, it hurt less and was able to do one set with a very light weight (3 plate aside), but wasn’t getting a pump at all in my left leg, so I stopped.
I was determined to get an even pump on something. I tried lying down and standing curls, no go… forgot to mention I also pulled (at the sometime) the muscle behind your knee that works for pivoting movements.
Finally I tried the ass movement exercise (Kai Greene's) and although I could feel the back of my knee pain, all the pressure was on my glutes. Never in my life time have I ever got just a ass pump, this was the weirdest feeling to have nothing else pumped but my ass… so I know first hand this exercise really hits your glutes
A whole day of eating carbs, yet the body weight stayed the same, this tells me my game plan is working, coming down a little, then leveling off
After today’s no carb workout, I should come down another ½ a pound or more and then level off again the following day…
I still need to bring my hams in more. I may need to go zero carbs longer and really force my body to rid these few pounds of fat.
At this point, I’m not worried about losing size, I can always eat myself big again (which is the plan) the leaner I get and the more flat I make the muscles (from this point on) the more POP they will have when I eat my ass off 48 hours before the show… I need to get more ripped
I’ll know more by Saturday
Time for a protein drink
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