2012 Provincials - My Wife and I - East Coast Edition!

So this lingering 24 hour thing has not kept me out of the gym, but it certainly has me begging for mercy during the night time cardio! 1.5mph on a full incline was basically too much to handle. Now that is weak! Obviously a little tiredness setting in, but nothing I would not have expected! Had a good leg workout yesterday - first time I had 4 plates a side since my back injury. I've found that what hurts it the most is leg pressing no matter how much I tweak the angle of the back pad or no matter how 'not deep' I go in the lift, I simply can't get the legs under the leg press without causing some serious sciatica problems for the next week or so. Squatting only moderately effects the sciatica apparently, so I am sticking to that. No complaints here! I love being able to continue to squat heavy. I think its key.

Not only that, I was able to get some decent conventional deadlifts in the other day too. I only made it to 3 plates a side, but it was simply another experiment to see how ready I was to start going back to my 'roots'. Should be good to go for the next few weeks at least - until the serious dieting takes over and limits those power movements more and more as things get closer. I expect to get a workout in with my wife again today in the city as I am pretty sure we have my sister in law stepping in for a quick babysit. Always makes training funner when she's around.

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Steve...do you know anyone or have access to an inversion table...or even gravity boots. Short sessions inverted will help dramatically with your lower back issue, in fact, it may alleviate it totally. You're obviously impinged somewhere and the gravity pull when inverted will help to stretch or open the impingement for temporary relief and aid in the healing process...silly as it sounds it works

I'll have to look into it. I had this same issue during my last prep (on my other side) and one day it simply just got better. I am weird like that, lol. But you're right - even hanging from a chin up bar helps with it. Or laying on the hamstring curl machine with just a slight pull against the legs. It feels like I just need to pull the spine apart a bit.

ART definitely has helped quite a bit too - Otherwise I wouldn't be even able to walk to the gym let alone work out as hard as I do :)

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Originally Posted by steve_d

I'm on the left, just trying to hang in there with the big bro!

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Good job Steve, major props! Watch out Greg, it won't be long...

Great comparison pics Steve! Pretty neat how close in structure the two of you are

Hey guys... I must say, this diet is REALLY taking its toll on my body. I would have to say this has been the hardest prep I have ever had and it's really hard to stay motivated at times. For the last 5 days now, I have not been able to sleep more than a couple hours at night. This has all to do with nerve pain that is running down my leg. 90% of the time I cannot feel my entire heel, and half of my foot. That's the good part. My hamstring feels as though its constantly being strained when I sit down. Needless to say, I can't work normally considering I have an office job in front of a computer. My solution is that I rotate 5-10 minutes sitting, 5-10 minutes standing while I am at work. It helps the pain a little. I've seen the chiro and this is not a disc issue. I have nerves trapped under scar tissue that has been built up in a few spots under my glutes and hamstrings. Getting leaner seems to aggravate it. My theory is I just don't have as much lubrication around all my tissues. It generally slowly goes from absolute hell in the morning, to barable by the time I go to bed - so I am thinking keeping my fluids up and not allowing myself to get too dehydrated will help alleviate some of my symptoms.

On a positive note. Work outs are not being affected by this pain. While I am moving, the pain is hardly noticeable. Sure, the workouts are tough simply because I am low carb, etc...Which is to be expected, but the gym time is still my favorite time of day! I will continue having cheat meals for the next few weeks as I am way ahead of pace. I basically could compete this weekend and be leaner and much larger than I was in my last 2 shows 2 years ago. I have come quite far and its hard to 'half-ass' it from here on out. So I will continue to give it my all and I am hoping it will all pay off in the end.

ALSO... On an even more positive note - both Ange and I have renewed our Cygen contracts! We are so happy to be part of the company. We literally go through a 30-day supply of anabolic link (BCAAs) between the two of us every 4 days now. 2 pounds of isolate lasts us about the same. So it is definitely a help to have a great sponsor help us along the way!! Will post photos very soon.

Sorry to hear about the nerve pain issue, it must make this whole prep that much harder.

Gotta love that sponsorship....I would be having my fill of whey and BCAAs too...:)

Hang in there...sounds brutal especially down the leg. I know some guys who had similar stuff go on and as they got a bit leaner (you aren't going too much more) it passed so like you it came on at a certain level bf and passed as he got leaner still...thats a best case....his was in upper outer lats though..

I hope you're wrong about the getting leaner, because I can't really get much leaner :)

Pics to come...

Good stuff Steve, look forward to pics!!! Keep driving man, and hope to see Anges update as well....Congrats on the continuing sponsorship!!