Post Show Ramblings…

I always have good intentions of posting my daily entries.  But Friday was insane.  There was way too much to focus on for one person to control.  And to top it off I was worn out and knew I needed a nap.  So the day was spent shaving, doing some light cardio, a haircut, packing my bags, getting in my food, checking in to the hotel, getting spray tanned…oh and somehow managing a 3 hour nap!!!  I got everything done that had to get done.  Obviously posting to the blog was left off the list.  I was also able to attend the evening show and see a fellow competitor strut her stuff.  The figure girls all looked great and I could tell that the show was well put together.  I rushed home afterwards in my freshly tanned skin and crawled into bed.

The day of the show was filled with all the hype and excitement that I expected.  I woke up, ate my rice cakes and peanut butter, triple checked my bag, and headed for the competitors meeting.  I didn’t see too many of the other guys at the tanning session or at the polygraph…so this was my first chance to see some of them.  No massive freaks…whew!  After the meeting I met my family and found my trainer.  We had hours before pre-judging!  There was really not much to do.  Talked to some fellow competitors, talked to the trainer, sent and received 1,000 text messages.  The time was dragging on…

Suddenly the time was there.  I went and touched up my tan.  Some of it had rubbed off on my clothes.  And there were a couple of spots water had dripped.  We went over a couple of last minute posing adjustments and tips.  I ate a handful of chocolate covered almonds and a swig or two of water.  Next, I ran and got shined up by the tanning girls.  And then just as they called us to line up, I ran over and pumped up with curls, lat raises and pushups.  I knew I was depleted beyond all get out when I picked up the 25lb dumbbells and struggled to do sets.  Ugh!

Pre-judging could have lasted 5 minutes or 50 minutes….we were up there a long time.  I focused as much attention I could on each pose and trying to transition from one to the next.  Above all the cheers and people yelling out, I could hear my trainer’s voice.  He just had to say a word and I knew what needed to be adjusted…’Spread’…’Legs’…’ABS!’  It was finally over as we walked off the stage.  It was such a feeling of relief and excitement all at once.  I had no clue how the other guys did…I just knew that I did my best, looked my best, and left everything out there.  There was a mistake here and there, but otherwise I was happy with my performance.  Here is a couple of pics from backstage after pre-judging:

I needed food in a bad way and we headed to get steak and sweet potatoes…along with 20 ounces of water.  I was so depleted and water deprived that it could easily be written in the history books as one of my favorite meals of all time. 

The rest of the afternoon I relaxed in the hotel room.  I had a few hours before the competitors meeting.  And then I knew it would be 4-5 hours before I had my night routine.

Here is a pic of my brother and I backstage before the night show:

Everyone has different methods backstage.  What they eat?  How they tan?  How they shine, stretch, pump, practice posing…?  Everyone did things just a little bit different.

At about 10pm…I finally was lined up and ready to go.  I didn’t have a flashy routine.  No smooth, coordinated moves.  Just some simple poses…well executed.  That was my plan.  We only had 60 seconds, so it was going to be quick.  I chose Prodigy’s ‘Breathe’ as my music.  It was upbeat and got me to block out that I was standing on a stage in a not so modest pair of posing trunks, trying to entertain the crowd and win over the judges.  It was the perfect music for just that. 

In the end, I didn’t  place.  DNP!  I learned so much from the whole experience.  Lots of takeaways for things I would have done differently.

We went out for dinner afterwards.  It was 10:30pm and I was STARVING!  I ended up eating 4 slices of pizza and 3 frozen margaritas.  I had planned all along to have Mexican afterwards, but they were closed.  Pizza and margaritas was just as good.  Oh…and I also had 2 gatorades and LOTS of water.  I didn’t really want or need the food.  I just wanted some liquids!

The next day I woke up as if I had been asleep for 6 months.  We went out for starbucks for breakfast.  No more black coffee for me!  I had a grande pumpkin spice latte and a scone.  Soooo good!  I then drove back to my apartment, stopping to get a pizza to eat while I sat on the couch and watched Sunday football. 

Finally, I headed over for hands-down…the best meal I have had in 6 months!  Chicken in a red wine sauce, potatoes, butternut squash risotto, green beans with mushrooms, bottles of wine….and then the meal ended in a crescendo of wholesome goodness…..:  POW!

The picture doesn’t do it justice.  The smells, the flavor….mmmmm!  One bite and I had forgotten all about contest prep…it seriously erased the last 6 months of my memory!  It’s a chocolate soufflé with Haagen-Dazs ice cream, homemade whipped cream, and some hard chocolate swirls to add some crunch.  Bravo!!!  

Dos Mas! Only 2 More Days!

Plenty to discuss today…and it all started with sleeping through my alarm.  I sure hate the feeling of being behind or running late.  I knew it was possible.  I couldn’t fall asleep again!  Didn’t fall asleep until after midnight.  Having the alarm go off at 5:30am was a bad idea.  So I hit snooze…so sue me!  It happens.  I moved through the apartment at lightning speed…banging my knees into every bed corner and door jamb in my apartment.  Apparently I have the grace and composure of a 800 pound gorilla when I am tired and hungry! 

At the gym I cranked out my cardio.  The book got me through it.  I couldn’t tell you if I was pedaling backwards or forwards.  I was sweating at the end, but that is all I remember.  I wasn’t supposed to lift weights today, but posing last night left my chest, arms and shoulders in a lot of pain.  I hit the incline press machine with a vengeance….only to find that I had zero strength.  I mean ZERO strength.  I haven’t dropped weight on a machine so fast.  It was pathetic.  Mentally I was ready to max out…but physically I could barely lift the Smith Machine bar.  The rest of the lifts suffered just the same.  I finished with my abs.  They cramped and turned into knots.  Such a feeling of defeat!  Regardless…I was feeling great!  I wasn’t about to let one bad workout ruin my day.  ONE…I didn’t have time to sulk….and TWO…I am extremely excited for what lies ahead in the next two days.  Moving on!

Breakfast included two packets of oatmeal and 4 eggs.  I didn’t stutter…oat…meal!  I inhaled it!  At my desk I was focused on work.  My brain was in a fog…or perhaps mud is a better term.  I would start typing an email, then I would get side-tracked by something else…and forget about the email completely.  Not only did I get oatmeal today, there was also some rice mixed in with the day.  Just small amounts, but it gave me tons of energy. 

Back at the gym for my afternoon session.  Another 50 minutes on the bike and reading my book.  I finally caught myself constantly touching my stomach…yep still there…abs! 

Tomorrow I am off from work.  I knew I needed a day to relax and pack and schedule appointments for tanning and a haircut…and running to the grocery store for last minute food.  There was a lot to keep in order.  Not to mention who knows what sort of mood I am in on limited water.  Could be a total bear! 

And Then There Were 3 Days…

Again, I’m a day late for getting this post out.  Another 5:00am wake up call ended with me falling asleep around midnight.  Part of it was my schedule…but the other part was that I couldn’t fall asleep!  Was it nerves?  Excitement?  Hunger?  Stress?  No idea, but I tossed and turned trying to fall asleep. 

On this day, the trainer came back from his vacation.  It was a welcoming site to see his mug at 6:30 in the morning anxious to see where I was.  We touched base, came up with a plan for the next 3 days and then he turned me loose on the gym.  It was just what I needed.  Not having him around…my mind started to wander helplessly.  So quickly he drew up a defined plan that was soooo detailed that every question I could come up with…it was explained right there on a sheet of paper (actually 2 sheets of paper). 

The rest of the day was just like the last 3.  Same eating plans.  Same workout routines.  I felt fine for most of the day.  I started concentrating on what needed to be accomplished each of the next 2 days.  Like I said…having a written plan or to-do list is all that is keeping me going right now.  Plus my brain is foggy.  I’m getting back to where I was a few months ago…constantly forgetting some of the most basic things.  I actually drove right by the entrance to my office building.  I saw it.  Thought to turn.  But then just kept driving.  Whoops!  Part of the written plan includes carbs for tomorrow.  I’m looking forward to it!

4 Days and Then What?

I now have 4 days until the show…Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and then BAM!….Saturday!  I woke up this morning and weighed myself.  It was more curiosity than anything else.  23 weeks ago I stepped on the scale and saw 232.  Today…182.  50 pounds exactly….hello peak week!  I had been hovering the past month or two around 186-189.  No ups or downs.  But I could see differences in the mirror.  So clearly there had been some serious progress just in the last week.  And we haven’t even started to deplete water!  I was starting to feel worried last weekend.  But the last few days have shown all the hard work paying off. 

I woke up with an even worse sore throat.  I wasn’t happy, but didn’t know what to do.  So I did what any insane person would do…I put on my gym clothes and got my butt on the bike!  Nothing beats a good sore throat and runny nose like sweating your tail off!  It actually helped.  By the time I got ready and headed to work it was mostly gone.  Still a runny nose…but I knew it was just allergies….nothing serious! 

The food today wasn’t bad.  Another busy day that I didn’t have time to think about how hungry I was.  I am trying to drink plenty of coffee and water to keep my stomach full.  And of course there is plenty of gum…in my car, in my apartment, in my desk drawer at work, in my gym bag, and of course always one in my pocket.  

And then came my afternoon cardio and lifting routine.  The first sign of being depleted showed up with a vengeance.  Suddenly I had no energy to do anything.  Pedaling on the bike was not easy.  I kept looking at the clock thinking that I could use some internal mind power to speed up time.  But to no avail.  It was the longest 50 minutes of my life.  I kept reading the same page in my book, getting to the end and then having no clue what I just read!  And then reading the page again and again and again..still clueless about what happened.  Lifting wasn’t bad.  I just got in and out…no wasting time! 

There are plenty of ideas of projects I want to complete after the show, all of which will take months or years.  But I did spend some time today thinking about the minutes, hours, and days immediately following the show.  I need a plan!  I’m too tempted right now to go crazy…eating all of the food I so desperately crave.  Skipping my workouts!  Giving up on my morning fasted cardio sessions!  I’m now a creature of habit and having a plan helps me stay focused.  I have ideas in mind of what I want.  Slowly adding things back in…carbs, rest days, etc.  This would be much easier than going from this extreme to the other.    

5 Days! But a Day Late…

Yesterday was chaotic.  The schedules.  The eating plans.  The workouts.  The running from meeting to meeting.  The not getting home until 10pm.  It was good in one way…my mind was not thinking about food all day.  From the time I hopped on the bike and began reading at 6:00am…to the 4 eggs I ate right before I crawled into bed…my mind didn’t have time to even consider cravings or hunger pains or anything else for that matter. 

I did spend a considerable amount of time on posing though.  So much so that I was worn out.  Cramps!  Ouch!  You know you are depleted when you start getting cramps just laying in bed trying to fall asleep.  I sneezed typing this post and every one of my abs decided to flex and hold and never let go!  Ouch!!!! 

I went to bed with a sore throat…hoping it was just allergies!  The last thing I need is to be sick.  I laid in bed wondering if I could even have nyquil or tylenol or any other medicine if I actually do get sick.  Everything has been regulated for quite awhile…but now everything I eat or drink is carefully calculated.  No ‘just one bites’ for me!  It isn’t worth it at this point…all of the hard work is clearly staring at me in the mirror.  All I can hope for is several nights of good sleep to get rid of whatever my body is battling.  

6 Days! Only 6 Days!

If there is anything I needed right now, it was a day to relax.  To decompress, to process where I was at and what I needed this week, and to catch up on anything I’ve neglected lately.  Today was that day!  I awoke at 10:00am (went to bed around 11:30pm) and felt like I had slept for a week.  I physically couldn’t sleep any longer.  I was awake just in time to catch some of the 9/11 memorial stuff on TV.  Ten years ago I was in college and received a phone call from my mom saying I needed to get out of bed and turn on the TV.  It was 10am on a Thursday…of course I was still in bed…she knew me too well.  Suddenly word spread through the fraternity house what had just happened and 30 guys rolled out of bed to sit and watch.  That was all we could do.  Sit and watch.  I think we all know where we were that day.  I’m definitely one of those that can tell you what my life was like before that day…and then how my life has been since.  Not taking life for granted…living life to the fullest…and living as if today could be my last…no regrets…that is how I have lived since. 

After sitting this morning (almost in the same sense of shock and awe as I did 10 years ago) I got my day started.  I cooked my chicken, did some laundry, cleaned up my apartment, and then got settled in for 3 hours of some of the worst football in Chiefs history.  It was terrible.  Not inspiring.  The complete opposite of what every fan had hoped for since the playoffs last year.  The only positive of the whole game was that it gave me time to bang out my ab routine. 

I ate my next meal and then headed to Starbucks to sit outside in the nice weather and read my book.  Again, anything just to relax and conserve energy.  And now I am back at home updating my posts, finding some recipes I want to try in a couple of weeks, and then watching some more 9/11 specials.  The perfect way to end the day.   

7 More Days!

A Saturday morning and my alarm was set for 6:20am!  My last Saturday for awhile where I have to set an alarm!  So why was I up so early?  Local competitors had the opportunity to schedule the polygraph exam a week ahead of the show in order to get it out of the way.  My exam was scheduled for 7:30am.  I still needed to complete 2 hours of cardio and a full leg day…and did I mention my gym closes at noon on Saturdays?  So setting my alarm and getting the polygraph out of the way was a good idea.  I was nervous long before I arrived at the office building.  What would they ask?  What if I fail because I’m so nervous?  What do you wear to a polygraph exam?  Ugh!  I walked into the office and could smell McDonald’s.  The guy doing the exam was eating McDonald’s…bigger ugh!  So I was asked all the questions I figured they would ask….Is today Saturday?  Am I sitting in a chair?  Have I ever taken any of the banned substances?  I was told right away that I passed…so I got that going for me! 

I was at the gym with plenty of time to get everything done.  I did start a new book, so the cardio seemed to go by quickly.  One of the girls competing in the figure portion of the show was at the gym.  We caught up, swapped our meal plans for this week, and gave each other some encouragement going into the final stretch.  It sure helps to talk to someone else that is going through the same ups and downs!  It was leg day at the gym.  I had more strength than I expected…probably from the caffeine, but I’ll take whatever I can get.

I ran home and ate my chicken and broccoli.  I had to shower and get out of the house as quickly as possible.  In addition to holding polygraph exams a week ahead of the show…they were also allowing competitors to come handle the registration process at the local gym.  It was one less thing to worry about, so I jumped at the chance.  I made the trek across town just in time before they closed.  I was able to purchase my NANBF membership card, ask a few questions about the show, and then find out the last minute details about when and where I needed to be next Saturday.  There are a lot of competitors and it sounds like it is going to be a long day!  After I left the registration I headed to get more coffee.  My ‘peak week’ doesn’t technically start until tomorrow.  I’m trying to enjoy every bit of ‘treats’ I can before then…and a hot cup of coffee is the perfect treat on a nice Fall day!

It was then time to head to the store for a few items I would need to get me through the week.  Food will stay basically the same for the next 4 days, so I bought everything I needed.  My objective for the next 4-5 days is to STAY BUSY!  Doing workouts, having meetings, writing blog posts, cooking, cleaning, getting stuff ready for next weekend, exfoliating…whatever it takes to keep my mind in the right spot.  It is definitely a ‘hope for the best, but plan for the worst’ mentality right now. 

I started reviewing other blogs and am drawn to recipes people are posting.  Everything from downright sinful….TheKitchenCookie. 

To the intriguing ideas over at…Protein PowDer. 

And then the blog that could very well affect everyone’s contest prep with some amazing recipes that fit perfectly with all of the restrictions….RecipeForFitness. 

I am definitely trying some of the recipes from these sites.  But for now the pics posted of the finished product are sure helping with the cravings!  Thanks!

8 Days

A short post to recap yesterday…

I knew the weekend was going to busy…my posts tomorrow and Sunday will cover all of the prep work I need to get done…so I started making lists of things I needed to do.  It definitely kept me focused on being productive and filling my time.  Staying focused in the gym is another story.  I’m not sure if it’s boredom or lack of energy or what, but after doing cardio it takes every bit of concentration to get through lifting.  This was one of those days.  Not having a workout partner is not helping either.  Instead it’s me, myself and I trying to convince my body to finish my sets, squeeze each rep, and to get through everything.  The only thing helping is the little words and accolades I am getting from people around me.  It definitely helps! 

After my second round of cardio and lifting, I headed back to work to finish some projects.  I headed home, ate and then was out the door.  Maybe it was the weather or maybe it was because it was a Friday…but I was in a great mood.  Just happy with my progress and knowing that I was only a week away.

Friday night we went to the circus with my nieces and nephews.  It was a great time.  The adults loved it as much as the kids.  I was great all night until my nephew sat next to me with his box of popcorn…every 2 minutes…’Hey Uncle Aaron, want some popcorn?’  I resisted…but it was tough!  Such a thoughtful kid!

Tomorrow is the polygraph and registration check-in for the show…

9 Days Until the Show…

Another great day in Prep-ville!  I’d compare my current state of mind to the weeks leading up to graduation from college.  My days, nights, weekends were packed full of activities and responsibilities.  I remember thinking and worrying what I would do with my time when graduation was over.  A 9-5 job would hardly compare to my schedule in college.  And now, here I am, waking up at 5am.  Spending every free minute and hour on something related to contest prep.  My list of ideas for post contest is getting longer.  I will certainly need to find something to fill my time almost immediately.  Right now…watching Thursday night football…I should seriously consider spending more time on my fantasy leagues. 

I do know that many things will stay the same after the contest.  Food for example.  Crazy thing about me and food…I’ve been a ‘clean eater’ for almost 4 years now.  And in that time I’ve lost and gained a fair amount of weight through cycling.  Let me explain….eating clean doesn’t make you lose weight.  I ate clean and gained 40 pounds in about 9 months.  Folks….you can eat clean and still gain weight…or shall I say gain lean muscle mass.  Big difference between the two!  I can also say that I ate clean and lost 50 pounds in 4-5 months.  So what’s the difference?  Balancing macros…proteins, carbs, fats.  I posted my eating plan a few weeks ago.  Very heavily concentrated on protein and fat.  If I was to post my off-season eating plan it would include not much more food, but greater balance between the macros.  I could never buy in to a low-carb diet…until I tried it myself.  Understanding how my body responded to 25 grams of carbs compared to 150 grams of carbs transformed my shape and gave me the knowledge I needed to get as shredded as I am today.

I’ll add the disclaimer here…only because the next time I don’t eat clean someone will see me and call me out on it…I do not always eat clean (contest prep is the exception).  Having a cheat meal or cheat day or the occasional slice of cake to celebrate a birthday is certainly ok.  It can actually help you.  Eating junk once a day or every other day or multiple times in a day is not helping!  I can eat my way lean…but I can’t spend enough hours on an elliptical burning off a day’s worth of poor eating!

My guide to eating clean is pretty simple.  Here are the rules I follow:

1. Limit processed food.  Read the label – If you can’t pronounce it…don’t eat it. 
2. Know what you’re eating.  Track the food you eat in an online nutrition guide.  Start understanding how many grams of carbs are in the food you eat.  It keeps you accountable and it educates you on why those last 10 pounds aren’t coming off! 
3. Define your portions.  You can have ice cream…you can not have 3 cups of ice cream. 
4. Identify clean carbs:
1. Brown rice.
2. Oatmeal.
3. Gluten-free bread.
4. Whole grain food.
5. Identify clean proteins:
1. Lean beef.
2. Chicken.
3. Tuna.
4. Whey protein isolate.
5. Bison.
6. Eggs.
7. Cottage cheese.
6. Identify clean fats:
1. Almonds, walnuts (unsalted).
2. Natural peanut butter.
3. Fish or fish oils.
4. Olive oil.
7. Eat your veggies.  Green veggies are the best.  They are good for you and help make you feel full.
8. Find dessert.  Everyone loves dessert or some food that they crave and can never get enough.  During contest prep…my dessert is coffee.  If ever I am feeling down or want to reward myself…I head to the coffee shop as my payoff.  Find something healthy to make as your ‘dessert.’  A spoonful of natural peanut butter is like gold right now! 
9. Cheat!  Mentally I can tell myself ‘no’ to eating bad food if I know there is a cheat meal in sight.  It’s a mind trick I use to keep focused. 
10. Plan ahead!  There is only one way I could sabotage my eating clean plans….not being prepared!  Cook a week’s worth of chicken, pack your lunch each night, take an extra 10-15 minutes to think about what you need before you go to the store (and make a list) and even create a menu (posted on the fridge) of what you’re planning on eating at every meal. 
11. Don’t be afraid to eat out!  It’s almost habit to look at a restaurant’s menu before I head anywhere.  It’ll never be exactly as you want, but you can always ask for healthier versions (no salt, no butter, substitute items, etc.).  I try to eat something before I head out just so I’m not tempted by the basket of rolls or sucked in to getting dessert.  (This rule doesn’t apply to a cheat meal)! 

10 Days Left…

Today was leg day…and I realized that I only have 2 more leg days before the show…!!!! 

Morning workout:

Leg Curl:  2x10/15

Stiff Leg Deadlifts:  2x10/15

Seated Calf Raises:  2x10/15

40 minutes of cardio

Abs:  4x100 Bicycle crunches….4x25 Double crunches…4x25 V-ups.

Afternoon workout:

Squats:  4x10, 8, 6, 12

Leg Press:  3x8, 6, 6

Leg Ext:  5x10 (40 seconds rest)

40 minutes of cardio

Next is getting myself prepared for prep week.  I know a general idea of what the food will consist of, and the training will stay pretty much the same.  Now to just get myself mentally prepared for any curveballs that are thrown my way. 

My #1 to do in the next day or two…decide on music!  I need 60 seconds!

11 Days To Go

Keeping my mind on other stuff is getting to be a full time job.  Fortunately I am back in reading mode and got hooked on the Dan Brown book ‘The Lost Symbol’ last week.  No idea why I never tried these…the movies were great.  Two hours of cardio just doesn’t seem to be enough.  I always hear the bike beep at 60 minutes and I want to read the next chapter.  Every chapter seems to leave you wanting more.  I checked out ‘Angels and Demons’ tonight at the library.  Reading sure does make the time fly by!

Now my day…

The 3-day weekend gave me time to relax and catch up on sleep.  The 5:20am alarm clock went off and I was wide awake…ready to hit the gym.  I am typically not awake until 30-40 minutes into my cardio session.  Sometimes I am not awake until the shower after my workout.  And then there are days I am not awake until 8am when I sit down at my desk to eat.  Today was not like that.  So far I can’t complain about the food.  Egg whites, almonds, protein powder, and coffee for breakfast.  I am typically starving by the time I get everything unpacked at my desk.  I could easily eat this every morning for another 6 months. 

Back to my day…..work was work.  Today I noticed using my office as my kitchen table was getting a bit much.  I am usually in a hurry to eat, which means I am not the cleanest.  If you look closely, there are little drops of food and protein and sauces all over my desk and computer.  My desk and keyboard would be the perfect source for a high school science experiment right now.  ICK!  I can’t even imagine what my drycleaner thinks about the food stains on my shirts.  Mustard?  No problem!  Tomorrow…I shall clean!

I went down early to lift and finish my cardio.  Having a gym on site at work makes it almost too easy.  Showered and back upstairs for tuna and almonds…I was starving!  It’s about 4pm each day that I can tell my body wants a huge meal (and yet it just gets a can of tuna and 15 almonds). 

After work I came home to eat dinner, clean up dishes and pack my bag for tomorrow.  It was super nice outside.  My allergies didn’t agree, but I wanted to go somewhere and do something.  So I walked down the street to the library to check out some more books.  Then I was headed to Starbucks to sit outside and people watch over a hot cup of coffee.  Much better than being locked inside all night!   

12 days remain

Starting weight…188.

Taking time to consider the aftermath is about the only thing keeping me focused today.  I slept in later than normal, ate breakfast, and headed to the park for a walk around the track.  It was way too nice in KC to go to the gym yet.  So 90 minutes of 70 degree weather was amazing!  I stopped at Starbucks on the way home for my caffeine fix and then was ready for the second meal of the day.  What do I like most about a 3 day weekend?  No agenda!  Next stop…the gym!  Arms and chest and abs and 60 minutes on the bike.  My normal gym was closed for the holiday and ended up spending $10 for a guest pass at another place.  I didn’t mind…much better people watching at this place (totally worth the price of admission).  And now back at home…pot of coffee, laptop, my DVR, and catching up on all things virtual.  You know you had a good workout when your abs hurt just sitting on the couch. 

Back to the aftermath…

If you had asked me 2 days ago what my plans were after the show…I would have replied…’Mexican!’  That was about as far as I had thought on the topic.  But perhaps most people want to know my plans beyond Saturday night following the show.  Surely there will be plenty of meal plans and workout schedules in my future.  I haven’t committed to any future contest preps, yet.  But above all else…I have focused every bit of effort for the past 22 weeks on training.  Every hour of every day was planned and controlled.  Strong mind, strong body!  So if I have the strength and determination to do anything like this for so long….perhaps I need to re-focus that energy on another challenge.  I’ve thought over the past few days…what is something that would challenge me?  What is something that would take weeks, months, or even years to accomplish?  How could I balance this with normal life?  Is there anything I ever wanted to do…and was told no?  What is the financial requirement?  What is the payoff in the end?  What is the risk of failure?  You can consider these questions my decision tree.  I know I’ve thought a lot about each of these and come up with some ideas of what I want to do in the aftermath of the show.  I also know what I don’t want to do…sit at home with no ambition or goal in life.  Ick! 

I guess over the past year…throughout training for the half marathon and now the contest prep for the bodybuilding show…my mantra is just as the saying goes…if you don’t live for something, you’ll die for anything.  Sort of morbid in a way, but who wants to live for nothing?  

Suggestions are certainly welcome, but here are my considerations so far (in no particular order):

• Learn a foreign language and then spend 2 weeks in that country (Italy, Brazil, China).
• Learn a new skill.  (Skiing, playing guitar, cooking).
• Become a food/wine snob.  Go 6 months never eating at the same restaurant in KC.
• Use my knowledge and experience from training over the past year to help someone else.

3 weeks left–No backing out

Weight this morning:  185. 

Eating is going great.  Lifting and cardio has been painful…but I get through it.  And then there is recovery.  I could use a few more hours of sleep at night.  Getting 6 or 7 hours of sleep for the last few weeks finally caught up to me yesterday.  Ironically…I hit a wall.  No energy.  No motivation.  If I didn’t have to eat and function around other people….I would have spent all day Sunday on the couch.  So the next three weeks…sleep, naps, vegging out and watching Jersey Shore on a Thursday night…are going to be a major priority.  As if anything in this world is more important than the Shore. 

I booked my tanning session.  The posing trunks arrived.  I bought extra sheets for the hotel.  I even filled out the MC sheet for all of my ‘thank yous’ to be announced when I walk on stage.  The more I check off the list…the more excitement I seem to have in getting ready for the show.  Oooh!  And I decided on what I want to eat after the show…or at least this is my plan…Mexican!  Chips, salsa, queso, flavor…maybe even a maragarita!  

The trainer and I snapped pics and worked on posing on Friday.  There are some I hit right away, but then there are others that small adjustments make a huge difference.  Practice?  Are we talking about practice here?  Practice?  Here are a couple of the pics:

 

At war with myself…

Registration mailed:  Check!

Polygraph Scheduled:  Check!

Posing Suit Ordered:  Check!

Hotel Booked:  Check!

A few things are now crossed off the list of To-Dos.  But there is so much more to keep in mind in the next few days and weeks.  If nothing else it has taken my mind off of training and eating. 

So let’s recap my day…

Woke up bright and early at 5:20am.  Cooked breakfast, triple-checked my bag and headed to the gym for an hour on the elliptical and some supersets of shoulders (front, side, rear raises…2x8/10).

Showered and at my desk around 8am.  Eating reheated egg whites, protein shake and 15 almonds while I check email and go over what I want to accomplish today.

By 8:15…my list of what I want to accomplish is far too much for one day.  My breakfast is gone.  The first cup of coffee can’t cool off fast enough.  And I look at the clock and begin playing my daily mind game of don’t eat the next meal until after 10am. 

Now it’s 9:30.  I have a meeting at 10.  Do I eat before the meeting?  What if I don’t get out of there until 11:30?  Would people notice if my blood sugar drops and I pass out?  It’s settled…go warm up the bag of broccoli. 

11:00am…Broccoli didn’t fill me up.  Meeting is over.  Now I inhale my 6oz of chicken.  Check in with the trainer for some motivation.  Trust the process!  Strong Mind Strong Body!  Look how far you’ve come in this process!  Whew!  I needed that.  And a second cup of coffee also helps.

Noon…next meal is the worst of the day.  Peanut butter and a protein shake.  It tastes great, but always makes me more hungry.  And then I notice the ‘irritability’ factor is soaring.  Anything could set me off this week.  I was ticked that the gym was out of kleenex this morning.  And then just now I am ticked at the song on the radio.  Not turn the channel ticked.  Like call the radio station and complain to the station manager about song choices.  Soundgarden…all the time?  I get it.  Black hole sun?  Move on dude! 

1:30.  I need a nap.

4:00.  Head to the gym to snap pictures with the trainer and work on posing (stay tuned, I’ll post those next).  We are 3 weeks out exactly.  The pics look great and major progress week over week.  Posing is still frustrating at this point.   

5:00.  Begin second workout for the day – back (lat pulldowns, bent over rows, shrugs).  Followed by 40 minutes of cardio on the bike.  Forty minutes feel like 40 hours.  I don’t mind cardio, but 1) I was starving and started to shake again, and 2) I was mentally not in the mood…there were other places I wanted to be or things I felt I needed to get done aside from cardio. 

6:30.  Cook dinner.  Clean up dishes from the day.  Laundry.  Check food supplies for the next few days.  I’m pretty well stocked, but would love to have enough food to last me the next 3 weeks.  Driving to the grocery store for lettuce or eggs is not fun. 

7:00pm.  Preseason football starts.  Not sure if sitting down to watch TV is the best idea.  I’ll be asleep in no time.

8:30pm.  Enough has happened lately that I feel the urge to update my blog…..

Later…headed out to meet friends for a glass of refreshing ice water or perhaps coffee if I decide to splurge.  Let’s not get too crazy.  My body is so worn out that the other night I drank a pot of coffee around 9pm….and was asleep 2 hours later….it doesn’t even phase me anymore.   

Less than 4 weeks out…

Starting weight = 185.  Down 3 pounds from the previous week or 47 pounds since the start of this process.
I realized this morning that I was less than 4 weeks away from the show.  And then this afternoon I looked at a calendar and counted the days left…26 days!  So I started this process 20 weeks ago…the final 4 weeks suddenly seem short and sweet! 
A week ago I was given a carb loading meal…4 pieces of pizza with veggies.  My body was pretty depleted.  I didn’t know how it would react to the pizza.  All this time I convinced myself that pizza was bad…now I was being forced to eat it.  Um..ok!

I ate half of that!  All prescribed by the trainer.  And if you want to see a picture of one very happy man…(my cheeks hurt from smiling so much!):

Now I just need to get a handle on the constant feeling of being hungry.  I’ve tried all the tricks…gum, water, ice, coffee.  And none of those seem to be working lately.  It’s pretty pathetic, but on the days when I couldn’t take it…I’d have to eat some walnuts just to keep sanity in check.  Perhaps it’s the loss of the gluten free bread.  Or perhaps the increased cardio is causing the hunger.  Either way, this last week was a struggle!  The weekend helped a lot.  I was able to relax and unwind a little.  We were in Chicago and I was still able to fit in the workouts and eat on my plan 99% of the time.  Fine…I’ll be honest…there was a small bite of key lime pie on Saturday night.  Darn you blog…you make it impossible to tell lies! 
Moving forward…no more bites of pie for me! I’ll stick to my packs of gum…note to reader…go buy the Extra Apple Pie gum. It is scrumtrulescent!
We took a water taxi from the Shedd Aquarium to Navy Pier.  It was a great day to be on the water!

Friday we went to a ball game at Wrigley.  I researched ahead of time and found the vendors that served grilled chicken.  It is possible to eat healthy at a ballpark.  The gal behind the counter gave me a puzzled look when I took the buns off the grilled chicken sandwich….as if I’d waste calories on a stale bun!

I have plenty to keep track of over the next few weeks.  I’ll need an hour or two each night to plan for the next day.  No more slip ups or forgetting work clothes when I go to the gym.  Everything needs to be under control.  This process definitely requires discipline on my part.  I can follow meal plans pretty well.  I’ve always enjoyed going to the gym…lifting weights or doing cardio.  But to mold the two areas into my daily routine for the last 20 weeks has been a challenge.  Here is my #1 piece of advice on how to be successful…find a friend.  Use them when you need them the most…to talk, to complain, to bounce ideas off, to help push you when you don’t want to go to the gym, to challenge you to add more weight, to remind you to eat, to research TSA guidelines for traveling with food, to download menus at restaurants to ensure you can eat there, to provide accolades when you are down on yourself, and even to share shaving tips . 

Progress pics (5 weeks out)

I weighed in on Friday morning and saw no change from Monday…188.  I knew the scale was no longer a valid source for seeing progress.  All reliance is now on the trainer and the pics to tell what areas are changing.  I was eating a few slices of Ezekial bread for the last 2 weeks.  We dropped those on Wednesday and I figured that would give me an extra push to look extra dry.  Next week there will be only some minor changes…it seems like the slightest change makes a huge difference.  Sticking to the plans and getting in my food has become easier than ever.  I am able to take vacations, go out at night with friends, and even sit through a movie where popcorn and butter is in the air and not even think about grabbing a handful.  Such a good feeling of normalcy! 

So the pics turned out pretty well.  I still see areas I want to improve.  I keep going back to my posts in April when I snapped the ‘before’ pics and compare to where I am now.  Crazy!  I don’t even recognize that guy anymore. 

Five more weeks…only five more weeks!

Week 6…

Starting weight = 188.  A one pound gain from the previous week.  It didn’t matter to me.  I woke up and saw major progress in the mirror. 

So 6 weeks to go.  Not a lot of time and I needed to start getting ready for the show.  This week I’ve found the entry form and read it a hundred times, researched hotels within a couple of miles from the venue, and started reading other blogs to gain insight into what occurs before and after the show.  Lots of good information and a bit overwhelming at the same time.  Five more weeks seems like so far away, but there is so much to keep track of and to plan in advance.  I’m still considering hiring a personal assistant just to keep me in check.  There have been far too many days where I forgot work clothes or had to run home because I left broccoli in the freezer.  This week has also been a drain on my body physically.  I received a new workout plan to start last week.  It’s not a major change, but my cardio was decreased and the lifting was broken into two session (morning and evening).  So rather than 90 minutes of cardio in the morning and an evening lifting routine…I now do 2-3 exercises in the morning with 30-40 minutes of cardio and then 3-4 exercises in the evening with 30-40 minutes of cardio.  The biggest impact was sore muscles morning and night.  It’s a new workout so I knew the strain would come, but my evening lifts are definitely impacted by whatever I trained that morning.  Not that I minded…feeling muscle strain is like crack to me.  If I don’t feel it, then I’m obviously not pushing myself.  The other change was going from a 6 day split to a 7 day split.  So no more Sunday mornings relaxing with a cup of coffee on the couch.  If I want breakfast on Sunday I have to crawl fall out of bed and crank out 4 rounds of abs. 

Along with the changes to my workout and the prep for the show, we started talking about my next offseason.  How many carbs?  How would we stagger the carbs?  What about cardio?  These were the discussions me and the trainer discussed.  My friends and family had other questions…what will be your first meal after the show?  Will I stay on the strict eating plan or cheat regularly?  Soda?  Beer?  Junk food?  Fast food?  They half expect me to do the show and then stop completely.  Not gonna happen!  I crave some of those things occasionally, but seeing progress through pics and the scale has made it hard to think about putting weight back on.  Even discussing the amount of carbs with the trainer was depressing.  Could I handle adding 15-20 pounds?  It’s tough mentally to go from the highest high to the lowest low.  Weighing 235 was depressing…but I’ve trusted the trainer all along.  If I do gain weight…it’ll come from eating clean.  Yes, the occasional cheat meal will be there, but nothing crazy.  So stay tuned for next offseason!  I need to focus on the next 5 weeks…

I have progress pics on Friday.  It’s been almost 3 weeks since the last time we did this.  So I’m looking forward to it.  There has been some serious progress aside from the scale and I hope I wake up on Friday as dry as I have been this week.   

7 more weeks…

Well after a brief hiatus with other commitments, I am finally back to updating my posts.  As the title implies, I will start the countdown again.  I weighed in on Monday morning as usual:

Weight = 187. 

So no change from the previous weeks.  I figured as much.  There had been plenty of distractions and my eating was completely side-swiped for the past two weekends.  First, WC competed in his competition in Springfield, Missouri.  I made the trek for the show and was impressed by how well he looked and how well he executed his poses.  I met him in between pre-judging and the night show.  He looked like crap.  His body looked great…but he looked miserable.  Cramps…dry mouth…pro-tan smeared all over him.  He didn’t look happy.  A few hours later I met him before the night show and you could tell he was ready for the whole thing to be over.  I chalked it up to a ‘one and done.’  He tried it…it was fun…but he was ready to move on to the rest of his life.  Boy was I wrong…he got on stage for his routine and turned into someone else.  The crowd cheered, his music blared, and you could see he was enjoying every second of it.  He ended up not placing, but the seed was planted for many more competitions and weeks of prep to come. 

The second interference was a trip to Las Vegas for a conference.  My suitcase consisted of a few articles of clothing and a whole lot of protein (whey, peanut butter, tuna, almonds).  I didn’t stray off the eating plan.  Even found a gym at the hotel to get my cardio and weights in as prescribed.  So while I didn’t spend any money on booze…I had to spend a fortune on room service and my dinners.  For example…4 eggs from room service = $30.  Ridiculous!  I did find a great steakhouse and ended up eating there every night.  They were super flexible in accommodating my restrictions…no butter, no salt, easy on the olive oil…and please for the love of God remove the basket of carbs you just placed on the table before I inhale them.  The food was prepared exactly as I wanted…so it was too easy to just go back to the same spot each night.  Here is a pic of my dinner for the 3 nights I was there (8oz top sirloin and asparagus)…

  

With WC preparing for his show and my absence from the gym, I haven’t taken progress pics in 3 weeks.  However, there was one taken at the pool in Vegas….

So to recap…the past two weeks have been chaotic.  This week isn’t much better, but I am more focused on these next few weeks than I have been in a long time. 

How To Be An Excellent Cheater…

Since the date of my competition was moved out 8 weeks, I knew I would need one or two cheat meals to keep me sane.  It made sense, but convincing the trainer was another story.  We took pics and practiced posing on Friday.  There were some noticeable changes for the better and the pics reflected all of the hard work.  So late on Friday night I received a text from the trainer that I was cleared for a cheat meal.  After 15 weeks of following a strict meal plan and saying ‘no’ to every craving…I was a little hesitant to go way off the reservation.  Granted…my stomach is used to eating very small meals, so there is no way I could gorge myself.  But still, of all the food in the world, picking one meal was tough.

I had plans on Saturday night and it worked out perfectly that I could use the cheat meal on the occasion.  I had no plan going into it…I still was hesitant about going crazy…and decided I would just enjoy myself.  It was a long night, so the food and drinks were spread out (not in one sitting).  Here is how to cheat:

• 3 small slices of turkey
• 1 small slice of prime rib
• 1 bite of potato
• 3 bites of couscous
• One donut hole covered in rum sauce goodness.
• 3 bites of ice cream
• 2 bourbon and waters
• 2 Beefeater and tonics
• I’ll guess that there was somewhere between 3-5 glasses of red wine 
• and a shot glass full of something smooth…very smooth   

I barely ate anything when all was said and done.  Everything I ate tasted really good.  I just couldn’t convince myself to lose control. 

The alcohol was another story…obviously.  Bad, bad…bad!  But oh so good!  I woke up this morning in the most dehydrated state I’ve ever been.  I seriously couldn’t drink water fast enough.  My body was not happy and I was craving my normal meals…eggs, protein shakes…anything but alcohol.  Whew!  That was one heck of a cheat meal and hopefully will give me a final push to make it the last 8 weeks.  

Another Week…Another Loss

Starting weight 187.  That’s a 5 pound loss from the previous week. 
There doesn’t seem to be any rhyme or reason to the recent breakthroughs.  I’ve made a few minor changes to food, but that’s it.  I think the trainer is pulling some jedi mind tricks on my body right now. 
Here are some of the most recent progress pics from the trainer.  Still some weak spots that will have to wait until next offseason, but starting to see more definition…
 

Making Abs in the Kitchen

I’d like to think that the 2 hours of cardio and the workout routines also contribute, but food is a huge part of where I am at in my prep.  There have been some small changes over the last couple of weeks to my eating plan, but I thought I’d post pics of what a guy’s contest prep meals look like.  A few caveats before the pics:

I eat this every day (7 days a week) and aside from the green beans of last month I really enjoy everything. 

The only thing I crave is flavor….sugar, salt, sweet, sour…this food lacks all of that.

Everything is measured, weighed, portioned out exactly.  The only thing missing from the pics is the gum and perhaps coffee.  And of course some supplements…but otherwise this is EVERYTHING.

Meal#1 (3 cage free eggs, 2 scoops protein): 

There is nothing sexy about a pic of cooked eggs.  I cook mine in a few DROPS of olive oil.

Meal #2 (1 bag microwave broccoli, 6oz chicken with Mrs Dash seasoning and either mustard or Walden Farms BBQ sauce to dip):

Meal #3 (2 Tablespoons of Skippy Natural PB, 2 scoops protein):

If you ever wanted to accuse me of cheating on a meal…perhaps my ‘Tablespoon’ is a little bigger than normal on rough days.  It’s the closest thing to eating peanut butter and chocolate I get. 

Meal #4  (20 almonds and 1 can of tuna):

You can count ‘em if you want….20!

Meal #5  (6oz of 95% lean ground beef, cup of chopped romaine lettuce, mustard):

It looks disgusting…but it tastes like a hamburger!

Meal #6 (3 cage free eggs):  I didn’t take a pic of this one because I was starving and ate it as soon as it cooked. 

If you enter the meals into an online calorie counter, like Sparkpeople, here are my macros:

Total Calories:  2200

Protein:  300

Fat:  105

Carbs:  35

A little top heavy on the protein compared to most…but that’s how abs are made. 

Finding the answers…

Starting weight:  192.  Down 7 pounds from the previous week.  That’s 40 pounds for anyone keeping track.

I nearly fell off the scale this morning.  This was jacked up!  I marched back to bed in total disbelief.  Ok ok, I weighed two more times just to be sure, but then I was back in bed.  Cardio would need to wait until I could stop grinning…

An hour later I was at the park doing laps around the track and enjoying the great weather.  Crazy how one day you’re contemplating throwing in the towel and then 3 days later you are more determined than ever.  Writing each entry has kept me grounded from week to week and going back and reading the last several entries has provided perspective on the mental pressure that weighs on you.  Perhaps it was just a rut…work, life, contest prep was all getting to me.  Glad that is all over. 

I have been prepping for 13 weeks and there will be more weeks to come.  But here is my review of the last 13 weeks in 90 seconds or less…

• Shaving sucks.  I’d rather do 90 minutes of cardio than spend 90 minutes shaving (yes that’s how long it takes).  I will pay someone to do this.
• Do not put a cup of oatmeal, a scoop of protein and some water in a microwave and cook it.  The result is cement.
• Do not put on icy hot in the gym and expect no one to smell it….they smell it.  It could be worse. 
• Check your gym bag three times before you leave the house at 5:30am.  Wearing gym socks with dress pants is not fashionably correct….yet. 
• Writing a blog is hard work.  But it’s so worth it. 
• Motivation comes in all forms.  Having a little old lady at the grocery store make a comment about your calves can do wonders.
• Do not be ashamed of your playlists.  If your playlist goes from Journey to Jason Aldean to Lil Wayne…then you and I have a lot in common.  Blast it as loud as you can…’Peanuts to an elephant…I got through that sentence like a subject and a predicate.’
• Tanning is cheap therapy.  You can work a lot of personal stuff out by laying down for 24 minutes.
• Massages are not cheap therapy.     
• Don’t ask me how long I spend in the gym.  It’s more than you.
• Don’t ask me if I crave carbs.  Of course I want some effing carbs.   
• Want to see someone doing contest prep sweat…send them an email saying their protein powder is back-ordered.  Are you serious?

I’m sure there are plenty of others…but some times you just have to laugh. 

…But Not Fast Enough

Friday was the make or break point with the trainer.  I am 3 weeks away from the show and it was now or never to decide if I would come in where I wanted to be.  I knew my chances were slim and had already convinced myself that choosing another date and delaying everything would give me more time.  So after stripping down, snapping a few pics, seeing the progress and reviewing the results….we decided it wasn’t my time yet.  It wasn’t a tough decision to make.  Like I said before, I want the chance to compete…not just the chance to get on stage.  I walked out of the trainer’s office with a weight off my shoulder.  The stress of getting ready in three weeks was gone.  WC was ready.  He was beyond ready and could walk on stage in a few days if needed.  So the next three weeks will be about keeping him focused and continuing to prep. 

The next show for me is likely in September….an additional 8 weeks on top of the original 16.  All of the morning cardio sessions I thought were going to come to an end, the strict eating, the inability to go out for a meal, and the disciplined training routines will continue.  Trying to grasp all of that made for a tough day mentally on Friday.  How bad did I want this?  Could I sacrifice the time?  How do I deal with distractions along the way?  Am I even cut out for this?  Lots of questions with very few answers swirled around me on Friday during the day. 

Friday evening was different.  I got a taste of normalcy and what I was missing.  I had several moments where I was ready to give it all up.  It was the easy road out of town.  But I didn’t.  I realized that night that I set out to accomplish something I had never considered before.  This was why I had left the former life behind.  I want to try new things, have experiences that most don’t or can’t, and push myself harder than I ever have.  Life happens… and when will I get this chance again.  Was I really willing to throw away the goal because 8 more weeks was too long?  I realized that night that I had to finish this….because I wanted to.   

Week 4–Stuff is happening fast

Here is the first of likely 2 or 3 entries for this week. 

Starting weight:  199.  Down 3 pounds from the previous week.  33 pounds total. 

We are down to the final push to the end.  I am almost tempted to start keeping track of days versus weeks, because it seems like so much is happening so fast.  Between keeping track of stuff for the show, getting meals in, shaving, tanning, doing laundry from all the workout clothes, cardio, posing practice, lifting…I could really use a personal assistant to keep me focused.  Each day I am seeing progress on different areas.  I am also trying to cut out caffeine from my daily intake.  I was up to basically a pot a day.  We’ll see what the impact is, but I was having major ups and downs throughout the day.  If anything, I can cycle it.  Take a week off and then try to get back on it next week.  And I am sick of the sugarfree gum.  I totally OD’d on it last week.  I maybe grab a piece before my morning cardio and another after I eat tuna in the afternoon.  But that is it!  We also added in a bag of broccoli in lieu of an ounce of walnuts.  Perhaps that helped with the decrease in weight.  No idea…I promise to one day learn the science behind this process, but that would be too taxing on my brain right now. 

Overall, I am not where I had hoped to be and now dreading if there comes the day when the trainer pulls the plug.  My rule going in to the contest prep was that I’ll do whatever it takes…as long as I don’t look like a fool on stage.  Translation:  Don’t put me on stage if I’m not ready.  Progress is coming quickly, but will it come just in time?  That seems to be the million dollar question that I don’t have the answer.  Hopefully this Friday we can see better results….Plan B is always there if needed, but only if needed. 

So far this  prep has been 100% physical.  This week the mental side of it came out in full force.  My brain is kicking my butt right now…   

Week 5–Let There Be Abs

Starting weight 202.  Still no idea on what happened last week…but if I have only one bad week in this process, I will not get worked up about it.  Total weight lost….30 pounds. 

It was only 2 pounds, but I was surprised at some of the differences I noticed this week.  It was definitely time to break out some clothes I hadn’t worn in awhile.  They all fit with room to spare.  And then on Friday we did pics with the trainer.  In previous sessions and with the right light and if you look hard enough I swear you could see abs.  This was the first pics session that you didn’t have to try hard to see them.  Not as well defined as I want or need, but just to see the muscle start to rise to the surface was a great accomplishment. 

Here are a couple more pics from the session:  Overall there was lots of progress and I was happy with where I am at.  Sixteen weeks seems like a long time and we are down to the final 4. 

I always know that there is a chance I will need to do more cardio.  One week of gaining weight and a couple weeks of not seeing much progress from the pics…equaled more cardio…a lot more cardio.  Still low intensity, but the sitting there and grinding it out on a machine was eating me alive.  We are all about motivation and drive right now.  I downloaded every Rocky movie made to watch during my cardio sessions.  Whatever it takes!  If you’re looking for some motivation…try Rocky! 

Week 6–The Opposite of Progress

It has taken me a couple of weeks to write this entry and here is the reason why…  I usually wake up each Monday morning and head straight for the scale.  Same routine this week…except that I was ready to crawl back in to bed after seeing the number on the scale…207.  That is a 3 pound gain from the previous week.  I stood there for what felt like an eternity.  Thinking of everything I ate.  Every cardio session.  Every set and rep I went through.  I didn’t stray at all this week and felt I was even pushing the intensity levels to the breaking point.  So my reward was +3 pounds.  Yeah, going back to bed was definitely what I wanted to do, but instead I did what any insane person would do….threw on my workout clothes, cooked my breakfast and headed to the gym.  I was waiting for the look on the trainer’s face when I told him my news…surely he would be as surprised as I was.  Nope, he didn’t skip a beat.  Told me to not even think for 2 seconds about it and to weigh again on Wednesday.  He was right…by Wednesday I dropped the 3 pounds.  Water retention, stress, smelling carbs in the bakery aisle…there were all sorts of ideas on what happened.  But by Wednesday my confidence levels were back and I was moving forward.

The rest of the week was uneventful.  Same lower back pain.  Same twice a week leg workouts.  Otherwise everything is going as planned.  Here is what the leg workout looks like:

Leg Extensions:  4x12 w/ 15 half reps

Smith Machine Bench Squat:  1x15 feet together, 1x15 feet shoulder width, 1x15 normal

Lumberjacks:  4x10

Unilateral Leg Extensions:  4x12

Smith Machine Lunges:  3x15

Stiff Leg Deadlifts:  3x30

Leg Curls:  4x12 w/ 15 half reps

Calf Raises:  5x15 squeeze at top

It’s brutal.  And to do it on Monday and Friday is even worse.  It does hit every muscle in the leg, so we got that going for us.  The trainer did start talking about the next offseason…we may need to negotiate if he throws in lunges again.   

Week 7–Grounded by Leg Day

Starting Weight:  204.  Down 28 pounds from the start.

Some guys can walk in a gym with no agenda or plan.  Maybe they know which muscle group they want to train…but which exercise, how many reps or sets, or even the types of sets (rest pause, drop sets, etc) they figure out as they go.  I am not one of those guys.  I have strict plans.  Otherwise I am likely to fall of track or even worse….lose track.  At this point  after 5 years of serious training, I think I can safely say I understand what I am doing in the gym now.  Five years!  It’s complicated.  And getting to the gym is the biggest problem people struggle with….but knowing what to do when you’re in the gym is the next biggest problem.  I was timid at first when I started.  I felt comfortable on a piece of cardio equipment, could stumble through some dumbbells or machines, but dare not enter a squat rack.  I worked with the trainer to come up with a 4 or 5 day split and then he determines everything else.  All of the guesswork and research to find a good routine is off of me.  But like I said, I am finally at a point where I think I can write out my own plans (but still not dare walk in to the gym without some plan in hand).

For the past 9 weeks we were on the same routine schedule.  Some moderation in our cardio, but the lifting routine was the same.  Ten weeks is about my max for staying on the same routine schedule.  I just get to the point where I get bored.  So for the past few weeks WC and I were asking for some sort of a change.  And we got what we asked for. 

Here is our 6 day split (I’ll likely post some of the exercises later):

Monday:  Legs 
Tuesday:  Chest/Triceps
Wednesday:  Back/Biceps
Thursday:  Shoulders
Friday:  Repeat leg day
Saturday:  Abs

Remember my rules about leg day?  This routine violated those rules.  Two leg days in one week.  Not to mention I pulled a muscle in my lower back last week and have been nursing the injury for several days.  The thought of smith machine squats or stiff leg deadlifts made my back hurt worse.  The basis of the new workouts is focusing on higher reps and blasting each muscle group.  Leg day has 8 exercises!  Oh they were blasted alright!  We needed a little extra motivation one day at work and we were looking at pics from the guys at last year’s show.  There was one thing that set guys apart…it always came down to their legs.  Fine…legs twice a week it is.

I barely had enough energy to complete the last workouts when I was running on no carbs.  So if Week 8 was the proverbial truck….then in Week 7 I got hit by a train.  Words can not express how little energy I was functioning on each day.  The Tuesday morning following legs was the worst.  Every muscle in my body was one giant cramp.  The pain in my back was even more intense.  I grimaced at the thought of putting on my shoes and going to do cardio.  The pain lasted most of the week….until Thursday.  Wednesday night I went to bed and got a solid amount of sleep.  It was just what I needed.  I woke up feeling refreshed and all of the pain and body aches were gone.  It was a great feeling and probably why I have the energy tonight to update my posts….or else the blogging guilt has gotten to me and I finally want to say that I am caught up.  Either way, I am enjoying this energy for as long as I can…note to self:  go to bed early. 

Tomorrow is the next assessment.  As we get closer to the show these are going to be once a week (usually on Fridays).  It gives us a chance to practice posing and the trainer a chance to take a look at where we are and make any changes necessary.  We are still holding out for the cheat meal he promised, but I’d bet I don’t see one of those until after the show.  Ugh!  Who needs food that tastes good anyway?

Week 8–The Second Half and Pics

Starting weight:  206.  Down 26 pounds from the start. 

I am so slow in getting these weekly posts out there.  As I am writing this entry I realized I am nearing the end of Week 7.  Time flies and with my sudden lack of energy the thought of coming home and typing my entries makes me want to crawl in to bed.  I keep telling myself to conserve energy and use it in the gym.  So far that has worked.  But it is night and day between my energy level in the gym and what I can exert when I am not in the gym.

Needless to say…Week 8 I felt like I was hit by a truck.  Three weeks and not one carb.  Still eating the same food for the past three weeks.  Nothing has been changed and now food is fuel.  The trainer threw in a tease with our new workout…’let’s see where you are at the end of the week and perhaps we can throw in a cheat meal.’  He didn’t say a re-feed meal.  Re-feeds are oatmeal, brown rice, potatoes.  Cheat meals are the stuff dreams are made of…pasta, burritos, pizza, chicken wings.  I wasn’t worried about my assessment at the end of the week….I was focused for an entire day on where I would go for a cheat meal…inhale!  And then it dawned on me…it was a trick.  For the 8-10 hours I was thinking about my cheat meal I was relaxed, my mind was off of the pain and anguish of the process, my energy was at an all time high, I suddenly felt more focused on where I was in my training.  I went to the gym and had one of my best workouts in a long time.  Just the thought of eating normal food was enough to change my whole outlook.  Be that as it may…my assessment came and sure enough…no cheat meal!  But just the thoughts and ideas and smells that came to mind were enough to get me motivated this week.

My assessment is always visual.  There is a girl at work that came to us one day determined to lose weight.  WC and I were happy for her and supportive.  We asked her what her goal was and she replied that she wanted to lose 9 pounds…9 pounds?  Gosh, that seems rather specific.  To her it’s a number in her head she sees on the scale.  Once she sees the number….then she met the goal.  WC and her even have a bet going just for a little extra motivation (whatever works).  She is willing to work her tail off with eating right, getting in cardio, and three sessions of weight training a week…just to see a number.     

My assessment is always visual.  I can tell you what I weighed when I turned 16 because my driver’s license still has the same weight…155 pounds.  Imagine the police officer’s look when a 232 pound guy hands him that driver’s license?  Whoops!  Since around the time I was 16 I always strived for a certain look…never caring about what the scale said.  It’s all relative is what I have learned and mostly centers around the amount of muscle I can add to my frame.  Sure there are always numbers in my head of what I want to see, but whether you want to lose 9 pounds or 90 pounds its really more about how you feel when you look in the mirror. 

My assessment is always visual…this is the Week 8 assessment (and the reason why no cheat meal was allowed):
 
These next two pics turned out better than I thought.  This was our first full session of posing so many of these we had never tried before.  The hardest part of the process is to get into position and flex all of the right muscles at the same time….oh and hold it until the picture is taken….not an easy task by any means.  If any of the pics appear blurry, it’s not from the trainer taking the pics…more likely it’s from me shaking violently trying to hold the pose.  I was winded!
    You can’t see my face, but I am cracking up laughing trying to hold this pose.  We took these in an open area in the gym….which also happens to be in the basement of where WC and I work.  A couple people walked by with puzzled looks on their faces.  They wouldn’t last 5 minutes in this crazy process!

That’s it for now.  Off to eat my 5 cage-free eggs for an evening snack….trust the process!

Week 9–I Dream of Tequila

Starting weight:  209.  Down 23 pounds from the first week.

It seems that everyone has some dream that sticks out during prep work.  Mine occurred during this week.  I was at a dinner party with friends.  Everyone was sitting around eating and having fun.  I wanted a margarita for some reason, but there was no sour mix or salt.  No worries!  I’ll just drink it straight.  Tequila…straight!  Who dreams of stuff like this?  Apparently pancakes, bread, or biscuits are not what I am craving right now…9 weeks in and I dream of alcohol.  I just woke up thinking ‘please let this be a dream!'  Whew! 

Food was the same….now going on 2 weeks without a single carb.  No more carbs and no more veggies….Hoo-Ah!  So long green beans! 

They finally posted more information about the show.  At the end of this week I am at the half way point…sure I lost 23 pounds already, but there are some spots (my abs) that are not even close to stage ready.  There is still some time…and apparently we have a new workout routine coming in a week or two that will make us work harder than ever…lower weight, higher reps.  Seeing the progress on the scale and through the pics has been helpful.  In 8 weeks, I haven’t strayed and only missed one session of cardio the weekend I was moving.  So overall I am right at 100% on the straight and narrow…now just to let my body catch up. 

Week 10–So Long Carbs…

Starting weight:  212…down 20 pounds in just 6 weeks. 

More importantly this week was more about how to cope with zero carbs.  Here is my meal plan:

Meal 1:  3 cage free eggs, 2 scoops protein

Meal 2:  6oz chicken w/ Walden Farms BBQ sauce, 1oz walnuts.

Meal 3:  2 scoops protein, 2 tablespoons natty peanut butter.

Meal 4:  Can of tuna, 20 almonds.

Meal 5:  Plate of romaine lettuce w/ Walden Farms dressing, 6oz lean ground beef.

Meal 6:  5 cage free eggs.

I was planning for the worst…super tired, low energy, not able to lift the same weight.  I didn’t have any of those symptoms this week.  I used black coffee to perk me up in the mornings and again in the afternoon to give me a boost before going to the gym.  If anything I was full of energy during my morning cardio and all through my workouts.  By the time I got home…I was exhausted and coming down from the caffeine, but that seems standard no matter what I am eating. 

I did have several temptations this week.  A luncheon at a really good Italian buffet and then an alumni gathering at my alma mater.  Fortunately I had been planning for these events for awhile and knew I had to stay focused and keep gum or water close by to prevent any inadvertent eating.    

Week 11–Progress Pics and Carb Results

After one week of adding carbs to my daily eating plan, I was certain the scale would show the opposite of progress.  But how bad would it be?  I actually ended up losing a pound.  Not a lot, but it was way better than what I expected.  The trainer wasn’t surprised.  He knew my body was drained from the previous 4 weeks and the carbs would do more good than harm.  He was right…trust the process!  So my starting weight was 214.  So 5 weeks in and I’ve lost 18 pounds.  The number was more than I expected, but the pics haven’t shown much progress.  This week was the same eating plan…carbs for breakfast and mid-morning snack. 

I did have more energy.  That was noticeably different than what I had felt before when I had lots of energy on carb days and was barely staying awake on days when I was just eating protein and healthy fat.  I forgot to take progress pics over the weekend, so I had the trainer take the pics at the gym.  He gave me the poses he wanted and I did my best to hold each one and not look like I was in complete pain.  Each pic shows some serious progress over the last two rounds of pics.  Still a long way from where I need to be, but these helped my confidence level in where I was in the process.       

The other challenge I faced this week was noticing that I was much more alone in my workouts.  I entered these 16 weeks knowing I had my co-worker, WC also going through the same thing.  It seemed like all week we were on different schedules and we could never get to the gym at the same time.  It helps to have someone backing you up and forcing you to push yourself.  This week I didn’t have that.  I had to focus on myself and my process.  There are always other guys in the gym that make it fun to be in there and are willing to spot me when I need it, but hopefully WC and I are able to get back on the same schedule.  Especially leg day…everyone needs a workout partner on leg day…enough said.