Contest Prep for 2010 Provincials

[shredded_Tris]

Hey Everyone,

So I thought it would be cool to track everything that I am doing for this contest prep. I am going to post my energy levels and cardio etc.
Maybe get some feedback and all that. I'm getting help from a good friend that I have been working with for a couple of years now. This may be a little slow getting started as I still have a long ways to go but here we go:


20 Weeks Out:

Current Weight: 174lbs
Offseason High: 198lbs
Last comp: April 09
Weight from last comp: Weigh in 153lbs, Night Show 149lbs

Contest Diet Method: Carb Cycling

Mon, Wed, Fri, Sun = Low Carb Days - Total current Cals = 2,200 roughly
Tues, Thurs, Sat = High Carb Days - Total current Cals = 2,850 roughly

Curent BF %: Unknown

Current Supplements:
-Syntha 6
-Gaspari Myofusion
-Scivation XTend
-NO Shotgun
-Multi Vit
-Ester C
-Vit B Complex

At this point I am right on track. I want sick conditioning this year and I am determined to get it. The goal was to be in the 160's by the time 16 weeks rolls in which shouldn't be a problem. I just dont wanna have to kill myself to come in sub-par. The less weight I have to lose to get shredded the better!

Rough Training Schedule:

Monday morning 5:30am Empty Stomach abs and Cardio 45min-1hour
Monday evening 5:00pm Chest

Tuesday evening 5:00pm Back + 20min-30min Cardio

Wednesday morning 5:30am 20g protein then Legs
Wednesday evening 5:00pm Cardio 45min-1hour

Thursday evening 5:00pm Bi's & Tri's

Friday morning 5:30am 20g protein then abs and Shoulders and Cardio 45min

Saturday morning 8am Optional Cardio 45min-1hour depending on Weight

Sunday morning 8am Optional Cardio 45min-1hour depending on Weight

**********All of my cardio is Slow Paced HR<130***************

So today is Day 1 we will call it of my posting. I feel awesome today as it is a Carb Day and I cannot wait to train back tonight after being on a 1 week break due to excessive scar tissue build-up in my rhomboids.

I hope to post some pictures maybe soon. Kinda worried about the feedback however. The quality of athletes on this site is awesome and I feel I should be a little sharper before I post some haha.

After taking a year and a half off to put on size I have no idea what my weight will be show date. But I don't give a shit! As long as I come in peeled I will be happy!!

S.T.:hu

[JonnyO]

Good luck bro. I wont comment on how your doing things, but if you got a game plan then stick to it all the way through.

[shredded_Tris]

Good luck bro. I wont comment on how your doing things, but if you got a game plan then stick to it all the way through.

Yeah I will be sticking to the game plan for sure. Feedback on my leanness and all of my methods would be awesome though. I know eveyone here has different opinions so I am ready to learn more. Especially from guys like yourself Jonny who have already been to a national level

[Delt King]

Good luck in your prep dude, if you have any specific questions you want to ask us let us know. :)

[JonnyO]

Especially from guys like yourself Jonny who have already been to a national level

I been trying to get MP to fix my status up there as I wont be competing this year so I will be Provincial level status. This was going to be my first run at National level but things have taken priority but for the better.

Snap some pictures, I know they suck at the start but as you progress you and us all can see the changes. I cant stand any of my pictures until about 3-4 weeks out when everything starts to come together.

[shredded_Tris]

Ok So the quality of the pictures is Shit but it's a start. I will try and get better ones as we go but it will give you guys an idea.

Pics were taken last night
Weight = 175lbs

Weight this morning 173lbs

did legs this morning. I am beat!! and btw F-10's + NO Shotgun = Cocaine lol I thought my heart was going to burst......separating them from now on!

[shredded_Tris]

I hate these pictures cause you can't see any vascularity or cuts. I need to get a better camera!!!

[natenator]

you def don't need 20 weeks lol

[shredded_Tris]

you def don't need 20 weeks lol

Thanks Nate!

I'm not exactly going all out yet or anything. my real prep will start hard at around 16 weeks or so. I wanna be ready weeks before this year because my conditioning needs to be key. It has been ok in the past but not even close to what I want

[Praetorian]

You will need 16 weeks.
P

[shredded_Tris]

You will need 16 weeks.
P

Yeah thats what I thought P because from what I can tell I will not be shredded until at least low 150's, but that is just a guess obviously. Like I said I have no idea what my BF% is but I would guess around 13 or 14 maybe

[shredded_Tris]

The goal here gentlemen is striated glutes no matter what lol
I'm going to need it for this years competition....trust me

[Andre Gregoire]

I will be following along.

How tall are you?

[JonnyO]

Good pics can see whats going on with you there. I would also consider backing off on the long cardio sessions this far out.

[shredded_Tris]

I will be following along.

How tall are you?

5'-7"

[shredded_Tris]

Good pics can see whats going on with you there. I would also consider backing off on the long cardio sessions this far out.

My theory is to keep losing around a pound or so each week and with the caloric intake I am at now and the cardio I have been doing it seems to be going ok
Is it because you think I won't wanna do it later or is it because of something else. Because I assure you I am more motivated than most people and I don't mind doing whatever it takes

[shredded_Tris]

So my internet is finally working again! It has been on the fritz for the last few days.

Here is my update:

This morning I weighed 171lbs before doing an hour of cardio, took 24mg of ephedrine and 200mg of caffeine for a little boost. The cardio did me a lot of good because my legs have been in more pain than I could ever imagine.
On my leg day Wednesday morning I killed my legs pretty hard. I've been doing FST-7's at the ends of my workouts and it is insane how much of a difference it makes.

So I got home after cardio this morning and I was Starving lol so here is what I had
3 pieces of multi-grain toast
2 Tbls. of Double Fruit Jam
250 ml of Simply egg whites with 1 slice of fat free mozzarella cheese
1 Banana
1 Apple
1 Coffee
and some Crystal light :P

Now I feel great!!! Here are some Measurements for everyone:
Height = 5'-7"
Chest = 43"
Waist = 33"
Quads = 24"
Arms = 15.5"
Forearms = 12"
Calves = 15"

The smallest I have had my waist in the past was 29" I believe
16 Weeks out in only 3 weeks time and thats when the mad strict dieting has to start!! I can't wait to get on that stage.
Can't think of anything else to post up right now so I will leave it at this.
If anybody wants to know anything else just post it up. This Blog is going to be my motivation AND my escape from the madness of cravings and dieting, so keep me on my toes haha

[JonnyO]

I like to let the diet do its work at the start then slowly introduce cardio, then other things. Last thing I want someone doing is spending more time doing cardio than they have to, esp near the end of the diet, when they should be backing off of it.

[shredded_Tris]

Yeah I don't mind putting the work in. I am just having a few treats here and there before the diet kicks into high gear and the cardio seems necessary. I am only dropping slow. My calories are still pretty high so I don't think I am having muscle loss or anything. and my strength is still really high

[shredded_Tris]

Pretty relaxing day today so far.
Just finished cooking 2 salmons and 2 packages of chicken as well as 2 big bags of broccoli and some rice along with all that. Should do me for a few days anyways lol
Trying to come up with ideas for my posing routine now. I know most of my poses that I wanna hit but the song I will use is where I am having trouble. I always have problems here because there are always more than one I wanna use. I want it to start slow I think and then get progressively heavier.
I could seriously sit on Youtube searching all day lol

[fathead]

i dont really get the point of doing 1hr of cardio if you are going to be eating toast and jam...

i know you say you dont mind putting the work in but.... either way, doesnt make sense to me

[shredded_Tris]

At this point the toast and jam are still in the plan. I am talking about treating with other things. It's a carb cycling diet I don't eat them every day

[natenator]

Do what you want but toast and jam really have no place in a contest diet.

[shredded_Tris]

It will be eliminated guys lol Im not going to have jam through my contest diet. Let's keep in mind I still have 19 Weeks and I am still losing fat. No worries, ya gotta keep a little sane before the hardcore stuff starts.

[steve_d]

I'll have to agree with those saying not to go with extreme cardio. Not that an hour is extreme, or hard (particularly if diet is not hard yet)....But toast and jam doesn't even really have a place on an off-season diet, let alone pre contest. Its not bad as say chips and french fries, and big macs - but that isn't the point.

This far out you are better off just getting your body used to eating x number of times per day and cleaning out the foods that have no benefit to you at all. The cardio will come if you want striated glutes, don't worry...but don't need to be doing an hour this far out - even if you add calories to do so. Better off training harder and burning the calories that way.

Plus, you are going to be a lightweight...striated glutes shouldn't be the goal - think of this as a long term plan. Where will you go from there? How much muscle will you lose in order to get striated glutes? Just don't end up beating your body up for this show.

[Delt King]

The reason we don't do one hour of cardio per day this far out is that it leaves little room to add in more later... Taking a few things out of the diet and letting it do it's work as JohnnyO mentioned is the norm. At this point i don't have my clients doing any cardio at all. But to each his own (keep in mind though 3 national level guys just told you the same thing lol)

[steve_d]

I'll also add my own personal experience to this...In 2003 I did about an hour of cardio for a year straight before a show (it wasn't on purpose for the show - its just what I was doing). I was healthier for it no doubt - and was able to eat more without putting on fat.

But in the end, it was my legs that was always lacking back then. Doing cardio for an hour a day will reduce your intensity in your leg workouts (even though you may think you have all the energy to get an awesome leg workout - your leg workouts would be that much better without it at this point)...

I'd suggested getting 10-15 minutes in at very low intensity just as a warmup for your workouts. Aside from that, use up your energy in the weight room.

[btufts]

definately dont need one hour cardio this far out. if anything i'd be using the last 3 weeks or so just to try and add some more quality mass, start eating healthier foods, things that you could incorporate into your diet and then start tapering down with your calories, or however you plan to do it. you said you were carb cycling. in my experience, just taking out all refined sugar from my diet makes a big difference. but to each his own i guess lol

[shredded_Tris]

The reason we don't do one hour of cardio per day this far out is that it leaves little room to add in more later... Taking a few things out of the diet and letting it do it's work as JohnnyO mentioned is the norm. At this point i don't have my clients doing any cardio at all. But to each his own (keep in mind though 3 national level guys just told you the same thing lol)

Yeah I may just take a few things out of the meal plan for now maybe but I am still only doing about 4 hours a week right now with lots of energy. do you think I should drop it more

[shredded_Tris]

I'll also add my own personal experience to this...In 2003 I did about an hour of cardio for a year straight before a show (it wasn't on purpose for the show - its just what I was doing). I was healthier for it no doubt - and was able to eat more without putting on fat.

But in the end, it was my legs that was always lacking back then. Doing cardio for an hour a day will reduce your intensity in your leg workouts (even though you may think you have all the energy to get an awesome leg workout - your leg workouts would be that much better without it at this point)...

I'd suggested getting 10-15 minutes in at very low intensity just as a warmup for your workouts. Aside from that, use up your energy in the weight room.

I see what you are saying here Steve but would you agree with me if I said you aren't going to really develop any more muscle while dieting for a show, realistically. So saying that I have the muscle that I will be competing with, should I not just focus on shedding the fat now?
and do you think I will be risking that much muscle loss by going for shredded glutes. I would really like to win this one. In your opinion would it really hurt me THAT bad getting to the extra low BF

[shredded_Tris]

definately dont need one hour cardio this far out. if anything i'd be using the last 3 weeks or so just to try and add some more quality mass, start eating healthier foods, things that you could incorporate into your diet and then start tapering down with your calories, or however you plan to do it. you said you were carb cycling. in my experience, just taking out all refined sugar from my diet makes a big difference. but to each his own i guess lol


Hey B, there really aren't any refined sugars in my diet now aside from the jam, and maybe a bit in the toast but like I said thats only 3 days a week. maybe the jam isnt necessary however, I don't think it is possible to add any kind of real mass whatsoever in 3 weeks. I think I have everything I am going to be stepping on with from the off-season, from here its just unveiling it, but that is just my opinion I guess.

[shredded_Tris]

I'll have to agree with those saying not to go with extreme cardio. Not that an hour is extreme, or hard (particularly if diet is not hard yet)....But toast and jam doesn't even really have a place on an off-season diet, let alone pre contest. Its not bad as say chips and french fries, and big macs - but that isn't the point.

This far out you are better off just getting your body used to eating x number of times per day and cleaning out the foods that have no benefit to you at all. The cardio will come if you want striated glutes, don't worry...but don't need to be doing an hour this far out - even if you add calories to do so. Better off training harder and burning the calories that way.

Plus, you are going to be a lightweight...striated glutes shouldn't be the goal - think of this as a long term plan. Where will you go from there? How much muscle will you lose in order to get striated glutes? Just don't end up beating your body up for this show.

I'm trying to figure out exactly where you are going with this one Steve. You did great at your last show and I followed your blog and thought you looked awesome. But it sounds like from what your saying that you cannot hit your perfect peak for a show unless you plan on it being Nationals or a pro show. I hope this doesn't sound bad, I'm not trying to make it so, but are you saying you could have been better at Provincials but since you are going to compete again you didnt go all out. I know we should plan ahead but can you really do that much harm in peaking

[steve_d]

I'm trying to figure out exactly where you are going with this one Steve. You did great at your last show and I followed your blog and thought you looked awesome. But it sounds like from what your saying that you cannot hit your perfect peak for a show unless you plan on it being Nationals or a pro show. I hope this doesn't sound bad, I'm not trying to make it so, but are you saying you could have been better at Provincials but since you are going to compete again you didnt go all out. I know we should plan ahead but can you really do that much harm in peaking

No no...I don't mean not to go for a perfect peak - But I think what I was more leaning on was that if striated glutes is the goal, then you may end up over dieting. I did this once - and it was not good for me (both in the way I looked for that show, and how it hurt my progression for future shows). But yeah, I was shredded (bot not necesaarily at what I would have said was my "best").

And sure, I could have been more ripped for sudbury or provincials...I was quite lean, almost as lean as I've ever been aside from the example above. 3 more weeks, and I could have been that lean, yet weighed in at 158 instead of 163 - and perhaps not any better. In my mind it would have hindered my progress.

This is just 1 opinion, but I would simply put a goal of looking better from show to show. No different if you on a provincial or national level stage. If you over-diet, it may take a few more months in the off-season to gain back what you lost, which is a few months you could have been gaining even more. Which is the big reason why I don't recommend people competing more than 1 time in a year (unless its say a few weeks apart)...


PS: I am not sure how ripped you usually get. Perhaps striated glutes is easy for you, and in that case, basically don't worry about anything I said! Some guys legs and glutes are the first thing to get really ripped! I am just basing everything I said on comparing a mistake I made in the past of getting too ripped for what my body could allow at the time.

[shredded_Tris]

No no...I don't mean not to go for a perfect peak - But I think what I was more leaning on was that if striated glutes is the goal, then you may end up over dieting. I did this once - and it was not good for me (both in the way I looked for that show, and how it hurt my progression for future shows). But yeah, I was shredded (bot not necesaarily at what I would have said was my "best").

And sure, I could have been more ripped for sudbury or provincials...I was quite lean, almost as lean as I've ever been aside from the example above. 3 more weeks, and I could have been that lean, yet weighed in at 158 instead of 163 - and perhaps not any better. In my mind it would have hindered my progress.

This is just 1 opinion, but I would simply put a goal of looking better from show to show. No different if you on a provincial or national level stage. If you over-diet, it may take a few more months in the off-season to gain back what you lost, which is a few months you could have been gaining even more. Which is the big reason why I don't recommend people competing more than 1 time in a year (unless its say a few weeks apart)...


PS: I am not sure how ripped you usually get. Perhaps striated glutes is easy for you, and in that case, basically don't worry about anything I said! Some guys legs and glutes are the first thing to get really ripped! I am just basing everything I said on comparing a mistake I made in the past of getting too ripped for what my body could allow at the time.

Very well said Steve, I appreciate the advice. I have not had striated glutes yet and my legs and glutes are usually the last things to come in. The last time I competed was in April 2009 so I took a pretty good off-season for this one. I guess when I say I want striated Glutes I am more or less saying I just want everything to come in shredded. I wanna be better than last show which should be farely easy with this years gains. I have some stiff competition this year so I just wanna be the best I can be and know there was nothing else at all that I could have done

[steve_d]

Sounds like you have all the motivation in the world, that's awesome (especially for those last couple of weeks of dieitng) - can you post up some pics from the last show? As long as you come in as lean, or leaner, you'll likely have improved. Even just from the experience of it (ie, posing, confidence, etc). How much did you weigh for last show?

[shredded_Tris]

Sounds like you have all the motivation in the world, that's awesome (especially for those last couple of weeks of dieitng) - can you post up some pics from the last show? As long as you come in as lean, or leaner, you'll likely have improved. Even just from the experience of it (ie, posing, confidence, etc). How much did you weigh for last show?

Thanks man, yeah you won't find anyone who loves the sport more than me. I am not much for trash talking or saying I have the best body but I do know I have the most motivation for this show hands down! I didn't really want to post much of me from the past because I wanna keep my progress and Identity on the DL for the big reveal but I have a few here. Be gentle haha like I said my condition may have lacked in the past and I had done multiple shows, this one being one of the last over a few weeks. I was a few pounds heavier and had a hard time dropping the rebound water. I weighed in at 154lbs for this show.

I have brought my legs up a lot since this and hopefully it will be enough.
Let me know what you think.

[shredded_Tris]

It's funny looking at these pictures because they are from the same show but just two different Cameras lol.
The Camera and photographer make some kind of a big difference lol

[steve_d]

most definitely a better camera will make a huge difference. Shutter speeds etc make all the difference in the world to capture all the cuts that you have on stage. Overall, I think you looked pretty good in those pics on stage. I don't think legs are your weakness at all.

It was actually at the atlantics that Garry Bartlett told me I needed to be sharper after coming 2nd to a guy I really thought I had beat. To my surprise the audience actually boo'd when I came second, which surprised me, because no one would have known who I was at that show - so it wasn't "friends and family". That was when I made my mind to be "sharper" for the world qualifier. I went from 141 on stage at atlantics (in similar condition to the pics you posted above) to a whopping 128 on stage 3 months later. Now you might have a better idea what I mean about it being a mistake for me to get that lean! I basically sacrificed 5 muscle to lose 5 fat.

I think getting leaner, and especially with a little more muscle since this last show, you'll likely do well in the lightweight division. But a freak could always show up!

[shredded_Tris]

most definitely a better camera will make a huge difference. Shutter speeds etc make all the difference in the world to capture all the cuts that you have on stage. Overall, I think you looked pretty good in those pics on stage. I don't think legs are your weakness at all.

It was actually at the atlantics that Garry Bartlett told me I needed to be sharper after coming 2nd to a guy I really thought I had beat. To my surprise the audience actually boo'd when I came second, which surprised me, because no one would have known who I was at that show - so it wasn't "friends and family". That was when I made my mind to be "sharper" for the world qualifier. I went from 141 on stage at atlantics (in similar condition to the pics you posted above) to a whopping 128 on stage 3 months later. Now you might have a better idea what I mean about it being a mistake for me to get that lean! I basically sacrificed 5 muscle to lose 5 fat.

I think getting leaner, and especially with a little more muscle since this last show, you'll likely do well in the lightweight division. But a freak could always show up!

Thanks man, I was hoping to turn some heads with my improvements, and I now see your point on the weight difference....WOW! thats intense dude. Your a pretty solid guy now I almost can't picture you are 128lbs. It's hard for me to know how much more weight I should have lost for that show but it's over now. The reason I know I need to be super shredded for this class is that there will be a freak stranding next to me lol I know this for a fact right now unless he decides to back down. In your opinion how much leaner could I have been from initial glance? I figured about 5-10lbs maybe but my weight wasn't moving much. Cardio could have been intensified more. Plus I did a Keto Diet and didn't respond as best as I had hoped.
I think I have pretty good proportions though, hopefully they are enough. These shows always seem to be the drier competitor that wins. size almost never plays the determining factor, I have been the bigger person time and time again and always lose to someone drier.

[MuSuLPhReAk]

It's funny looking at these pictures because they are from the same show but just two different Cameras lol.
The Camera and photographer make some kind of a big difference lol

Definitely true. I follow some of the Canadian photographers work and some really know what they are doing. Usually when pics are taken quickly and posted, the lighting and color can be off and change the look of the competitor. If the photographer does color correction and some work on the pics, it can make a huge difference. Some are skilled enough to take perfect pics first time round without any touch ups but usually some type of touch up is needed.

[shredded_Tris]

It was kind of nice though being told at this show that even though I didn't win I had the most esthetically pleasing and proportionate phisique in my class. Great symmetry too. It made me feel a little better about losing lol. They said I wasn't dry enough. I've been ignorant to this expression before in the bodybuilding world. My initial thoughts were how much earlier can you drop water? However, knowing what I know now my question should have been how much more fat do you think I had to lose.

This is why I am putting so much emphasis on conditioning this year. And I will have you boys here to keep me straight haha. I just have to find a better camera now so I can give you guys a much better Idea of where my conditioning is at for all my stages. Crappy pics won't help you guys much on the critiqing end of things

[Andre Gregoire]

In your opinion how much leaner could I have been from initial glance? I figured about 5-10lbs maybe but my weight wasn't moving much.

I am not Steve but here's my opinion. First off, you have a nice symmetrical physique and once you put on a little mass and dial in your conditioning I think you will do very well.

Judging from those pictures I would have had you drop another 5-6lbs of fat to be in great condition. That means 5-6 more weeks of dieting without losing muscle.

You were close but close doesn't win shows. Now you have time to be 100% ready so stop eating Toasts and Jam :laugh

[shredded_Tris]

I am not Steve but here's my opinion. First off, you have a nice symmetrical physique and once you put on a little mass and dial in your conditioning I think you will do very well.

Judging from those pictures I would have had you drop another 5-6lbs of fat to be in great condition. That means 5-6 more weeks of dieting without losing muscle.

You were close but close doesn't win shows. Now you have time to be 100% ready so stop eating Toasts and Jam :laugh


Cool Thanks bro, heres the deal on the toast situation. I needed another carb for my breakfast meal and Oatmeal makes me bloaty and I get hardcore water retention, now I know water retention is not an issue at this point but I just dont react well to it or digest it properly. So toast was the next option. What else would you recommend, why does everyone hate on WW toast lol is it really that much different?

[shredded_Tris]

PS I will drop the jam and eat it plain if that solves the problem lol

[Andre Gregoire]

I was sort of kidding on the toast and jam. I know Dusty Hanshaw, currently being trained by Chris Aceto has a carb refeed every 10 days and he has 2 bagels with Jam so it's not that bad when used in a refeed but it's not an ideal carb choice in a pre-contest diet.

Most bodybuilding purists agree on the 6 foods that work: Chicken, Tuna, Egg Whites, Brown Rice, Oats, Sweet Potatoes.

I personally am more liberal and include stuff like cottage cheese, almonds, whey protein, salmon, beef, almond butter during prep but I drop the unconventional stuff when the results starts slowing down also I have the high sugar stuff (cottage cheese) post fasted cardio and post workout only so my body uses the carbs.

[shredded_Tris]

I was sort of kidding on the toast and jam. I know Dusty Hanshaw, currently being trained by Chris Aceto has a carb refeed every 10 days and he has 2 bagels with Jam so it's not that bad when used in a refeed but it's not an ideal carb choice in a pre-contest diet.

Most bodybuilding purists agree on the 6 foods that work: Chicken, Tuna, Egg Whites, Brown Rice, Oats, Sweet Potatoes.

I personally am more liberal and include stuff like cottage cheese, almonds, whey protein, salmon, beef, almond butter during prep but I drop the unconventional stuff when the results starts slowing down also I have the high sugar stuff (cottage cheese) post fasted cardio and post workout only so my body uses the carbs.

OK lol Thats mostly what my diet consists of, really the only extra things were the toast and jam and a banana...oh and apples but the banana and jam and toast are only on carb days 3 out of 7 days a week and just for now of course (19 weeks out)

[steve_d]

Agreed with Andre. 5 pounds leaner would have done the job. Perhaps not enough to win as I have no idea how good the guy was that beat you. Just keep posting pics here every so often and particularly in the final 8 weeks or so and I am sure a bunch of people on this board will be able to guide your progress. I can be as honest as you want me to be!

As for food, at this point, 200 calories extra in a day in the form of toast and jam is not gonna make or break you. But as for substitutes...right now I am eating apples, sweet potatoes, and oatmeal. the only other carbs I eat are from veggies. even things like shredded wheat, or even mini-wheats are probably better than bread, but basically about the same net effect at the end of the day at this point.

[shredded_Tris]

Agreed with Andre. 5 pounds leaner would have done the job. Perhaps not enough to win as I have no idea how good the guy was that beat you. Just keep posting pics here every so often and particularly in the final 8 weeks or so and I am sure a bunch of people on this board will be able to guide your progress. I can be as honest as you want me to be!

As for food, at this point, 200 calories extra in a day in the form of toast and jam is not gonna make or break you. But as for substitutes...right now I am eating apples, sweet potatoes, and oatmeal. the only other carbs I eat are from veggies. even things like shredded wheat, or even mini-wheats are probably better than bread, but basically about the same net effect at the end of the day at this point.

Yeah that's what I figured.
I will definitely keep posting pics and food and all my progress for sure. And I would appreciate you being as honest as possible, because that is the only way I will be for sure hitting my best peak. I will try out those substitutes then. How low do your cals usually end up by the end of your diet btw Steve

[steve_d]

they almost got down to about 2000 calories near the end. Depends alot on how much cardio you do though, and/or how intense your workouts still can be towards the end.

[shredded_Tris]

Alright, I did some re-calculating and I was able to switch certain foods and not neccessarily lower my portions but cleaned up my plan substantially.

Salmon now equals Haddock
Rice now equals Sweet Potato
Jam now equals nothing lol

and I am using Hot sauce and Becel spray for my only toppings so that cuts cals and sugars too.

So my cardio for the next few weeks will be roughly 30 min per day 5-6 times a week and my new Caloric totals are as follows:

Mon - 1975 Cals
Tues - 2320 Cals
Wed - 1975 Cals
Thurs - 2320 Cals
Fri - 1975 Cals
Sat - 2320 Cals
Sun - 1975 Cals

Totaling roughly 14,860 as apposed to the previous 17,330 per Week

So this is the game plan for now, we'll see how it works

[shredded_Tris]

If I find I am dropping too fast or getting too hungry I may switch a few of my carb meals from 6oz of sweet potato to 1.5 cups of brown rice

[steve_d]

I'd bump the calories slightly or drop the cardio altogether for now. Just something as simple as say 1 extra shake during workout should do it.

[shredded_Tris]

I'd bump the calories slightly or drop the cardio altogether for now. Just something as simple as say 1 extra shake during workout should do it.

I am already having 3 shakes a day right now in between meals but if I drop the cardio a bit I should be ok then? You think these totals look better for now eh. I should drop nicely on this one

[natenator]

Here's my honest advice:

You had a plan. Stick to it and don't change it until you feel there's a reason TO change it.

Getting input from 5 or 6 different people is just going to lead to an issue because you will second guess yourself more than you already will.

Either stick to your plan or hire someone to help you with the prep.

That's my feedback.

[shredded_Tris]

Here's my honest advice:

You had a plan. Stick to it and don't change it until you feel there's a reason TO change it.

Getting input from 5 or 6 different people is just going to lead to an issue because you will second guess yourself more than you already will.

Either stick to your plan or hire someone to help you with the prep.

That's my feedback.

This actually was part of the plan Nate, I got together with my trainer today at lunch and this is what we decided the salmon was supposed to be haddock or tuna anyways from now on and the sweet potato was my 2nd option I just had not been using it until this point.

Really the only thing that I have been prompted for so far by you guys is the Jam lol. I am using everyones advice but I am definitely sticking to my trainers meal plan.

Through experience I am just adding more of my input to him as we go along. The plan is in motion my friend no worries there. I am running everything through him in the end before making changes.

Thanks for the motivation. I am all about sticking to game plans, the extra feedback is just a plus, and will help me when the final stages come along

[shredded_Tris]

The plan is to keep making changes to the plan if that makes sense. ie more cardio, lowering cals......all when neccessary of course.
My fat loss was just slowing a bit with all the extra Cals

[shredded_Tris]

So this week I have been feeling find of gnarly during my workouts. Getting really bad headaches, I have narrowed it down to too many stims at once. I didn't realize it but the other day I had like 3 coffees throughout the day along with 100mg extra caffeine in the am and 24mg of ephedrine. Now thinking it was spaced out enough I took a fat burner at around 5pm with a scoop of shotgun because I had a sample of the fat burner. I think it was that combo, halfway through my second set it felt like my stomach was on fire and I got an instant almost workout stopping headache.

I'm going in for legs today in about an hour and all I have had today is 1 cup of coffee and I am not even going to take Shotgun and I will see if I still get the headache. My water intake is plenty high (prob around 4.5L-5.5L/Day.

Legs should be pretty intense tonight. Friggen Lunges finished me last week I was limping for 5 days after lol

PS I found my savior for dieting this time......Becel Spray!!! That shit makes shitty brocolli taste like something I shouldd't even be aloud to eat.....Soo good!!

Oh and I picked up some Emu Oil last show I went to see and I was going to use it on top of my dream tan before stepping on stage, has anyone ever used this stuff before. The guy said it's pretty popular, I have only ever used PAM and will never again because it runs your color to shit.

ALSO....thoughts on Hot Stuff would be good too as I got some of that stashed away too, couldn't resist for only $10

ST

[steve_d]

dream tan seems to give me a good color, but not enough shine. If I am ultra careful and slowly pat in some oil or hot stuff, it does the job. But I still think there is a better option. I think next time I might try an ultra dark spray tan, and hopefully the oil won't smear things around so much. Dream tan just gets so messy. Although, I think even dream tan gives a different color on different people. I wouldn't have guessed it, but another guy in my class at sudbury was using the same dream tan as me, (#2), and we had completely different colors. I looked brown, he looked red...

[bigtavi8]

As for colour dream tan cream #2 was nice for me along with spray tan but for oil id probobly not use pam again and use something like a dark tanning oil i used first time around. It didnt smear the colour out too badly.

[natenator]

I hear the KY warming gel adds a nice shine...

[bigtavi8]

on your knob.

[shredded_Tris]

dream tan seems to give me a good color, but not enough shine. If I am ultra careful and slowly pat in some oil or hot stuff, it does the job. But I still think there is a better option. I think next time I might try an ultra dark spray tan, and hopefully the oil won't smear things around so much. Dream tan just gets so messy. Although, I think even dream tan gives a different color on different people. I wouldn't have guessed it, but another guy in my class at sudbury was using the same dream tan as me, (#2), and we had completely different colors. I looked brown, he looked red...

Yeah last time I did a show I went for a mystique tan I think they are called. I did that on Wed and again on thurs at the darkest setting. Then on friday I did two coats of spray dream tan then sat two coats of dream tan. My color looked good I think but my shine could have been better. I will let you know how that EMU Oil works but I'm told it doesn't run dream tan.

[shredded_Tris]

I hear the KY warming gel adds a nice shine...

I can't tell if that was a joke or serious lol Cause it may actually work, but after seeing Tav's comment I'm not so sure lol

[shredded_Tris]

So I am still getting severe headaches when I am working out and I don't know what the hell is going on.
It's starting to piss me off I didn't take ANYTHING yesterday aside from food and coffee and I still got one. I even have one now but I don't wanna just make advil a regular part of the day!
And I'm not even depleated......SHITTY

[shredded_Tris]

After doing some reading I think I may have pinched a nerve in my neck. So thankfully I think it is something that just needs to heal and it isnt any of the supps I was taking

[shredded_Tris]

Alright so here's the weekly update!

I couldn't get any pictures this weekend so I will be posting some next week.
My weight was 168lbs this morning after cardio.
I dropped the cals AND the cardio this week. I think I only did about 20 min a day except for yesterday and today I did 45 min both days

I think I will keep things just like this for a little while longer. We are 18 Weeks out today and I am quite happy with the progress.
My abs and seratus are dialing in very nicely. legs are starting to come in a little better too. I will be anxious myself to see the pictures next week.

[shredded_Tris]

I have been gauging my weight loss by Saturday mornings cardio and last week I was just under 171lbs So I will keep everything as is for a bit

[Delt King]

Alright so here's the weekly update!

I couldn't get any pictures this weekend so I will be posting some next week.
My weight was 168lbs this morning after cardio.
I dropped the cals AND the cardio this week. I think I only did about 20 min a day except for yesterday and today I did 45 min both days

I think I will keep things just like this for a little while longer. We are 18 Weeks out today and I am quite happy with the progress.
My abs and seratus are dialing in very nicely. legs are starting to come in a little better too. I will be anxious myself to see the pictures next week.

Good call on this one.:welldone

[shredded_Tris]

WOW!
I had a sick back workout with my buddy last night. every now and again we do a workout together for motivation and this was a Blaster for sure!!
We may have gone overboard with the sets but it was fun and I am going to be super sore!!!!

Here's What we did

-4 Sets of Reverse Grip Pull Downs
-1 Drop set
-4 Sets of Rows
-1 Drop Set
-4 Sets of T-Bar Rows with a Triple Drop from 3 Plates to 2 Plates to 1 Reppin out
-6 Sets of assisted Wide Grip pull ups
-4 Sets of Bar Chins
-4 Sets of deadlifts
-Finished of with FST-7 Style Rope Pulls (7 Sets)
- 20 min of cardio
We didn't even realize how much we did lol. I felt Great though!!

Motivation is better than ever Today!! CRANK IT UP ONLY 17.5 Weeks to go

Had a Great Yummy Breakfast this morning and I'm good for another day

250ml egg whites
2 Pieces of Multi-Grain Bread
1 Banana
Coffee

Going to see my trainer at lunch to show the weekly progress!!

[ironwill]

For darkening products, try Jan Tana....The shit is wicked, and doesnt run all over, and looks great for 2 weeks after, like real good, not blotchy, patchy flaky crap....

[shredded_Tris]

For darkening products, try Jan Tana....The shit is wicked, and doesnt run all over, and looks great for 2 weeks after, like real good, not blotchy, patchy flaky crap....

Thanks man I may try that next time, I already have all my stuff put aside for this show so I didn't have to worry about paying for too much at the last minute. Great to know though

[shredded_Tris]

OK My Hunger right now feels so bad I can't even stand it. I have to wait another hour before my shake and I am DYING!!!! Thank god I am at work cause I would rip my fridge apart like it owed me money at home.
Thank god for distractions otherwise I would suck at Dieting. I can honestly say it has been 2 weeks since I strayed from my diet even a little bit.

Can Somebody please help me lol!!!! Do you guys know of any Hunger Suppressants that I could try or any other methods.

I am drinking a few cups of coffee a day and it seems to help a bit but I could eat an entire cow right now and still have room for a 24" pizza lol

[natenator]

diet coke from mcdicks is my friend

[shredded_Tris]

diet coke from mcdicks is my friend

Yeah I was never really a pop drinker though stopped when I was like twelve.

I have a shit ton off things with artificial sweetener in my diet for like coffee and crystal lite etc.

I hope that stuff doesn't hinder progress in some way. I dont think it should considering it's supposed to be zero Cals.

Nate I piss every 30 min already lol it would be nice to find something NOT liquid haha

[ironwill]

OK My Hunger right now feels so bad I can't even stand it. I have to wait another hour before my shake and I am DYING!!!! Thank god I am at work cause I would rip my fridge apart like it owed me money at home.
Thank god for distractions otherwise I would suck at Dieting. I can honestly say it has been 2 weeks since I strayed from my diet even a little bit.

Can Somebody please help me lol!!!! Do you guys know of any Hunger Suppressants that I could try or any other methods.

I am drinking a few cups of coffee a day and it seems to help a bit but I could eat an entire cow right now and still have room for a 24" pizza lol
anavar kills my appetite big time......As far as foods or supps, i dont know, im always hungry....lol
Except when taking var...

[Delt King]

Last year i used meridia to keep me somewhat sane. But alas you're a natty so none for you!

[natenator]

Last year i used meridia to keep me somewhat sane. But alas you're a natty so none for you!
does that actually work?

Been considering it myself...

[ironwill]

my apologies, i didnt realize you were a natty.....

[Delt King]

does that actually work?

Been considering it myself...

Yeah it works but considering the amount of garbage i use i'm trying to avoid adding more to the stack but i might cave with a month to go.

[natenator]

Yeah it works but considering the amount of garbage i use i'm trying to avoid adding more to the stack but i might cave with a month to go.
I hear that dude.

[JonnyO]

Ive read taking some Glutamine between meals can help curb hunger. Havent tried it myself. I dont have a problem with it when Im at work as I can find ways to keep my mind off it but when at home its the opposite, so I would have some sugar free jello, just a few mouths full when I am craving something really bad. But come like 8-10 weeks out nothing other than whats on the plan is ingested...last year not even any diet sodas (they were my crutch in the past) according to Farrah, diet soda can interfere with amino acid uptake. I havent looked into that though but he doesnt allow diet sodas with his clients, on the other hand Hany Rambod does, so who knows.

[shredded_Tris]

my apologies, i didnt realize you were a natty.....

No worries buddy, with the mass list of substances on the list I couldn't even compete natty anyways lol
I've taken Clen and Ephedrine and apparently you cant even trust test boosters anymore! I don't think I will ever do a Natural show. Whats the point! There are too many things that can make you fail and then all of a sudden you are tagged as a liar! Screw that lol! I like competing with the big dogs haha!
I appreciate any help you guys give me regardless. I don't care what it is cause I like to have a knowledge of everything. Even if I am not going to take something.

[shredded_Tris]

does that actually work?

Been considering it myself...

So What exactly is Meridia D?
Sorry if that sounds like a stupid ass question

[shredded_Tris]

Ive read taking some Glutamine between meals can help curb hunger. Havent tried it myself. I dont have a problem with it when Im at work as I can find ways to keep my mind off it but when at home its the opposite, so I would have some sugar free jello, just a few mouths full when I am craving something really bad. But come like 8-10 weeks out nothing other than whats on the plan is ingested...last year not even any diet sodas (they were my crutch in the past) according to Farrah, diet soda can interfere with amino acid uptake. I havent looked into that though but he doesnt allow diet sodas with his clients, on the other hand Hany Rambod does, so who knows.

Thx J.O.
Maybe I will try that this weekend cause I do have some extra glutamine kicking around. How much did you hear to take? Could be great for boosting recovery while I am not working out on the weekends too

[shredded_Tris]

So Last night I killed legs to the point of not even being able to stretch last night without cramping lol.
9 sets of Box Squats past 90
-95lbsx15
-125lbsx15
-175lbsx15
-225lbsx12
-275lbsx12
-305lbsx6
-225lbsx12
-175lbsx15
-125lbs Rep Out
4 Sets of leg presses Repping out with 6 plates
4 Sets of Walking Lunges Gym length (roughly 12 each leg) with 40lb DB's
7 Sets of Leg extensions 30 sec rest in between to failure each time
4 Sets of lying ham curls
4 sets of seated ham curls
4 sets of seated calf raises
3 sets of standing calf raises
3 sets of donkey calf raises

Needless to say my ASS hurts today!!!

[Delt King]

Man that is a lot of sets!! I'd be dead for a month on that routine during a cut.


So Last night I killed legs to the point of not even being able to stretch last night without cramping lol.
9 sets of Box Squats past 90
-95lbsx15
-125lbsx15
-175lbsx15
-225lbsx12
-275lbsx12
-305lbsx6
-225lbsx12
-175lbsx15
-125lbs Rep Out
4 Sets of leg presses Repping out with 6 plates
4 Sets of Walking Lunges Gym length (roughly 12 each leg) with 40lb DB's
7 Sets of Leg extensions 30 sec rest in between to failure each time
4 Sets of lying ham curls
4 sets of seated ham curls
4 sets of seated calf raises
3 sets of standing calf raises
3 sets of donkey calf raises

Needless to say my ASS hurts today!!!

[shredded_Tris]

Yeah it looks a lot bigger when I write it down lol
It only took me about an hour twenty I think
I tried not to rest too much
Like I've said my legs have been my weaker part in the past. Hopefully after all my hard work this off-season they will be much stronger!
I haven't slacked off for legs even once this past year!

I will tone it down soon as I get more depleated of course
I usually do Giant Sets during contest prep

[shredded_Tris]

Note to Self:

When Dieting make sure not to heat food up too much!!! You are Starving and eating a piping hot meal in five minutes will burn all the taste buds off your tongue!! DUMBASS!! lol

I love carb day!
Just had 6oz. Chicken Breast, 2 cups or so of brocolli, and 6oz of Sweet potato.

I have been having a wicked craving lately for Uderly Devine Ice Cream and Chinese Food. I am a sucker for Chinese, it's always been my favorite.

My Girlfriend is also the most incredible baker on the planet. I can't wait to be able to eat all her creations after this madness is done!

Later on today is Arms and I am always pumped to do arms. As long as I can stay away from the cravings I will be ok. I think I am going to be good. My trick is RPG Games lol I turn into a nerd for the last bit of my contest prep. It's funny.....I am not a gamer by any means and might play like a few minutes in like 6 months but when I am dieting it is the only thing that makes me Forget about eating completely. It's my Dieting trick and has kept me completely out of the Cheats so far.

I am going to be completely honest with the cheating with you guys so I can stay more focused.

[natenator]

Man that is a lot of sets!! I'd be dead for a month on that routine during a cut.
Agreed. Although most of those look like warm-ups while leading into the heaviest working sets it is an incorrect way to go about this.

What I would do instead is:

95x15
135x15
175x6
225x3
275x1

What first 3 sets are meant just to warm the muscle/knee and get some blood flowing with remaining 3 getting your body adjusted to the heavier weight without actually fatiguing the system.

[shredded_Tris]

Agreed. Although most of those look like warm-ups while leading into the heaviest working sets it is an incorrect way to go about this.

What I would do instead is:

95x15
135x15
175x6
225x3
275x1

What first 3 sets are meant just to warm the muscle/knee and get some blood flowing with remaining 3 getting your body adjusted to the heavier weight without actually fatiguing the system.

So after the 275 then what?
I find it kind of pointless to do one rep of anything....especially during a cut. Is this just how you recommend warming up? Those five sets then the working ones.

[natenator]

So after the 275 then what?
I find it kind of pointless to do one rep of anything....especially during a cut. Is this just how you recommend warming up? Those five sets then the working ones.
It's not pointless. It's part of the warm up process. The first 3 are meant to simply warm up the body while the next 2 are to get the body used to the heaviness of the first working set.

So if I warmed up like I stated my working sets might look like:

315x6
305x8
285x10

Done.

[Andre Gregoire]

Agreed. Although most of those look like warm-ups while leading into the heaviest working sets it is an incorrect way to go about this.

What I would do instead is:

95x15
135x15
175x6
225x3
275x1

What first 3 sets are meant just to warm the muscle/knee and get some blood flowing with remaining 3 getting your body adjusted to the heavier weight without actually fatiguing the system.

That's the proper way to warm up :a+

[shredded_Tris]

Yeah that makes perfect sense
I meant pointless if your doing like a one rep max.
Warming up is a different story

[shredded_Tris]

Alright so here is the weekly update!!

We are officially "17 WEEKS OUT!"

First off, thanks for the advice guys dropping the cardio the last few weeks brought my energy levels up and my weight is still declining.

This week I did maybe 1 hour cardio total and I weighed in this morning at 165.5lbs

I took some pictures. I am still trying to find a better way to take them because I can't see any real visible cuts. For example the center of my chest is like a zipper up the center but you could never tell from the pics. Any suggestions on how to take em better would be nice. Ie. no flash or certain lighting or angle or whatever.

I'll post em anyways but.....well you'll see.

My white ass needs to start getting a tan too, that might help lol I'm a ghost

I got home from cardio today and had my awesome breakfast which is really not even that bad. This weekend will most likely be the last time I have it.

BEST PANCAKES EVER!!!!
I put:
1 Cup no fat Cottage Cheese
1 Scoop Chocolate Myofusion
1 Cup egg whites
1 Cup Oats
1 tsp vanilla

Spray em with some butter spray and use a little sorbee syrup and I think I needed to change my trunks :P

[steve_d]

I took some pictures. I am still trying to find a better way to take them because I can't see any real visible cuts.

When you're ripped enough, you won't need a better way to take them...Another way to look at getting lean:

You'll know you're ready when you see cross striations in pictures even with the camera totally out of focus.

You look good for this far out, lose a pound of fat or so per week, and you should be good to go.

[Talo]

Yeah that makes perfect sense
I meant pointless if your doing like a one rep max.
Warming up is a different story

Not much different , IMO.

[Andre Gregoire]

Did you say you have weak legs? Quads appear to be your strongest bodypart, once the fat is off they should be really good.

[Delt King]

Did you say you have weak legs? Quads appear to be your strongest bodypart, once the fat is off they should be really good.

Agreed

[shredded_Tris]

Did you say you have weak legs? Quads appear to be your strongest bodypart, once the fat is off they should be really good.


Agreed

Thanks a lot guys!!
Over the last year and a half I half DESTROYED my legs relentlessly without mercy hoping to bring them up. So it means a lot to me that you think they are my strongest part now.
I am always most impressed by wicked quads on a bodybuilder.
Next goal is more back thickness especially in the lower back

[shredded_Tris]

When you're ripped enough, you won't need a better way to take them...Another way to look at getting lean:

You'll know you're ready when you see cross striations in pictures even with the camera totally out of focus.

You look good for this far out, lose a pound of fat or so per week, and you should be good to go.

Thanks Steve, thats the plan. At least 1 lb a week from here on out

[shredded_Tris]

So here's the big confession lol
Not really big at all but I said I would spill everything extra I am having.
17 Weeks out and my worst cheat over the last 3 weeks has been
-handful of popcorn
-600g of source yogurt = 210Cals
-1 Bite of my girlfriends spaggetti

lol So I'm doing pretty good so far. Can't wait to hit the gym tonight and do some shoulders. Routine is a little backed up due to severe stomach pain on friday. I think I may have eaten some bad Haddock or something.

Motivation is still high! Here is the comedy: People are telling me I am too lean for this far out.........AKA.........Slow down man your condition is going to be better than ours lol. Thats how I'm taking it anyways. In my mind I am right on track!

I'm going camping next weekend with my girlfriend for 4 days. So I am going to have to pack one "BIG OLE COOLER" full of food and stay away from the smores. Which shouldn't be too much of a problem. One of my best friends is competing against me and I know that I am much stronger mentally when dieting and that is my edge. Every time I think I wanna cheat I am telling myself thats one more week of conditioning he might be ahead of me by. He kicked my ass before and I want it to be between him and I this time for 1st and 2nd. It's going to be a blast either way but I would love to have my arm raised.
However, seeing the massive improvements I have made already I am very happy with how my physique is turning out. And the push from all of you here is great!! Knowing I have brought my legs up enough for people to tell me they are my strong point makes me feel amazing!!

Just to give you an Idea In Jan 2009 I was around 183lbs my legs were 20.5"
Now we are July 2010 and they measure 24" at 166lbs

1 more week until serious crunch time......CAN'T WAIT!

[shredded_Tris]

I am getting so tired of waiting to go balls out to get my condition!
I am tired of Waiting for this Competition!
I want wings and Ice Cream pretty damn bad!

Here's my daily rant:
I Love the sport of bodybuilding more than most people could even imagine. It's a passion to me! It's kind of scarey to my other friends that compete when I can rhyme off every competitor over the last 5 years in pretty much Atlantic Canada AND which weight class they were in and what placing they made. I follow the pro shows as much as possible and I just love seeing unreal conditioning from top guys and guys coming in NEW and swiping away the favorites title.
I loved seeing Ben White do that last weekend, he was SICK!

Anyways the point is to be this passionate about something and devote my life to making myself better for this show for the last year and a half has been a blast but I am getting so anxious and impatient!! I want to be on that stage so so bad!!! I wish it would go faster! A year and a half is a long time to wait for something you love so much!

Plus I just want a treat!!! :P

[shredded_Tris]

So Today got better real fast! I am in the process of making my life much much easier and convenient for this show by buying an eliptical. Getting it for a Sick deal that I couldn't pass up.
This is great because I hated getting up at 4:30am getting dressed packing my food for the whole day along with towels and cloths going to the gym and then having to eat breakfast at the gym and go straight to work.

Now I can wake up around 6am :P do an hour of A.M. cardio on an empty stomach, prepare fresh eggs :P not cold ones. Eat and shower in the comfort of my own house.......THEN go to work.

I don't know why I didn't think of this sooner!

[steve_d]

I am getting so tired of waiting to go balls out to get my condition!
I am tired of Waiting for this Competition!
I want wings and Ice Cream pretty damn bad!


Hopefully your focus stays right through...On the one hand you sound ultra motivated, but saying things like you're tired of waiting, and wanting ice cream this far out. I hope you're not dieting too hard too early because those serious cravings only come within a month of the show (thankfully because a month of suffering is about as much as I can handle!)

[shredded_Tris]

Hopefully your focus stays right through...On the one hand you sound ultra motivated, but saying things like you're tired of waiting, and wanting ice cream this far out. I hope you're not dieting too hard too early because those serious cravings only come within a month of the show (thankfully because a month of suffering is about as much as I can handle!)

haha yeah no worries Steve I'm fine. I have always had a bad sweet tooth so thats normal for me. However I want to win far too much to let myself cheat

[slin_shady1]

wrong post guys, my bad

[shredded_Tris]

Alright!
Weekly update!! ********16 Weeks Out******

It's Go time! Jumped on the scale this morning weighing 164.2 lbs
Cardio gets bumped up as of today.
30 min morning cardio every day through the week with optional weekend cardio
+20 min post workout.

Routine for the next few weeks will be as follows:
-Diet is the same as stated before
-Monday 30 min morning cardio, Chest, abs, and 20 min post cardio
-Tuesday 30 min morning cardio, Back, 20 min post cardio
-Wednesday 30 min morning cardio, Legs
-Thursday 30 min morning cardio, Arms and 20 min post cardio
-Friday 30 min morning cardio, Shoulders, abs and 20 min post cardio
-Saturday optional 30 min to 1 hour depending on weight drop

I plan on being show ready 2 weeks out so this is the game plan and I will keep everything up to date. New Pictures will be in 2 weeks time and every second week after that until about 6 weeks out then I will post more.

I feel great today! Survived the weekend eating only 2 timbits extra and an apple....maybe 10 almonds and replaced one shake with a 210Cal Supreme Protein bar for a little treat.

So this is pretty much a 14 Week Prep with tweaking saved for the end if needed hopefully not. My hope is to just hit my best and not have to worry about crunching extra fat off in the last 2 weeks.

I will drop a little cardio if the weight starts coming off too fast or vice versa with Cal decrease

[shredded_Tris]

I wanted to post this too but I forgot....It blows my mind to know how much a persons weight can fluctuate from morning to night just from food and water intake. No word of a lie my weight fluctuates roughly 5 lbs from morning till night......No Wonder I have to piss in the middle of the night lol

[natenator]

same here. 5-8lbs

[steve_d]

I wanted to post this too but I forgot....It blows my mind to know how much a persons weight can fluctuate from morning to night just from food and water intake. No word of a lie my weight fluctuates roughly 5 lbs from morning till night......No Wonder I have to piss in the middle of the night lol

LOL...wait till it fluctuates 10 pounds. Wait till you pee at least 4 times in the night, and your night only lasts 4 hours.

5 pounds should be a typical fluctuation even not pre contest. I think if you aren't peeing during the night at least once, then you're probably not hydrated enough during the day.

[natenator]

LOL...wait till it fluctuates 10 pounds. Wait till you pee at least 4 times in the night, and your night only lasts 4 hours.

5 pounds should be a typical fluctuation even not pre contest. I think if you aren't peeing during the night at least once, then you're probably not hydrated enough during the day.
or some of us employ water cut offs to try and not piss 4-6 times a night :)

[steve_d]

or some of us employ water cut offs to try and not piss 4-6 times a night :)

I hear ya. My cut-off pre-contest was usually about 4-5pm, between then and bedtime I was drinking 1 litre max. Even now I tend to drink about 4 litres by noon, and basically drink like a "normal" person thereafter.

[shredded_Tris]

HAHA I hear you guys
After my workout I usually don't drink much more but I still piss at least twice throughout the night

[natenator]

It's funny, with the 2 morning workout sessions I've had I tend to get in upwards of 5L by noon. I drink about 750ml with my first meal before the gym and then about 2-2.5 during my workout and another 500 or so ml when I get home and eat my second meal so before I get to work I am already over 3L.

It's kinda nice :D

[shredded_Tris]

I found when I did that though I couldn't sit still at work I was going to the bathroom every 15 minutes. I like nights a little better in that sense

[Andre Gregoire]

I just wear a Depends while I sleep, can get them at Costco for pretty cheap if you buy large quantities. Don't need to worry about water cut-offs.

:troll

[Delt King]

I just wear a Depends while I sleep, can get them at Costco for pretty cheap if you buy large quantities. Don't need to worry about water cut-offs.

:troll

LMAO that's wrong on so many levels Andre

[shredded_Tris]

Ok I did a wicked chest workout last night and I am really starting to notice a difference. HOLY! New striations and lines are coming out and it's only the beginning.
I can't wait to post some new pics for you guys to check out

[shredded_Tris]

I've come to the conclusion that my chest F---ing sucks!!
I lifted heavy all off season and I built some mad new definition but my chest is still super small it seems. It looks great from the front but lacks hardcore from the side. I don't know what to do about this.
I focused on heavy bench incline and flat all off-season with barbell and dumbells, I did pullovers cable crosses you name it. This is so frustrating!!!

[ubcpower]

the 'shelf' look of the chest comes from mostly incline movements (upper chest). You dont really hear much about a bodybuilder being criticized for lack of lower chest development. i would focus on incline movements. but as you know, dieting isnt the best time probably to worry about this

[Andre Gregoire]

Bench Press is an awful movement for pecs, just look at powerlifters. Most have great front delts and thick trapz but rarely huge chests. Not to mention all the shoulder strain that flat bench can cause.

Most trainees that I see with a bad Chest usually have strong Delts and they end up using their shoulders on most Chest movements. Even Jay Cutler had this issue years ago.

You really need to arch your back big time, scapula down and retracted, chest high and only do the bottom 3/4 of the movement.

You would probably do really well with low-incline dumbell presses and decline bench press for your lower chest.

[Delt King]

You really need to arch your back big time, scapula down and retracted, chest high and only do the bottom 3/4 of the movement.


Perfect description of proper exercise performance. ^^

When i finally did this movement correctly my chest imroved big time over the course of three years.

I used to always (more than ten years) start with 2 incline pressing movements and my front Delts became so overpowering it just looked silly with a lagging chest.Now I prefer the flat bench first.

[shredded_Tris]

Bench Press is an awful movement for pecs, just look at powerlifters. Most have great front delts and thick trapz but rarely huge chests. Not to mention all the shoulder strain that flat bench can cause.

Most trainees that I see with a bad Chest usually have strong Delts and they end up using their shoulders on most Chest movements. Even Jay Cutler had this issue years ago.

You really need to arch your back big time, scapula down and retracted, chest high and only do the bottom 3/4 of the movement.

You would probably do really well with low-incline dumbell presses and decline bench press for your lower chest.


Perfect description of proper exercise performance. ^^

When i finally did this movement correctly my chest imroved big time over the course of three years.

I used to always (more than ten years) start with 2 incline pressing movements and my front Delts became so overpowering it just looked silly with a lagging chest.Now I prefer the flat bench first.

Thanks guys!
As you can sort of see in the pics my chest looks good from most front poses but I lose whatever side is closest to the audience in my side chest pose. I will try those movements. So do you think if I did a lot more decline it would help out or just try and focus on slight incline with the arch?

[Andre Gregoire]

It's really hard to give advice without seeing you lift in the gym.

In general I believe a low-incline dumbell press is probably the best movement for Chest and if I was limited to 1 exercise I would chose it. That being said, I have seen some guys have trouble getting a nice arch and keeping the Chest high on this movement so for them I would recommend trying a bit more incline or flat dumbells and see where your form is best and where your Chest feels the most engaged.

Above is my general recommendation for bringing up a weak Chest. After looking over your pics and your description, it seems like building up the lower chest area might help achieve the look that you want. Medium grip Decline Bar Bench to the nipple have a way of putting on a lot of mass quickly to the lower pecs, for most guy this isn't necessary but in your case it would help to make your Chest bigger quickly and fill in a lacking area.

I would do both movements twice per week if possible in your split and focus on really feeling the Chest work 8-12 reps and you will definitely have to lower your weight a bit to be able to stop the shoulders from taking over.

Also like UBC said above you can't bring up a weak point too much during contest prep but it never hurts to start training the muscle better.

[shredded_Tris]

It's really hard to give advice without seeing you lift in the gym.

In general I believe a low-incline dumbell press is probably the best movement for Chest and if I was limited to 1 exercise I would chose it. That being said, I have seen some guys have trouble getting a nice arch and keeping the Chest high on this movement so for them I would recommend trying a bit more incline or flat dumbells and see where your form is best and where your Chest feels the most engaged.

Above is my general recommendation for bringing up a weak Chest. After looking over your pics and your description, it seems like building up the lower chest area might help achieve the look that you want. Medium grip Decline Bar Bench to the nipple have a way of putting on a lot of mass quickly to the lower pecs, for most guy this isn't necessary but in your case it would help to make your Chest bigger quickly and fill in a lacking area.

I would do both movements twice per week if possible in your split and focus on really feeling the Chest work 8-12 reps and you will definitely have to lower your weight a bit to be able to stop the shoulders from taking over.

Also like UBC said above you can't bring up a weak point too much during contest prep but it never hurts to start training the muscle better.

Sounds Good Andre!
Yeah it def is my lower that is lacking. I will try that out for a while and see what happens. of course I know it wont do much until the show is over. but I might as well start now

[shredded_Tris]

So I just got back from a sweet vacation! 4 Days on the beach camping with my girl with perfect weather.
Had all of my meals packed in a cooler or 4 lol!! I can't believe how much shit we packed for food haha it was hilarious.
Got back yesterday and my last day off was completely bitch slapped by my cars inspection and registration. $500 later my vacation is over....A shitty end to it but hey.....the days before were fun

So my confessions for the trip weren't that crazy. I had an extra few bites of sausage and rice cakes here and there and substituted a few shakes for bars, and I still ended up being at a low yesterday morning of around 160lbs.

I'm sharpening up very nicely and I will hopefully be taking some progress pictures this weekend. As fun as camping was I am kinda glad we are home now, it is super tough watching people eat ice cream and chocolate constantly without being able to have any.

So I had the best potatoes last night for a little treat!

What I did was puree'd a bunch of cauliflower and 6oz. ofsweet potatoes and then covered them in butter spray. It was friggen delicious and the best part of it is I can have that every carb day, and on non carb days I can still have the caulliflower :D

Motivation is very strong at this point and cardio is at 2x30min sessions mon-fri and 30min-1hour of weekends (total) I'm starting to get vascularity on my rib cage and seratus as well as on my quads which I haven't had before.

Now I am just trying to pick my posing routine song

14.5 Weeks to go!!!!

[Praetorian]

Bench Press is an awful movement for pecs, just look at powerlifters. Most have great front delts and thick trapz but rarely huge chests. Not to mention all the shoulder strain that flat bench can cause.

Most trainees that I see with a bad Chest usually have strong Delts and they end up using their shoulders on most Chest movements. Even Jay Cutler had this issue years ago.

You really need to arch your back big time, scapula down and retracted, chest high and only do the bottom 3/4 of the movement.

You would probably do really well with low-incline dumbell presses and decline bench press for your lower chest.

That's because most people do the bench press incorrectly and then blame the exercise. If performed correctly the bench is one of the single best pectoral developers available.
P

[shredded_Tris]

OK BOYS I am officially addicted to coffee.
In all your opinions how much is too much at my stage. I am still losing just fine and I am having very little milk in them (maybe 2-3 milk per day) and all Calorie free sweetener. Should I back off.
They are really helping me through the hunger cravings

[Praetorian]

OK BOYS I am officially addicted to coffee.
In all your opinions how much is too much at my stage. I am still losing just fine and I am having very little milk in them (maybe 2-3 milk per day) and all Calorie free sweetener. Should I back off.
They are really helping me through the hunger cravings

No more then 2-3 per day.
P

[shredded_Tris]

Alright
Being that I have 14 weeks till show time and I feel I am more than on track I decided to give myself a much needed Treat :D....Reading DK's treat didn't help much haha
So here's what I had

-3 pieces of bread with jam on one and PB on the other 2
-1 Bag of Reese Bites
-4 Chocolate Whoppers
-1 mini Reese Cup
-1 piece of my GF's Chocolate bar
-1 oatmeal cookie
-strawberries
-1 apple

So I feel much better now and after a bit of cardio I am right back where I was and more motivated than ever!!

14 Weeks to go!!!

So I am going to be taking pictures very soon, I was going to do it today but my Girl can't get her camera. So very soon. I plan on also taking some measurements too, so we can compare to last time.

I must say I think my body LOVED me for giving it this treat. I was super vascular last night and full

[Delt King]

Alright
Being that I have 14 weeks till show time and I feel I am more than on track I decided to give myself a much needed Treat :D....Reading DK's treat didn't help much haha
So here's what I had

-3 pieces of bread with jam on one and PB on the other 2
-1 Bag of Reese Bites
-4 Chocolate Whoppers
-1 mini Reese Cup
-1 piece of my GF's Chocolate bar
-1 oatmeal cookie
-strawberries
-1 apple

So I feel much better now and after a bit of cardio I am right back where I was and more motivated than ever!!


LOL oh oh...don't follow my lead bro. i wouldn't have recommended that feast to any of my clients.
But seriously,
It's all good this far out though, actually it should be a planned thing generally once per week to once every ten days, to bring up dropping thyroid levels and to replenish glycogen stores.

[shredded_Tris]

LOL oh oh...don't follow my lead bro. i wouldn't have recommended that feast to any of my clients.
But seriously,
It's all good this far out though, actually it should be a planned thing generally once per week to once every ten days, to bring up dropping thyroid levels and to replenish glycogen stores.


Yeah I wasn't too worried about it :D
Crazy how much water I held the next day haha. I went all the way back up to 172lbs then back to 162lbs this morning :P Wild how much water a body can retain.

Back on track now though

Question for ya though D.K. What would you use for a refeed anyways. I wasn't really planning on doing anything like that but if it would benefit me I would be ok with it.

[Delt King]

Like the Keto cutters and Palumbo followers i prefer high carbs and low fat usually the final meal of the day on sunday. Stacks of Pancakes/waffles and syrup hit the spot very well.

Or pasta with sauce.

[shredded_Tris]

Like the Keto cutters and Palumbo followers i prefer high carbs and low fat usually the final meal of the day on sunday. Stacks of Pancakes/waffles and syrup hit the spot very well.

Or pasta with sauce.

I'm not doing Keto though Bro I'm doing carb cycling

Mon Wed Fri Sun Low Carbs
Tues Thurs Sat Higher Carbs

Any thoughts there

[Delt King]

I'm not doing Keto though Bro I'm doing carb cycling

Mon Wed Fri Sun Low Carbs
Tues Thurs Sat Higher Carbs

Any thoughts there

I'm a carb cycler myself and my original suggestions still stand.

[SupermanAramini]

I personally prefer pastas and pots/yams.

Soooo good :)

[shredded_Tris]

Alright So Tomorrow is when I start to get really serious with monitoring my progress and giving you guys a better idea of where I am at and when.
Tomorrow is officially 13 Weeks out and I plan to post all of my current measurements along with weight and hopefully a picture of each manditory pose. I have leaned up quite a bit since the last pictures I posted so it should be interesting to compare shots.
For now I can post what I am doing
Food is the same as before.

As of Monday Aug. 16th Workout Schedule is as follows:
Monday: AM Cardio on empty stomach 45min-1Hour
-Chest abs and calves at night with 45min-1Hour Cardio After

Tuesday: AM Cardio on empty stomach 45min-1Hour
-Back at night with 45min-1Hour Cardio After

Wednesday: AM Cardio on empty stomach 45min-1Hour
-Legs at night with 30min-1Hour Cardio After

Thursday: AM Cardio on empty stomach 45min-1Hour
-Arms at night with 45min-1Hour Cardio After

Friday: AM Cardio on empty stomach 45min-1Hour
-Shoulders abs and calves at night with 45min-1Hour Cardio After

Saturday: 1 hour of AM cardio on empty stomach

Sunday: Relax or maybe throw in 20min to 30 min cardio

All Cardio is still slow paced!
Can't wait to post tomorrows update and I am even more excited to see the pics and results from NATS!!! Almost more excited than I am for the Olympia haha

BEST OF LUCK TO ALL CBB COMPETITORS!! I would fire out some names but I would miss someone lol

[fathead]

thats an awful amount of cardio for 13 weeks out i would say... if your diet is tight i would think totally unnecessary

[btufts]

thats waaaay too much cardio for 13 weeks out, let the diet do as much as possible first before doing cardio. and at that i would only start with 20 minutes per day.

[shredded_Tris]

thats waaaay too much cardio for 13 weeks out, let the diet do as much as possible first before doing cardio. and at that i would only start with 20 minutes per day.

Well Guys from what I'm told from Prae you won't sacrifice muscle on slow cardio and he is the man! so if I drop too fast I will cut it back but this is the current plan I probably wont do that much it will be more like a total of probably 1.5 hours a day max but I'm going to do as much as I can

[shredded_Tris]

Alright so I have lots of pictures this morning. Quality is ok. They are a bit blurry but an improvement.
159.2lbs this morning and I will be taking measurements later on in the day cause I don't have my tape with me.
So here they are

[shredded_Tris]

Round two

[Praetorian]

Well Guys from what I'm told from Prae you won't sacrifice muscle on slow cardio and he is the man! so if I drop too fast I will cut it back but this is the current plan I probably wont do that much it will be more like a total of probably 1.5 hours a day max but I'm going to do as much as I can

The idea with cardio as well as supps such as clen, T3 etc is to start low and gradually increase it over time. This prevents the body from adapting to the increase in enery expenditure and keeps fat loss steady. Cardio will not result in muscle loss per se as long as your diet is tight but you dont want to start at 2 hours per day because that means by say 6 weeks out you will be doing 3 to 3.5 hours of cardio daily...not what anyone really wants or needs.
The basic idea of dieting is to do just enough to drop 2-3 lbs per week but no more...and to keep ths weight loss consistent over the 16 week period.
P

[shredded_Tris]

The idea with cardio as well as supps such as clen, T3 etc is to start low and gradually increase it over time. This prevents the body from adapting to the increase in enery expenditure and keeps fat loss steady. Cardio will not result in muscle loss per se as long as your diet is tight but you dont want to start at 2 hours per day because that means by say 6 weeks out you will be doing 3 to 3.5 hours of cardio daily...not what anyone really wants or needs.
The basic idea of dieting is to do just enough to drop 2-3 lbs per week but no more...and to keep ths weight loss consistent over the 16 week period.
P

Ok Cool Deal Prae I will keep it to two 30 minute sessions for now then
Thanks bro your always a great help. How do you think the progress looks anyways. I know my weakest show is back Lat for sure but so far I think I look pretty good for this far out

[fathead]

still too much

[shredded_Tris]

Man you can't say two 30 min sessions mon tues thurs fri and 30 min wed and saturday is too much thats what I'm doing now if my weight is dropping at the proper rate. It's not like I'm losing 5-10lbs a week

[ubcpower]

If you are 13 weeks out right now id adjust your diet to where you only are doing 1x30min session of low intensity cardio a day. Preferably in the a.m. Like Prae said, if you follow a general protocol of 10 min /week increase youll be up to over 3.5 hrs of cardio a day at the end. Why not let the diet do the work in the early stages.
On the other hand, if you dont mind doing excessive amounts of cardio it WOULD allow you to eat more i suppose.

[fathead]

problem is, like praetorian mentioned, 1.5 hours of cardio will not have the same effect on you 2 months from now as it would if you had worked your way up to it. your body will adjust to it and you will have no where to go. its like doing 3 grams of gear on your first cycle ever. then what?

[Praetorian]

Ok Cool Deal Prae I will keep it to two 30 minute sessions for now then
Thanks bro your always a great help. How do you think the progress looks anyways. I know my weakest show is back Lat for sure but so far I think I look pretty good for this far out

How many weeks to the show?
P

[natenator]

At 2 30min sessions/day it would take him 6 weeks to get to 1 hour 30 mins a d 12 weeks to get to 2 hours.

You're fine with 2 30 min sessions.

[Praetorian]

For 13 weeks out two 30 min sessions...once in the morning before eating and one post workout before eating is about perfect.
P

[shredded_Tris]

Wow! I have a new energy and motivation! Had a crazy chest workout yesterday. and after Seeing DK and Slin Shady and P22 in the NATS pictures I think I was just mentally lifted. Last week I felt week in both mind and strength. But Lookout! The Strength is back and I'm about to pull out the best conditioning of my life. I am already blown away with how my legs look. They never looked this good before.

[shredded_Tris]

For 13 weeks out two 30 min sessions...once in the morning before eating and one post workout before eating is about perfect.
P

So Prae, How should I increase my Cardio
Go up ten minutes a session each week until I hit 2 one hour sessions and stay there for a while or is there a better way.

So I mean
13 Weeks out (this Week)
30 min morning 30 min evening

12 Weeks out
40 min morning 30 min evening

9 Weeks
60 min morning 40 evening

7 Weeks
60 min morning 60 evening
and so on

[steve_d]

I think thats a bit much, but just my opinion...

[shredded_Tris]

I think thats a bit much, but just my opinion...

What is your recommendation Steve

[Delt King]

I wouldn't necessarily set the plan in stone but that could work. The idea is to only do enough to continue getting results. 2 hours a day of cardio for 7 weeks straight would kill me mentally. I was up to that much at one point in my prep yes but was able to back off and manipulate my diet and it worked better for me IMO.

[natenator]

what I would do:

start at 30 and 30 and add 5 mins to each session every 2 weeks.

Week 13/12: 30/30
Week 11/10: 35/35
Week 9/8: 40/40
Week 7/6: 45/45
Week 5/4: 50/50
Week 3/2: 55/55
Week 1: 60/60

But liek DK said it depends on where you're at conditioning wise. You may need longer at 2hrs/day or you may need to creep into 2+ hrs/day.

[shredded_Tris]

Thanks for the input guys. The plan was to keep adding unless I'm still losing at least a pound or two a week.

Do you guys know how tough it is to Accurately measure your own body fat %??
It would be great to know where I am at. I wouldn't even have a good guess at this point.

[natenator]

who gives a shit what your bf% is?

[shredded_Tris]

who gives a shit what your bf% is?

LOL You crack me up with your posts sometimes man.
It's a good gauge. If I knew that week to week It would give me a better Idea I think than the mirror.
And my Weight fluctuates 5-10lbs a day from day to night so..

[shredded_Tris]

Plus I just would like to know for fun.
BTW Nate I know you post on here a lot and it seems like you know a fair amount yourself. Have you ever competed?

[natenator]

BTW Nate I know you post on here a lot and it seems like you know a fair amount yourself. Have you ever competed?

Yes.

Knowing your bodyfat % is playing a numbers game. People who shoot for numbers usually fail against those who shoot for ultimate leanness regardless of what a scale or calipers say.

As Steve and P have said many times, when your worst bodypart is striatated then you know you're dialed in and ready to rock.

Don't focus on the machines buddy.

[Delt King]

Ultimately the bodyfat % means nothing when you get on stage. I would take pics once per week under the same conditions (lighting, distance to camera, same time in the diet, say every sat morning) then do a direct comparison from the previous weeks pics. The mirror lies, your friends lie and you lie to yourself to rationalize every decision. Do the pics, trust me.

[shredded_Tris]

Ultimately the bodyfat % means nothing when you get on stage. I would take pics once per week under the same conditions (lighting, distance to camera, same time in the diet, say every sat morning) then do a direct comparison from the previous weeks pics. The mirror lies, your friends lie and you lie to yourself to rationalize every decision. Do the pics, trust me.


Sounds like a plan DK
I'll keep posting them every week to two weeks. I am going to be moving in 2 weeks so they are going to change a bit but you guys will keep me straight I'm sure.
There is already a huge clear cut difference in my newest pics I find.

[Andre Gregoire]

I use bodyfat calipers with the 9 site equation, a scale, a mirror and pics when prepping.

A lot of guys don't like bodyfat but I see it as just another tool in your toolbox. When you start dieting it gives you an idea of how much weight you should lose total and aim to lose each week.

It's not the be all and end all but I don't get why so many people are against using it.

If I am 15% offseason and I want to compete at 5% then I know I have 10% to lose and half way through the prep I better be at 10% or that means I am late and it's time to step up my game.

I do however fully agree that you shouldn't rely only on that.

My 2 cents!

[steve_d]

Knowing your bodyfat % is playing a numbers game. People who shoot for numbers usually fail against those who shoot for ultimate leanness regardless of what a scale or calipers say.

As Steve and P have said many times, when your worst bodypart is striatated then you know you're dialed in and ready to rock.

Don't focus on the machines buddy.

Agreed 100%. It's almost better that you don't know (even just for fun). How many people I hear backstage saying "man this prep was sooo hard, I can't get leaner ... I been like 3% for the last 3 weeks. Can't get leaner. Meanwhile they are fat compared to what they should be.

oh and, PS: I think its what your worst part is striated it means you got 3 more grueling weeks of dieting - then you're ready :)

[steve_d]

Also, I favor a more drastic change in the last few weeks rather than a gradual build up all throughout. For example, I might gradually build up for the first part, but this might only be from about 30 mins at the start of the diet to about 1 hour of cardio with a few weeks to go. At that point I'll jump to 1.5 hours or something...Easier mentally for me to only do crazy cardio at the end, to get that last little bit of fat out.

[shredded_Tris]

So the last few weeks have been a roller coaster ride.
I moved in with my girlfriend the last week of August and have been CRAZY BUSY since then.
Which is why I haven't been posting and updating like I usually do and said I would closer to the competition.
Anyways, it's been a tough transition but after some good carbs and reese's peanut butter cups that I should not have had I am re-motivated EXTREMELY! I celebrated my 23rd birthday yesterday by tweaking my diet a little bit more. Hopefully the extra cleaning will help speed my fat burning rate a bit more.
However I am in better condition now than I ever have been on stage so the next 9 weeks should be quite fun to see.
I have vascularity all down my side lats and abs and I am shaping out quite nicely.

The Plan this weekend is to give you all an update on my weight, measurements, and lots of new pictures.

ONLY Thing is, what is everyones opinion on this: Would you get the best Idea of where I am at on Saturday morning. not having had carbs since Thursday evening and on an empty stomach ...........OR.......... Saturday late afternoon to the evening
I will be having sweet potatos and oatmeal on saturday so it will fill me out a bit.
I am super flat in the morning but look crazy at night so I don't know, maybe I will do it at night.

Anyways great to be back and hopefully I can get some encouragement from the crew here for the final grueling 9 Weeks from this coming Saturday.

[Delt King]

Take the pics when you think you look best.
So you went Keto? that's a major change not a tweak lol.

[shredded_Tris]

Take the pics when you think you look best.
So you went Keto? that's a major change not a tweak lol.

I didn't say I went Keto lol
I am still doing Carb Cycling
Tues Thurs Sat Carbs
Sun Mon Wed Fri no Carbs

The tweaking I did was replacing bread and banana with Oats on carb days for breakfast and I replaced some fruit with PB on non carb days in the AM. I am also replacing chicken with fish for my supper meal on non-Carb days.

[Delt King]

I didn't say I went Keto lol
I am still doing Carb Cycling
Tues Thurs Sat Carbs
Sun Mon Wed Fri no Carbs

The tweaking I did was replacing bread and banana with Oats on carb days for breakfast and I replaced some fruit with PB on non carb days in the AM. I am also replacing chicken with fish for my supper meal on non-Carb days.

Those are good tweaks, i like your style.

[shredded_Tris]

So here we are with 9 weeks to go and here is the update

I weighed 157.2lbs this morning and I feel awesome. My strength is still pretty good and aside from being tired throughout the day I feel great! Slightly moody of course lol

Measurements are as follows:

Arms = 15.25"
Chest = 41"
Waist = 30"
Quads = 22.75"
Calves = 15"
Shoulders = 48.5"
Forearms = 12"

I'm feeling pretty solid about the way things are looking at this point but I will leave it open to criticism of course :P So Let me know what you guys think. I'm getting super pumped. My Girl Brought me home lots of treats from NYC that I can't wait to bust into!!

So I am pretty much ready to go in all other aspects. Just have to figure out my posing routine. My song is edited and ready to go, I have my trunks and my dream tan, now I just have to get on the treadmill and wait it out lol. Anyways, the pictures are FINALLY Done loading so here you go

[Delt King]

Your conditioning is good for 9 weeks out. Some tweaks in posing here and there can help your placing. You're on the right track for sure. Keep hitting it!

[shredded_Tris]

Your conditioning is good for 9 weeks out. Some tweaks in posing here and there can help your placing. You're on the right track for sure. Keep hitting it!

Which poses are you thinking man

[Andre Gregoire]

Dramatic improvement since the last pics. You are looking right on target for 9 weeks out. This is where I like to be ideally in terms of bodyfat at this time.

You are half way there, keep it up.

[shredded_Tris]

Thanks Guys

So I have been having the worst sleeps of my life and I can officially say I am having trouble sleeping now. Steve you guys were right! Now hopefully the next FULL 9 weeks won't be this bad but it's been about 3 days now

[steve_d]

Thanks Guys

So I have been having the worst sleeps of my life and I can officially say I am having trouble sleeping now. Steve you guys were right! Now hopefully the next FULL 9 weeks won't be this bad but it's been about 3 days now

prepare for it to only get WAY worse...once it gets tough though, don't be afraid to add melatonin, or diphenhydramine. It's only temporary, so you won't build a huge tolerance...Just start slow and as needed.

You're getting quite lean. Looks good. In terms of posing, I actually thought you were hitting them all real good. rear bicep with your arms a bit higher might change the way it looks, but then again, each person has to pose it so that it displays themselves to their best.

[shredded_Tris]

prepare for it to only get WAY worse...once it gets tough though, don't be afraid to add melatonin, or diphenhydramine. It's only temporary, so you won't build a huge tolerance...Just start slow and as needed.

You're getting quite lean. Looks good. In terms of posing, I actually thought you were hitting them all real good. rear bicep with your arms a bit higher might change the way it looks, but then again, each person has to pose it so that it displays themselves to their best.

Thanks Steve,
I appreciate it! I work a lot on my posing and I can honestly say my only weak poses in my opinion are my rear poses, mainly my Rear Lat Spread.
Yeah I seem to be hardening up nicely though. my best most muscular seems to change from show to show but I tweak posing as I go usually.
I also read that Jasmine inscents helps almost as much as taking a sleeping aid. I might try that first to try and avoid taking the sleep aids altogether but you may be right I may have to if it gets worse.

[steve_d]

Thanks Steve,
I appreciate it! I work a lot on my posing and I can honestly say my only weak poses in my opinion are my rear poses, mainly my Rear Lat Spread.
Yeah I seem to be hardening up nicely though. my best most muscular seems to change from show to show but I tweak posing as I go usually.
I also read that Jasmine inscents helps almost as much as taking a sleeping aid. I might try that first to try and avoid taking the sleep aids altogether but you may be right I may have to if it gets worse.

I used to be against sleeping pills (non-prescription) simply because I thought I would end up depending on them...But after 3 days of eating normal after a show, I stop them cold turkey and sleep wonderfully.

I still do however only take the minimum I think I need.

[shredded_Tris]

Ok, Today is brutal! I am exhausted and STARVING! Thank God tomorrow is a Carb day. It seems like Monday is my most brutal day since it is the only time of the week where 2 non-carb days fall back-to-back Sun and Mon. It is going to be tough making it through these next 8.5 Weeks but Dammit I've come this Far.
I am in better shape now than ever before....even on stage.
I weighed in at my last show at 153lbs and Saturday morning I was 157.2lbs This is after a year and a half break.

I just need to find a way to keep my mind off food until my next meal.
HOT Green Tea for now and lots of water is making things only slightly less horrible.
I wonder How much more I am going to lose and change before the show

[natenator]

just curious: what improvements have you made since your last show?

[shredded_Tris]

just curious: what improvements have you made since your last show?

I'm not sure if this is a backhanded comment or a sincere one man but I will humour you. This low carb thing makes me take things wrong sometimes and I've come to know your personality on here. Hopefully you genuinly want to know

I have brought my legs up Immensely since last show, my delts are rounder my chest is fuller my abs are deeper I am more vascular I have a deeper Seratus. I could go on and on man. If you look at pictures from before my previous shows it's really easy to see. The biggest difference however is definitely in my legs and hams and thats from HARD ASS Work that I put in over the last year and a half.

[natenator]

I'm not sure if this is a backhanded comment or a sincere one man but I will humour you. This low carb thing makes me take things wrong sometimes and I've come to know your personality on here. Hopefully you genuinly want to know

I have brought my legs up Immensely since last show, my delts are rounder my chest is fuller my abs are deeper I am more vascular I have a deeper Seratus. I could go on and on man. If you look at pictures from before my previous shows it's really easy to see. The biggest difference however is definitely in my legs and hams and thats from HARD ASS Work that I put in over the last year and a half.
Ok cool. I honestly wanted to know if you made improvements.

I have younge friends who 'compete' but never really bring a different package from year to year other than being a bit leaner or drier and that mainly has to do with their unwillingness to lose the abs in the offseason so they can really put on some size.

Good on you for bringing up the body parts.

Oh and it if was an underhanded comment I would be just blunt. THAT is my personality. Not passive aggressive.

[shredded_Tris]

Ok cool. I honestly wanted to know if you made improvements.

I have younge friends who 'compete' but never really bring a different package from year to year other than being a bit leaner or drier and that mainly has to do with their unwillingness to lose the abs in the offseason so they can really put on some size.

Good on you for bringing up the body parts.

Oh and it if was an underhanded comment I would be just blunt. THAT is my personality. Not passive aggressive.

lol sounds good man haha
Yeah I definitely LIVED the bodybuilding life since my last show in April 09'
I forgot about the abs and played the lagging parts game going all the way up to 198lbs. Trust me bro I made sure that I changed. I'm with you on bringing the same shit every year and I'm not about it. I will try and find some pictures to post and compare.

[steve_d]

I wonder How much more I am going to lose and change before the show

You could lose and change ALOT. Or you could stay the same...All depends what you put into it. But remember what I said about dieting in the past. You could do all that work for nothing. Its not necessarily a good thing to get leaner if you start working off muscle. There becomes a point of no return where you will look leaner, yet lose muscle, and in the end look "equivalent" to the judges in terms of placings.

[shredded_Tris]

You could lose and change ALOT. Or you could stay the same...All depends what you put into it. But remember what I said about dieting in the past. You could do all that work for nothing. Its not necessarily a good thing to get leaner if you start working off muscle. There becomes a point of no return where you will look leaner, yet lose muscle, and in the end look "equivalent" to the judges in terms of placings.

How do you know when you are at that perfect point though man. I don't mind putting the work in but how do you truly know?

Just so everyone knows too my cardio is at 2x45 Min sessions now every day and I am still losing so I will up it a little bit when the losing slows again, but for now its working great

[steve_d]

How do you know when you are at that perfect point though man. I don't mind putting the work in but how do you truly know?

Just so everyone knows too my cardio is at 2x45 Min sessions now every day and I am still losing so I will up it a little bit when the losing slows again, but for now its working great

what I sort of meant was that there isn't really a perfect point - and that your fate in terms of what trophy you're going to get will likely not change from the way you look (in your case) about 4-5 weeks out until stage time. Obviously there are exceptions to this - you may end up being real close to the next guy, and in that case you may need to be just that little bit more ripped. But often times in smaller shows, its clear cut.

But what you should really do is diet to the way you feel YOU look awesome. You'll be able to tell. general rule is leaner is better. If you feel you look better losing 1 more pound of fat, lose it. At that point, if you feel there is another to lose, lose it...If I had to diet until I knew I was good enough to win, i'd never diet - (I had often been a lone competitor in my class)

The way I do it is that when I am lean enough, I psychologically am just ready to get it over with. I am happy with what I look like, and the extra crappyness I will feel to get leaner isn't worth the fraction of a pound leaner I get - and that fraction isn't even noticeable on stage. I honestly think that is how most people feel close to a show...For some that equates to a bit of abs, other that equates to striated glutes (and of course there are those that are never happy - I just can't imagine being in this sport if your never happy with how you look).

[shredded_Tris]

I would be lying right now if I said I wasn't exhausted and hungry right now lol.
I have never felt this depleated 8.5 Weeks out but I guess that goes to show I really wasn't lean enough in the past.
I am going to hit it on the button this time.

[shredded_Tris]

I just calculated my totals for the day and here's what they look like now roughly of course cause I based some numbers off of Calorie King Etc.

Sunday, Monday, Wednesday Friday are considered my low Carb days and the Breakdown is 2280 Cals

And Tuesday Thursday Saturday are higher carbs and the breakdown is 2030 Cals

[steve_d]

I just calculated my totals for the day and here's what they look like now roughly of course cause I based some numbers off of Calorie King Etc.

Sunday, Monday, Wednesday Friday are considered my low Carb days and the Breakdown is 2280 Cals

And Tuesday Thursday Saturday are higher carbs and the breakdown is 2030 Cals

when you say higher carb, are you still getting adequate protein/fats?

[shredded_Tris]

when you say higher carb, are you still getting adequate protein/fats?

it's roughly P=52.4%, C=41%, F=6.6% Higher Carb Day
and P=65.7%, C=25.9%, F=8.4% Lower Carb Day

[steve_d]

might need a bit more fat. 6-8% is only about 150 calories of your day which equates to less than 20g fat.

I would guess most people get that much even from eating fat free foods!

Actually, 25% of 2000 calories is still over 120 grams of carbs. That would be a high carb day in my mind. 41% you're actually getting 200grams plus! The reason I point this out, is because in order to get the adequate protein and fat, while still being low calorie, the calories you take from are carbs, and tends to bring you right down under 100 grams everyday.

[shredded_Tris]

might need a bit more fat. 6-8% is only about 150 calories of your day which equates to less than 20g fat.

I would guess most people get that much even from eating fat free foods!

Actually, 25% of 2000 calories is still over 120 grams of carbs. That would be a high carb day in my mind. 41% you're actually getting 200grams plus! The reason I point this out, is because in order to get the adequate protein and fat, while still being low calorie, the calories you take from are carbs, and tends to bring you right down under 100 grams everyday.

It shouldnt be too too bad cause the actual numbers are
Low Carb is 289.5g Protein, 114.1g Carbs, 37.3g Fats

And of course a lot of those carbs come from Just Brocolli for example roughly 90g per day

Higher Carb is 269.1g Protein, 210.3g Carbs, 34.1g Fats

[steve_d]

It shouldnt be too too bad cause the actual numbers are
Low Carb is 289.5g Protein, 114.1g Carbs, 37.3g Fats

Higher Carb is 269.1g Protein, 210.3g Carbs, 34.1g Fats

sounds decent. It might be hard to continue losing, and eventually you'll have to cut those carbs lower. but good to keep as high as possible for as long as your losing. I don't follow a keto diet to a tee or anything, but 4-5 weeks out, you'll rarely see me eating a complex carb. This year was a different story, too lean too soon, but it just allowed me to have a weekly cheat.

[shredded_Tris]

sounds decent. It might be hard to continue losing, and eventually you'll have to cut those carbs lower. but good to keep as high as possible for as long as your losing. I don't follow a keto diet to a tee or anything, but 4-5 weeks out, you'll rarely see me eating a complex carb. This year was a different story, too lean too soon, but it just allowed me to have a weekly cheat.


Yeah Like I said since 90g roughly is Brocolli then I am really only consuming small extras.

Like 25g extra on non carb days which is including EVERYTHING IE Peanut butter etc.

and on my carb days my only carbs are 3/4 cup oats and 12 oz sweet potato

[shredded_Tris]

I am thinking when we get closer I may just take out a carb meal here and there like take out 6oz sweet potato 3X/week

[shredded_Tris]

7 Weeks out and couldn't be more ready for all this to take shape on stage. People are complimenting me a lot about my conditioning at this point and telling me my face is getting bone dry lol.

Anyways I was 154.6lbs this morning and continueing to press on each day. All I can do is bring my best and Dammit I am trying some hard. This is the hardest I have EVER worked for a show!! Lots of Determination is going into this one! Stay tuned!!

Here are some pics.

[shredded_Tris]

Pics were taken this morning before food or cardio

[Andre Gregoire]

:yeah Doing great, keep it up, almost there.

[Delt King]

Looking on the mark for 7 weeks out. Gotta be careful now balancing fat loss and stripping muscle while bodyweight drops. Sometimes dropping more and more weight will make you look worse not better.
Keep it going though! Eye of the tiger man!

[shredded_Tris]

Well, Early Morning update! Things are right on track! I feel AMAZING!! Diet has been modified once again and I feel like I got a competition Second wind! Aside from my Calfs Cramping EVERY SINGLE NIGHT......MULTIPLE TIMES lol I Feel Great!! Even Cardio seems to be getting easier now. I found a little trick, put the Eliptical in front of the TV and Chuck on some Playstation haha. AND the best part is I seem to sweat more and get a better HR because I am balancing and not holding the hand pieces.
Anyways, From here on out I am in EXPERT hands and pics will be posted at least once a week.

[shredded_Tris]

Alright guys!!
6 Weeks out and it's been another really successful Week
Last week I was 154.6lbs
This Week down to 153.4lbs

I feel Great. Just waiting on my calves and glutes now mostly. Everything else is coming in nicely.
Vascularity is Insane at night!

I Cannot Friggen wait to eat The Worlds Largest Reese's Peanut Butter Cup when this is over! :D :D

I Can do anything for 6 weeks!! Home Stretch!!

OH And I got the Best news EVER!!! I heard of at least 4 people so far aside from me doing the lightweight class. Fingers crossed for a big class boys!!!!

F*$% I'M EXCITED!!!

[shredded_Tris]

Just wish I could have flexed my hams and glutes a bit more but everything from the waist down from the back is cramping like mad!!

[Evolution31]

Looking shredded brah.

Who's doing your diet for you?

[shredded_Tris]

Looking shredded brah.

Who's doing your diet for you?

Thanks bro
I was doing it up until last week
Prae is looking after me now from here on out

[shredded_Tris]

Well Boys we are in the Home stretch and I couldn't be happier for this to be over! I am enjoying all the progress and constantly getting complimented about my conditioning. But I want to have a treat some bad! I am working with Prae now though officially from a few weeks back so I really want to show him what I can do so it's much easier to stay away from the junk.
Only 38 Days left and I have never worked so hard for anything in my life!
I just found out the other day that there will be at least 5 of us in the lightweight class as of now and thats only counting 2 Cities out of at least 5. So I am pumped! I know that there is NO WAY anyone wants this as bad as I do and I have been focused on this goal 200% From April 18th 2009 until today when I remain more focused than ever!!

STRIATED GLUTES AND GIANT REESE CUP HERE I COME SOON ENOUGH!!! I am not only going to make myself proud from this show but hopefully I can inspire others in the process.
Well thats my tired rant for the day....Back to work I guess

Pic and weight updates to come Saturday Morning

[Big D]

hey man you look awesome great work, you should do great on stage, lets just hope the judges are on your side.

[cprom185]

Keep up the good work. Are you natty?

[Big D]

Keep up the good work. Are you natty?

what difference does it make, he's still giving 110%

[cprom185]

what difference does it make, he's still giving 110%

Umm I was just asking. Because if he said he is all natural I am extremely impressed with his progress.

[shredded_Tris]

Well Boys I couldn't be more excited!!!
I am blowing my Previous years conditioning sky high out of the water and I just found out that our Class so far if nobody drops out now has """""""7"""""""" Guys in it. And They are all GREAT Competitors!!!

Prae is definitely getting me in the shape I need to be in and I am noticing changes all the time.

I'm getting exactly what I asked for! This is probably going to be the biggest lightweight class the NB's has ever seen. NO JOKE!!

I Didn't hold anything back for this one boys and I don't plan on holding anything back for the next 37 Days. F$&# the Hunger........F@#& The Cravings......and the Cardio will be my Bitch!!!

Sure I feel like Hell right now
But......BRING IT ON!!!! and once this is oveer I can treat myself like I Deserve to be treated.

Wait till you guys see this class. It's going to be nuts!!
Weight this morning is down again :D I'll give you the real update on Saturday like usual

[Andre Gregoire]

With that attitude I am sure the last few weeks will be easy. Give them hell. Looking forward to your Saturday update.

[shredded_Tris]

AND P.S.
My Biggest competition is out eating a big ass ice cream cake as we speak :P
He is a genetic freak at like 5'-1" or something like that currently sitting around 155lbs.

Genetic Freak or not Cake can only Hurt his conditioning :D
He is one of my best friends but I definitely wanna beat him. It would Be a HUGE accomplishment for me.

[shredded_Tris]

With that attitude I am sure the last few weeks will be easy. Give them hell. Looking forward to your Saturday update.

Thanks Andre,

It's nice having the support of you guys.
Nice and eraly she'll be posted Saturday.
I'de say before 10am hopefully

[nitrous]

i'm really impressed with the progress you made in this thread.. good luck

[shredded_Tris]

i'm really impressed with the progress you made in this thread.. good luck

Thanks man I appreciate it! I've worked my ass off for this show for a year and a half and I'm really hoping the hard work shows in the end.

BTW Everyone! Confirmed 8 Competitors incl. Me So Far!!!
Holy Shit!!!! Biggest Lightweight class I will have ever witnessed in NB.

[shredded_Tris]

Alright Gentlemen!!!

5 Weeks out!!
This weeks weight is 151.4lbs
Last Week 153.4lbs

Feeling Tired But Great!! I will give a more in depth post later lol I am in a rush now but here are the updated pics from this morning no food or anything. No Pump either!!

Very happy with this weeks progress. Glutes and hams are starting to come in better and quads are definitely sharpening up.

I may be taking some in-gym pics tonight I will post em up if I do. Maybe a video too not sure yet

[shredded_Tris]

one more

[fathead]

lookin good.

what type of room tidying protocol does prae have you following? you may want to tweak it cause its not working too well...

[steve_d]

room looks pretty clean for 5 weeks out if you ask me!

[shredded_Tris]

Thats the spare room where my Girlfriend keeps all her crafts and stuff lol
Trust me this is a pretty clean time haha

[Andre Gregoire]

I agree nice progress since last week. As your waist gets smaller every thing starts to look better. Keep it up.

[shredded_Tris]

Well boys I don't know how to deal with this.
I feel like a sack of SHIT!
Stressed out like hell at work cause we are WAY to busy and I'm ****ing hungry
This is brutal!

[Andre Gregoire]

I feel your pain, in 2004 while prepping for a show I was doing tech support in a high pressure call center, working rotations of days, evenings and weekends and always training and eating at different times plus dealing with pissed off customers.

Solution = get a better job...ha ha ha seriously that's the long term solution.

In the short term I focused on managing stress and being extra patient at work because I was cranky because of my own chosen actions.

What helped in managing stress was to take less stimulants during work, have a written down schedule so I felt totally in control of my time and try to go for walks outside on breaks while listening to relaxing music.

Truth is it sucks ass and there is no easy fix for it just hang in there and be tough.

[Delt King]

Well boys I don't know how to deal with this.
I feel like a sack of SHIT!
Stressed out like hell at work cause we are WAY to busy and I'm ****ing hungry
This is brutal!

This is where the heart of champions are made. The better your condition, the worse you feel. You're getting to the final stages, take things one meal at a time, one workout at a time, one day at a time. Take some deep breaths when you're stressed and don't let it throw you off. Hang in there and know that you're not the only one who's done this successfully, you're in good company as part of the elite if you finish this off and kick butt.

[shredded_Tris]

Thanks for the continuous encouragement guys!
I was having a temporary melt down yesterday. I feel much better today. I just felt like I was over my head at work but after putting in a 13.5 hr day yesterday I realized....you know what. All I can do is try and if I don't get things done on time nobody can blame me when I am putting in extra hours to try.

It's really just work that I was worried about. Truthfully the diet and training is going pretty good I think. I haven't cheated yet although I am hungry as shit! I know however I am almost there and I have come so far to mess up now! Just need to get through 17 more work days including today then I am on vacation. Then it's a breeze through to the show.
My workouts are crap and I am super weak and tired but I am pluggin through and hope to look my best. I know Prae is a friggen genious and I totally trust him so it's all good.
You guys seem like pretty cool chill guys though. Too bad we couldn't hit a buffet and some drinks sometime haha. Hey if your ever in the maritimes though

Anyways, more updates to come Saturday!! I haven't checked my weight since last Saturday morning but I have a feeling it's definitely down again this week.

[pcruiser73]

Your doing great. If Prae is dialing you in you have nothing to worry about. I compete this Saturday and Prae has got me right on track, best Ive ever looked. The last 3 weeks is where its at, it all comes together nicely! You will be pleasantly suprised at how great you are going to look properly dialed in. cheers

[razorsedge]

Hang in there. Remember all your competition are going thru the same thing. You're in the hard short strokes now and this is where your discipline and drive will make the diff. Some of your competition will waiver and that will be the difference on ur big day. When you step on stage, you will know that you did all you could...you don't want to be second guessing yourself. You have done an awesome job and we all appreciate the time you have taken to let us follow along...P will have you ready and confident and you will carry that on stage and judges will note it....keep up awesome work. We're all pulling for you.

[shredded_Tris]

Alright Boys I made it through another one thankfully cheat free!!

We are 4 Weeks out and here are the updates:

Last weeks weight = 151.4lbs
This Week = 149.2lbs WOW!!

I feel great this morning and I feel like I'm tightening up quite nicely. I'm interested to here what Prae has to say today.

Here are some pics From this morning on an empty stomach with no cardio and NO PUMPING up at all. rolled out of bed and posed lol

I am at a Whole new level and this will be my best and most competitive show yet!!!! BY FAR!!

I appreciate all the continued support and encouragement from you guys here! It is making all the difference

It's funny though I never thought I would be this light haha But people are all guessing my weight around 175lbs so thats good!

[Delt King]

Your conditioning is looking very good. You will be shredded for sure. How tall are you?

[shredded_Tris]

and here are some more pics from this morning same time I just messed up the first reply lol

[shredded_Tris]

Your conditioning is looking very good. You will be shredded for sure. How tall are you?

5'-7" I posted some front pics now too

[gregdoucette]

too bad there is no bantam weight class for ya. People always and I mean always underestimate how much weight they can lose. The pics at 175 I saw bantamweight right away. 154 would have only been a 20 lbs loss. I am very lean for an offseason and would still lose more then 20 lbs to compete.

[shredded_Tris]

too bad there is no bantam weight class for ya. People always and I mean always underestimate how much weight they can lose. The pics at 175 I saw bantamweight right away. 154 would have only been a 20 lbs loss. I am very lean for an offseason and would still lose more then 20 lbs to compete.

Yeah the thing about our shows now is though in order to make them more competitive we don't even have a welter class either

Lightweight is 160lbs and under
Middleweight 160.5-180lbs
LightHeavy is 180.5lbs to I believe 198
then heavy is 199lbs and over

I don't know how long I would end up going but isnt Bantam like 144 or something like that. Thats still a big drop from morning dry 149lbs.

I am excited though because so far there are about 8 guys in the lightweight class and it will give me a chance to see how I look and stand up next to a guy that is about 15lbs heavier than me.
I feel confident and excited this year so we will see.
BRING IT! 4 Weeks to go

[shredded_Tris]

So I have been having pretty shitty sleeps lately and theres lots of cramping going on in my legs and glutes and calves.
One thing is for sure though. I went to take a piss at about 11pm last night and I had the sickest road map up my mid-section and arms. I looked HARD as Nails. I wanted to get a pic but I was too damn tired. Wish I looked like that all day.
I put a little too much salt on my eggs before bed. Must have been the culprit. Holy crap salt makes me some vascular!

I'm quite impressed with the progress thus far. Now I just have to keep going through the motions for a few more weeks and try and make time between 10-13hr work days to tan some more and I should be good lol.

[steve_d]

Yeah the thing about our shows now is though in order to make them more competitive we don't even have a welter class either

Lightweight is 160lbs and under
Middleweight 160.5-180lbs
LightHeavy is 180.5lbs to I believe 198
then heavy is 199lbs and over

I don't know how long I would end up going but isnt Bantam like 144 or something like that. Thats still a big drop from morning dry 149lbs.

I am excited though because so far there are about 8 guys in the lightweight class and it will give me a chance to see how I look and stand up next to a guy that is about 15lbs heavier than me.
I feel confident and excited this year so we will see.
BRING IT! 4 Weeks to go

my morning dry 4 weeks out was 167, I weighed in at 162 while carbing up. It's not a long ways to go. 4 weeks out dry is nothing like on stage dry!

[shredded_Tris]

my morning dry 4 weeks out was 167, I weighed in at 162 while carbing up. It's not a long ways to go. 4 weeks out dry is nothing like on stage dry!

I guess I am just already blown away by my condition and weight Steve lol
I have never been in the 140's. 153 is the lowest I have weighed in at before and that was a year and a half muscle less ago lol

[pcruiser73]

Yup same here, I thought for sure when I started the journey I would be on stage at around 195 at least. I ended up at 182.5 Just for reference I was 190.5 four weeks out. However I was not as lean as you at this point. Your body will do some amazing changing in the last week itself, especially the last 3 days.

[shredded_Tris]

Yup same here, I thought for sure when I started the journey I would be on stage at around 195 at least. I ended up at 182.5 Just for reference I was 190.5 four weeks out. However I was not as lean as you at this point. Your body will do some amazing changing in the last week itself, especially the last 3 days.

Yeah I am very anxious to see the last changes. I have always messed up the final week in the past.
Plus I have never been this lean
And I have never used diuretics before either.
Should be interesting!

[Big D]

is that lady speed stick on your dresser ?

[steve_d]

by the 1 week out point, you'll probably be another couple pounds lighter, at 147 in the morning, you'll easily lose another 2-4 pounds on top of it no matter how dry you feel already. The thing is, you go to bed, and you're probably peeing all night. By the time you wake up you start drinking and eating again...just imagine if you slept in until 11, another couple hours, another couple pounds, and that's without diuretics, sodium manipulation, or anything. But yes, the leaner you are, the less the last couple days will do to your scale weight - but it still means a few pounds minimum.

[shredded_Tris]

is that lady speed stick on your dresser ?

Lol my secret is out I guess
Seriously though all the female jewelery and shit and you see the deodorant haha.
It's our spare room where my GF puts all her stuff. It just has the best lighting and mirrors haha

[shredded_Tris]

by the 1 week out point, you'll probably be another couple pounds lighter, at 147 in the morning, you'll easily lose another 2-4 pounds on top of it no matter how dry you feel already. The thing is, you go to bed, and you're probably peeing all night. By the time you wake up you start drinking and eating again...just imagine if you slept in until 11, another couple hours, another couple pounds, and that's without diuretics, sodium manipulation, or anything. But yes, the leaner you are, the less the last couple days will do to your scale weight - but it still means a few pounds minimum.

Thats true man I suppose.
Hey Steve I know you have a lot of problems with cramping too. Do you find the week of the show when you slow the training down and heal up a bit that it goes away at least a bit when you pose and stuff. Also I imagine easing off the cardio helps too. My legs are really starting to kill

[shredded_Tris]

Rough couple of days!
Yesterday I was Bung'd up like you wouldn't believe for some reason. Took a little magical Extra Strength Ex-Lax and feeling a lot better now today.
But I am getting worse and worse pain on the undersides of my feet. All this calf working and cardio is really killing my feet.....not sure what to do about that.

[shredded_Tris]

Ok no joke guys....I was just in the lunchroom at work and got approached by an older gentlemen that I haven't seen in a few months and he walks up to me and straight up asks me and I quote "So do you have cancer or something, you have lost a ton of weight and your face looks really...whats the word....Gaunt?"
I laughed pretty hard at that.

[steve_d]

Thats true man I suppose.
Hey Steve I know you have a lot of problems with cramping too. Do you find the week of the show when you slow the training down and heal up a bit that it goes away at least a bit when you pose and stuff. Also I imagine easing off the cardio helps too. My legs are really starting to kill

I find it doesn't go away, it just gets worse. Actually, leading up to a show I rarely have cramping, aside from a few calf cramps, or toe cramps in the middle of the night...It really depends on the amount of water / sodium I had. more water, less sodium and I cramp like there is no tomorrow. Thats why I find the cramping gets worse the day before the show. Thursday I am great - no cramps. Friday, morning, great, 2 hour later, cramp city. pricisely 2 hours after what I normally would have had tuns of sodium for breakfast. This is regardless of water intake. water doesn't help or hurt my cramping. My cramping could be totally different reasons than yours though...but IF you get to the point on friday where you don't think you'll be able to compete because of the cramping (trust me, you'll know) - make sure you have some salt handy. whether its a jar of pickles, some extra salty rice cakes, anything...

Also, sitting down, and trying to sleep is the time cramping will start - so be prepared for little to no sleep friday night. So if you can sleep thursday night, sleep as much as you can!


Ok no joke guys....I was just in the lunchroom at work and got approached by an older gentlemen that I haven't seen in a few months and he walks up to me and straight up asks me and I quote "So do you have cancer or something, you have lost a ton of weight and your face looks really...whats the word....Gaunt?"
I laughed pretty hard at that.


You know you're ready when people think you got cancer. That's the right look for a bodybuilder a week or 2 out. If you're face looks healthy, and your smiling - then you're not ready.

[Praetorian]

"You know you're ready when people think you got cancer. That's the right look for a bodybuilder a week or 2 out. If you're face looks healthy, and your smiling - then you're not ready. "


I like how you think Steve!
P ;o)

[shredded_Tris]

Yeah I thought it was kinda fitting haha
considering from the neck up I do look pretty shitty right now haha.
Otherwise though Prae is gonna have me pretty chiseled!

[shredded_Tris]

I NEED to find a way to get my mind off of food!!! it's all I can think about. All day I just browse through recipes and pictures like a friggen crack addict or something!!
IT'S KILLING ME!!! but the sad thing is I just can't stop! I want food so bad it's disturbing. I noticed every time I think about food I start chewing my finger nails my fingers literally all have blood on them right now! This is Friggen Brutal!!

[thetruepitbull]

I'm no pro at this, but I've dieted myself down 4 years in a row and every year I crack once.

Don't take my advice as anything more than a matter of opinion.

I have the same issue as you and the thought of food increases as you diet longer, excercise harder, cardio in greater duration, drop your cals, eat the same shot everyday, etc....and the only reason I'm replying to this is because it's about food.

I had my re-feed day last Friday. 1000g carbs pancakes, bagels, ff frozen yogurt, candy and such. Saturday I was feeling really low again, poor Attitude, cold as a mofo, weak as as possible, couldn't think, walk, or talk properly.

Well, Sunday rolls around and I go to the gum do 30min of light cardio and plan to take the day off and just stretch, bump up healthy fats, add a little more protein, etc... Well....that lasted until 10am.

That's when I had a full on cheat day. My first one for the duration of my diet. At that time I was 3 weeks and 6 days out from my show. 12 hours later and 10k calories later I got all of my cravings out of my system and jumped on the diet the following day.

Went up only 3lbs. And now am down 0.albs from last week and still have 2 days of dieting left before I am 3 weeks out.

I took this day as a psychological break, a metabolism boost and a practice for my junkload.

Just my opinion, but cheating, which is what I officially did cause it wasn't planned will not harm 16 weeks or so of dieting. If I was pro I might be able to handle everything that comes along with dieting but I am not.

Do what you seem fit to do. But I truly feel this helps.

Get more opinions and responses though. Do your research, assess yourself physically, and psychologically and decide what needs to be done.

You could also try bumping up healthy cals, backing off training a bit or just suck it up and deal with it.

Good luck with the contest.