EPIC REFEED & 8 Weeks Out - 2014 INBA Inland Empire Classic!

Focused on building them legs morning of EPIC refeed day

 Post donut on EPIC refeed day -- feeling like a million bucks walking around World Market

Bloated from the aftermath of 6000 calories -- I'M READY FOR SHREDSVILLE!

 8 Weeks Out!  2014 INBA Inland Empire Classic! 

With my next competition in focus, I have decided to do an EPIC refeed.  This is no normal refeed of 3000-3500 calories as I've normally done.  This one was 6000 calories -- behemoth!  Why so much?  Why am I putting myself through this?  The pending mutli-day bloat, discomfort, and possible fat gains--why, oh, why?!  The answer is pretty complex, but the simple answer is "mental health."  Sure, a 6000 calorie day, to my standards, is gluttonous.  There is no excuse from me!  It is definitely gluttonous, and though I am a firm believer of life balance, this was a necessary experience for me as I have been essentially dieting for my last show from April 2013 to early December 2013.  I've never eaten so many calories in a day before.  I've done a 5000 calorie day to celebrate my last show's success, and since I've been reverse dieting from that day until today, I felt I needed something else to spark enthusiasm and motivation to begin another round of dieting.  Thus, I made a deal with myself...

Last Saturday, I told myself, "you can have a 6000 calorie refeed day--no macros counting, just calories; but I will immediately begin my contest prep diet the day after at 8 weeks out."  I didn't aim to hit any macro numbers, but I still logged everything that I ate.  These were my totals at the end of my EPIC refeed day:

253g protein
958g carbs
160g fat

I ate deliciously, and in a savage-like manner.  Nothing was safe from being devoured by me--peanut butter & banana donuts, Pop Tarts (ate 8 of them!), Flame Broiler chicken plate, Chipotle burrito, quesadillas, just to name a few....  It was awesome!  The next morning, I woke up and was approximately 6 lbs. heavier, bloated from carb overload, water retention, and high sodium intake,... it was insane.   It definitely put my mind focused on getting back into contest prep.  I woke up ready and hungry to get back on a strict regimen to bring an even more conditioned package for my next show.  Call this what you want, but I see it as a "take a step back to take 2 steps forward" strategy.  Some things you just can't quantify, but one thing is for certain, doing things organically and doing what feels right could be the best decision you make.  I'm sure I put on a big of fat, too, but it's a small price to pay to fire up the motivation that will carry me through the next 8 weeks.

Coming off my #FREEDOMPhase Reverse Diet Plan, I will begin with the following macros set at 2500 calories.  The macros below are set as a guideline but I will adjust accordingly each day based on gut reaction and feeling:

180g protein
335g carbs
50g fat

Training will involve more volume than previous plans to increase caloric burn with less cardio. 

And so..., it begins!

Fun @ The Mecca Gold's Gym Venice With New Friends, #FREEDOMPhase Reverse Diet Update, & 2014 Competition Plan!

We're great at taking Selfies... but we suck at Groupies!

Didn't realize our fingers look like they're touching... @TheFitBoss & Me are trying to turn into Gogeta (DragonBall-Z reference).

 Fun at The Mecca!  Good times with new friends!

Had to take a pic with the iconic logo at the front of entrance!

Training at The Mecca Day 2 - Had such a blast, got a 7-day free pass and went back for more!  Trained legs and brought the Christmas spirit!

 

Ate at the renowned THE FIREHOUSE post workout!  Check out the "Bodybuilder Menu!"

 Post Christmas Meal

Posing Practice -- It never ends.  I am trying to make it a habit to better establish that mind-to-muscle connection.  Here, I am trying to control my lower back to show the striations.

Gym swag!  Robert got me this awesome t-shirt for X-mas by Forged Iron Training! 

Happy Belated Merry Christmas Everyone... and a Happy New Year!  2013 has been a very eventful year and is ending with a bang!  So many things have happened this year that are real epic milestones in my life--asked the love of my life to marry me (and she did in Hawaii!),  finally found a career with a company that I love, placed 1st in the open (and novice) bodybuilding divisions at the NPC Excalibur (not to mention 2nd in the novice overall!), and successfully launched my online coaching endeavor!  I am incredibly blessed and thankful to be able to live the life I'm living.  Sure, there can always be more, but I'm always thankful for what I have earned thus far.  2014 is a new year!

The past weekend was AWESOME!  I already mentioned that I got to train and hang out with Sean Torbati of High Performance Nutrition, but the day after, I was able to meet and train with my Instagram fitness buddies, Alyssa Polisano (@ALYSSAPOLISANO), Jordan Grahm (@THEFITBOSS), and of course, my training partner, Robert Recinos (@CPTRECINOS).  Not only did I get to train with these fine fitness enthusiasts, but at the Mecca Gold's Gym Venice!  Such a thrilling, inspirational, and amazing vibe!  I am definitely considering another gym membership at this location on top of my 24 Hour Fitness membership. 

My FREEDOMPhase Reverse Diet protocol has been moving along wonderfully.  It has been approximately  2 weeks since the 2013 NPC Excalibur, in which I was coming off of a 2100-2200 calories per day peak week diet.  Luckily, I only felt like dog poop for just a short moment at the final leg of contest prep--it wasn't too bad at all!  As mentioned, I was feeling so good, that I did not feel like I needed to binge eat the days following the competition.  In fact, I got right back into my daily routine and even trained legs the morning after as I transitioned into my reverse diet.  At the time, I was without any clear goals with competitions or where the reverse diet would take me.  All I knew was that I wanted to stay relatively lean at the LA Fit Expo on the weekend of January 25-26. 

My #FREEDOMPhase Reverse Diet Rules
> Increase calories by small increments of 100-300 calories weekly, or if necessary, stay stagnant and be patient
> No more than 0.5 - 1.0 lbs. weight gain per week
> Meet and not to exceed daily caloric goals
> Get at least 1g of protein per lb. of bodyweight -- for me, that's 150g+ protein
> Carbs and fat are flexible as long as I meet caloric and protein goals

Current weight: 147.4 - 150.2 lbs (versus competition weight of 148.5 lbs two weeks ago).  Still to be determined.  Freedom in food choices and carb/fat intake is causing unstable weight readings.  But it's as expected. 

After all of these exciting events have been experienced, the burning desire to continue my bodybuilding journey has literally scorched every fiber of my being--I am PUMPED to do it all over again!  I believe I can be even more conditioned than I was at the Excalibur at my next show.  I am deciding to maximize my metabolic capacity with a short-term reverse diet not to exceed a body weight of 150-151 lbs.  Then I will begin another prep cycle for a show in early March with the INBA!  I will make a solid decision in about 2 weeks time since I am about 9 weeks out from that show, I expect that it would only take 6 weeks to prep in my current condition.

More details to come, but I am incredibly excited to continue my journey with natural bodybuilding organizations like the INBA and ANBF!  Thanks for reading!  Have a good Friday!

BY POPULAR DEMAND -- Recommended List of Supplements

Here is a list of supplements that I recommend.  There are TONS of different supplements you can take.  Many of the same type of supplements are offered by a bajillion different companies.  Honestly, most of them are B.S.  I don't want you wasting your money, so here is a list of supplements I love and stand behind!

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED LIST 
This is what I recommend as a base.  These supplements are to promote general health and wellness.  It may not be as attractive as other stuff on the market, but this is to assure your body is in tip top shape to support the stresses of diet and training,

> Any MULTIVITAMIN--I recommend one that is specific to you needs, whether its to support an athletic lifestyle, or gender-specific.  I recommend FORMULA 1 by HPN.  It is perfectly blended for athletic individuals!

> Any FISH OIL--You've got to eat a LOT of fish to get the amount of Omega-3, EPA/DHA that is concentrated in this highly beneficial supplement.  It promotes everything from muscle growth, joint health, brain health, and even cardiovascular health.  Any brand would do, but for quality reasons I recommend N(4) PLATINUM OMEGA by HPN. 

> GREENS FORMULA--Most of us do not get nearly enough fruits & vegetables daily to meet our daily recommended requirements of vitamins and minerals.  This is why I recommend a greens supplement formula.  The one that I absolutely love is GREEN SUPREME FUSION by SANS.


EXTRA CREDIT LIST

This list is extra credit.  It's a list of supplements that can support and maximize your training!  Do you NEED it?  Absolutely not.  You can make significant progress with a focus on getting your micronutrients with the above list of highly recommended supplements, a well balanced diet, and regular physical activity.  But, does it help?  I believe so.  There are days when I am just not ready for a 5 a.m. workout, or I am completely exhausted and I need a pick-me-up to muster through the final workout before my next scheduled rest day.  This extra credit list of supplements are necessities to me, but I don't think they are essential to everyone.  This is what I am always in stock of:

> PRE-WORKOUT--Just pure caffeine can do the job, but added extras like citrulline malate (increased mental focus) and beta-alanine (increased endurance) can be handy!  They are all safe supplements to use, but if you compare one pre-workout supplement with another, there are many differences.  Watch out for ones with an incredibly large serving size.  Odds are there are "fillers" with ingredients that your body doesn't need.  This is why I recommend P(3) by HPN.  No fillers, easy strong-dose of effective ingredients, and you get what you pay for--quality.

> INTRA-WORKOUT--Branch chained amino acids are amazing!  It isn't something that you can "feel" like a stimulant.  It promotes muscle recovery while you train so you can keep training intensity high and prolong the duration of your work outs.  I recommend XTEND by SCIVATION.  The green apple and mango nectar flavors are yummy!  This is a definite staple in my regimen,

> CREATINE MONOHYDRATE--If you take a pre-workout and an intra-workout, odds are, you are already getting enough creatine.  But to assure you are getting the maximum recommended beneficial dosage of creatine of 10g a day, just get it.  It's usually cheap.  Just make sure the ingredients list just says "creatine monohydrate."  There are several versions of creatine available in the market.  The most beneficial with scientific evidence of efficacy is also the cheapest--creatine monohydrate.  I recommend C(2) by HPN.  The creatine monohydrate they use is by CreaPure which is one of the highest quality creatines available. 

> NAD+ BOOSTER--This is a brand new break-thru product that I am very optimistic about.  It supports health & wellness.  Whether you are highly athletic or just an average sedentary person worried about taking their health & wellness to a whole new level of maximizing, I highly recommend N(r) by HPN.  This is especially beneficial to anyone that plays contact sports because it protects against neural damage.  Other added benefits are increased metabolism, anti-aging, and I've noticed I am able to feel amazing after limited sleep, like the quality of my sleep is maximized despite the shortened duration.  Anyway, this is a new product and the studies are going on right now with incredible optimism that it does what it claims.  Don't take my word for it!  Google "niagen" and read all about it!

ALL of these products are safe to use and what I would consider as THE ESSENTIALS.  I don't recommend anything else.  No testosterone boosters, no glutamine, no post workout this or that, no protein powders, etc.
 
PROTEIN POWDERS are essentially FOOD, not a supplement.  You can get all the protein you need to meet your macros for the day with regular food, thus, I don't recommend it at all.  But if you are like me and convenience is important to you, perhaps it's wise to just get a jug of protein powder just in case you have to work long hours or you ran out of eggs or something.  Whether you choose whey protein isolate, vegan protein, casein, etc., it's solely up to your preference.  They all work!  I prefer MACHINE WHEY by MTS Nutrition because it's one of the tastiest protein powders I've ever had and it mixed very well.  It is fairly low in fats and carbs so you can save those macros for other things. 


If you are interested in products by HPN, you coupon code: "WAY" at HPNFORMULA1.COM for 10% off and free shipping!  Thanks for your readership and you're welcome for the hook up ;P 

#FREEDOMPhase Reverse Diet, Training with Sean Torbati of HPN, & More Updates!

 

One week into #FREEDOMPHASE Reverse Diet & I weigh less than I did competition day... WTF? 

 Trained with Sean Torbati of HPN today!!!

It has been a week since my competition day and I thought I'd end up as a blubbering mess by now!  LOL, I'm referring to what happened last year after my first competition.  Last year, I binged for 2-3 days, gained 10+ lbs, bloated like a pregnant woman, and was not able to revert back; which was why I decided to just go on and bulk, bulk bulk.  NOT THIS TIME!

Patience and self-control was on my side this year.  Sure, I celebrated post-contest last week and gobbled up 6-7,000 calories that day; but by the next day, I was back on the grind.  In fact, all I did was increase my calories by 200-300 each day from peak week levels to about 2300-2400 calories per day.  Guess what?  Yesterday's weigh-in was 147.4 lbs.  That's -1.1 lbs. less than my weigh-in at my competition!   It's funny because I used to think there's some sort of sorcery or magic that can occur in a reverse diet.  But logically, there has got to be some sort of explanation. 

I believe a small influx of calories or energy for your body will soothe your mind, promote your sense of happiness, thus allowing you to feel better in and out of the training.  In training, a happy healthy mind is essential to maximize training.  When you are mentally well, you can function optimally, thus training harder and burning more calories.  I believe that's what has happened with me.  My training has been amazing this week!  Increased loads and increased volumes would have definitely maximized my caloric burn daily.  Perhaps I should step on stage now!  Just kidding, there's so much I want to accomplish before or while I prepare for another show.

A huge exciting milestone occurred today as I had the opportunity to hang out and train with an incredibly intelligent and overall stand up guy Sean Torbati of HPN HPNFormula1.com and old friend and former client Robert Recinos.  I am a huge fan of HPN!  They are an amazing example of what a responsible and respectable supplement company should be.  HPN's products are produced with the highest of quality, with only ingredients that matter, and you get what you pay for.  I love the P3 pre-workout product and am dying to try their newest product, N(r).  I just ordered it and will be writing a review of it soon.  Stay tuned!

We met up at the 24 Hour Fitness in Arcadia this morning and had an amazing Pull Day.  It's important to always maintain a student mentality because there is so much you can learn from other people.  Sean is a specialist in sports performance training and nutrition and really emphasized the importance of the "squeeze" in every controlled rep.  Essentially, the focal point in our training was the quality of every rep performed, to really emphasize the importance of form, mind-to-muscle connection, and squeeze the hell out of every repetition. The outcome: twitchy and tight biceps and back muscles on the drive home.  Thanks, Gents.  A much needed post-workout celebration began at Chipotle and ended at Yogurtland.  It was delicious.  And epic.  I had so much fun today!  I made a new friend and I am acknowledging one of my goals for 2014 that I mentioned in my previous post--to be more social!

Tomorrow, Robert and I will be training at the "mecca," Gold's Gym Venice with a few friends!  I'm so excited about that as well!  Check back in a few days and I'll give you the scoop and the reveal of who our friends are!  Have a good one and happy holidays!

2014 Goals & Update!

With 2014 around the corner, it's usually time to plan future goals.  Though, certain goals may change as time progresses--that's life!  Some goals will not be mentioned because they are long term projects and will ultimately be surprises!  But so far, this is what I've thought about:

> MAINTENANCE & CONSERVATIVE BULKING -- It is to my benefit to try and maintain about a 6-8% BF lean physique in the month of January.  The LA Fit Expo will be here and I'd like to look my best when socializing and networking with industry people.  After January, I'll probably put myself in a caloric surplus and really focus on building my legs.  I will be entering what I call a FREEDOM PHASE to allow for stabilization on normal life dieting.  See below for my plan on FREEDOM PHASE.

> WEAK POINT TRAINING -- Tons of opportunity with my physique.  Every body part can be considered a weak point as there's always opportunity to grow.  But the most severely lagging muscle groups on my body are my quads, hams, and glutes.  I have given low volume/heavy training a long try, but something I have not focused on tremendously is higher volume/medium load training.  I will give that protocol a test and see how it turns out.  I actually began this style of training this week and I've never felt so sore!  I love it!  Also, I will be adding in different exercises that I've rarely done, like close-stance squats and stiff-legged deadlifts.  I started these exercises this week and it feels phenomenal.  Let's see what happens!

> BE MORE INVOLVED -- Make an effort to be more social and collaborate with fitness friends from social media, etc. This is an industry and a lifestyle I am deeply interested and passionate in.  Why not allow myself to engage with it deeper?  Who knows, maybe an awesome sponsorship will come of it!

> ONLINE COACHING -- Continue to practice what I preach and never steer from my own path.  I am a huge proponent on life balance, and by 'life' I mean all aspects.  I believe that bodybuilding, health, wellness, diet, nutrition, etc., CAN be all very personal and almost selfish goals.  It's important to assure that these goals do not take away the individual's quality of life.  Everyone has friends and family, a career of some sort, and other hobbies and passions.  Bodybuilding & other fitness goals should not take away or put stress on those other aspects.  This will make for a fulfilling experience that creates a positive lifestyle change that is healthy, sustainable, and the individual can live in the body of their dreams for the rest of their life!  Whether my clients seek my services to prepare them for a competition or photo shoot, to gain strength, or just lose a few pounds; no matter how big or small the goal is, a goal is a goal; and I will treat every client's goal one in the same.  I have enrolled a very diverse and global client base and I am very excited for all of them!

> JUST DO -- Every idea is just an idea until you take it further and action upon it.  I will not be afraid to seek the HOW on every idea--HOW can I turn this into a reality?  I will not fear failure because every failure is a learning experience.  If I feel enthusiastic about something, I will run with it. "NOTHING GREAT WAS EVER ACHIEVED WITHOUT ENTHUSIASM."  -- Ralph Waldo Emerson.  Such a strong quote.

> COMPETITION -- Nothing is set for sure, but I am considering the ANBF California Natural show on September 2014 in Orange County.  Whether I would compete in more than one organization, I'm still figuring out; but I will definitely be focusing more on the natural arena beginning 2014.  I'm really excited about this!

So that's it so far!  My reverse diet is going well.  I've increased my calories a little more aggressively at first the jump-start the ol' metabolic furnace.  I added about 200-300 calories so I'm not rocking a daily caloric intake of 2300-2400 calories.  It's been a little tricky with tracking progress with the scale as I'm definitely consuming more sodium from condiments and drinking a lot more water.  I'll probably take a few short weeks to allow my body to stabilize in weight.  Energy levels and strength are increasing, which is a good sign.  Mentally, I am more energetic than ever!  Slow and steady wins the race!

FREEDOM PHASE -- allowing my body to stabilize on normal foods (normal for me is a blend of healthy 'bro' foods and 'dirty' delicious foods.

Current bodyweight: 149-150 lbs.  (+0.5 - 1.0 lbs from contest day)

Current macro rules:
> Hit caloric goal of 2300-2400 calories
> Hit at least 150g protein per day
> Hit fiber goal of 25+ grams
> Hit MICRONUTRIENT goals
> Carbs & Fat can be whatever as long as I meet the above
> Drink at least 1 gallon of liquids per day
> No foods/drinks are restricted

Current training goals:
> Day 1 - PUSH & ABS - Focus on low volume heavy load 6 rep range PRs & finish with sets of 8-12
> Day 2 - PULL - Focus on low volume heavy load 6 rep range PRs & finish with sets of 8-12
> Day 3 - LOWER - Focus on sets of 8-12+
> Day 4 - PUSH & ABS -  Focus on sets of 8-12+
> Day 5 - PULL -  Focus on sets of 8-12+
> Day 6 - LOWER - Focus on sets of 8-12+
> Day 7 - Rest or Extra Credit -- Cardio, Abs, Odds & Ends

Cardio - 600 calorie burn per week.

MISSION COMPLETE! Reflection on 2013 NPC Excalibur & Future Plans

Checked in at a weight of 148.5 lbs.  Last minute, I decided to compete in both Novice & Open.

With an old client and amazingly supportive friend, Robert "Leancinos," after my spray tan and glaze.

From the posterior.

My #1 Supporter and Inspiration -- My Fiancee.

Most Muscular Pose on Stage.

Side Tricep Pose.

I can't believe it... What a pinnacle moment!  I am so happy!!!

My client and old friend, Justin, and his girlfriend, Carly, came to support!

Jeremy, an old friend, came all the way from our hometown, San Francisco!

After the show, we went to CPK and I destroyed the place.  Then I went home, and destroyed the fridge.  I must've had over 6000 calories that day!  There used to be a 8" x 8" brownie cake in that pan.  Abracadabra!

The day after... My body was LOVIN' all those extra calories!  I ended up training legs the morning after the competition because I felt so good--the perfect contest prep diet.  One of my favorite bodybuilders, Dorian Yates, always trained legs the day after his competitions.  FUN FACT: Dorian and I share the same date of birth -- April 19th.  

MISSION: Complete!  All I can say is WOW.  I had no intention of competing this year until about 2-3 months ago with what started to be just a simple experiment with IIFYM/flexible dieting to get lean for the Summer.  I began my journey from the end of a bulk phase back in April.  I slowly dieted down from about 3500 calories a day at the upper 170s (I believe I peaked at 178 lbs. and definitely topping the fat percentage scale above 15%) to most recently 2000 calories a day at a low of 147 lbs.

By the end of the competition, I had won 2 trophies and am now qualified to compete at the national level!

First Place, 2013 NPC Excalibur Men's Unlimited Bodybuilding Lightweight Division
First Place, 2013 NPC Excalibur Men's Novice Bodybuilding Lightweight Division

It was a last minute decision to compete in the Novice division again.  Last year, I competed at the 2012 NPC Excalibur and won First Place for the Men's Novice Bodybuilding Lightweight Division; but I figured, I'd give it another go since I did not win the Overall.  I'll let the images above tell the story of contest day, but this is a great segue way to my future plans.  The chances for a Lightweight, especially a natural, winning the Overall are slim to none.  With my 2013 NPC Membership Card expiring at the end of the year, I'm just going to let it be.

My decision in choosing the lifestyle I want to live is in no reflection of how I feel towards steroid use.  I just prefer the natural approach and in order for me to compete at a leveled playing field, I'll need to change the field in which I am playing in.  It is bittersweet because I have met so many good people and amazing athletes with NPC, but I've got to do what I feel is the right.  I'll be looking for natural organizations to compete in next year.

I will be implementing a slow and conservative reverse dieting plan to stabilize my metabolism.  All in the while, I will continue to focus on my legs, especially the outer sweep through narrow stance squat and press movements.  Depending on which organization I would like to join, I will probably consider competitions from the Summer months until the end of the year.

One thing I am looking forward to is the LA Fitness Expo which will take place at the end of January at the LA Convention Center.  I don't know how or what, but I'd like to get more involved in the fitness community in some way, so this is a great platform for me to network with people from the business side as well as the social side.  Why not, right?  I love all things related to bodybuilding.  I originally set out to compete at the 2014 NPC Ironman Naturally which is held at the Fit Expo, but that would mean I'd have to renew my NPC Membership Card.  With the intention of wanting to switch organizations anyway, it didn't seem like a feasible choice to renew for just another show.

The next few weeks or maybe even months, this blog will follow yet another cycle from cutting to bulking to cutting back to bulking.  Each time I revisit a phase, I will try to do it better and more efficiently.  Everything I do will have a reason with some sort of scientific observation or data to support that reason.  Please continue to follow me as I begin another chapter of the life I have chosen to live.

Thank you for your support and readership through it all!

PEAK WEEK - 1 Day Out!!!

Forearm pump from lugging around a bro jug.

I'm shaven and ready to go!  Seriously, shaving sucks.  Thank god my Fiancee is rad as hell and helped a brotha out.  I would've given myself all kinds of cuts and scars and leaving patches of hair behind.  I'm definitely loving the feeling of smooth skin.  It feels gnarly nice!  Definitely considering waxing in 2014.

This morning, I was working on my final depletion workout and halfway through, I realized I could not get a pump for the life of me.  Though it's usually a sign of a bad work out, it was good in that it is a symptom of achieving full depletion.  I am finally flat as a pancake.  It is common practice to begin carb loading 1-2 days out from the show (back-loading), or carb load a week out and just maintain the proper fullness throughout the week for show day (front-loading).

I will be doing a last-minute back-load for the following reason.  My body is susceptible to spilling over easily.  Based on observation, I cannot seem to retain glycogen in the muscle, even smaller amounts.  It tends to spill into the subcutaneous and create bloating and decreased dryness.  Since I am not 100% confident in what the perfect amount of carbs are to achieve maximum fullness without spilling over, I will take a simplistic approach and just practice what I am sure of.   My body responds well and quickly to simple carbs, so I will load with simple cards before I step on stage and only in small increments until I feel as though I am close to the point of perfect fullness without sacrificing dryness.  70% full is better than any kind of spillover.

And to reiterate, because I've been asked again, what is my plan of action with sodium, potassium, water, and diuretics?

Simple answer to all of the above: Nothing really, and definitely nothing drastic.  If you can get lean enough, the above factors do not really need to be tinkered with.  Plus, tinkering with the above can lead to serious health issues and the results of manipulating those things perfectly (which rarely happen) can only yield you a small gain, so why risk it?  So why was my answer to the question, "Nothing really."  Let me explain:

-SODIUM--you can't just cut sodium off completely.  I may scale back just a bit, for example, all week I've been using 5 different condiments, all containing sodium.  1-2 days out, I may cut the amount of condiments I use in half or just use less amounts.  I can't stand bland food!
-POTASSIUM--what?  I guess some people load this stuff before stepping on stage.  That's how you kill yourself.  Screw that.  Tinkering with potassium has never crossed my mind.
-WATER--I typically consume about 2 gallons of water per day regularly.  It may seem like a lot but I consider all liquids as "water."  So 2 gallons of water + tea + coffee + diet sodas + etc. isn't really too much especially if you train intensely.  1 day out, I'll just drink less.  Then on show day, I'll just drink when thirsty.  Simple.
-DIURETICS--asparagus has a diuretic effect and though it makes your pee smell funny, I love the taste of it!  Instead of my usual zucchini in my veggie stir fry, I substitute it with asparagus.  Also, instead of water on show day, I'll sip on tea and coffee, since there is a natural diuretic effect in those beverages as well.

Extreme measures can create extreme catastrophes.  I'm here for the long haul and health and sustainability comes first and foremost.  

PEAK WEEK - 2 days out!

I am now 2 days out and I've been in depletion mode.  The excitement builds!  Spending so many weeks, months even, prepping for one day, one event, on moment in time is pretty epic.  It is a very surreal feeling!  Though, there are so many opportunities and so many things I can nitpick about my physique this year; honestly, I am very happy with what I am bringing to the stage.  I will continue focusing on my legs, first and foremost, then add thickness to everything else.

Today and tomorrow, I will be performing full upper body depletion exercises.  I will perform 1-2 exercises per muscle group at 3-4 sets of 12-15 reps of moderate load without reaching failure.  The goal is to burn glycogen and prep my body for carb uptake on contest day prior to stepping on stage so I can appear as full and thin-skinned as possible.  This week’s carb intake has been dropped down to below 100g to maximize depletion.  I’ve been on about 2000-2100 calories for the past few weeks now and have finally felt like I hit a wall yesterday—I haven’t felt so fatigued during this year’s prep before.  I knew the feeling and it was like how I felt when I was prepping last year for my first show the incorrect way on very low calories.  Thus, I will begin my reverse diet by slowly working backwards from a cut diet, adding small increments of calories back in week by week until I realize my maintenance calories.  Maintenance is a moving target, and since I’ve been cutting, my metabolism could have slowed since when I was on a bulk previously.  New goal for bulking is putting on as much lean muscle mass at a 12% bf max through 2014.

Tonight, I will need to rid all the hair follicles on my body and exfoliate.  Then tomorrow, I will exfoliate again prior to my first spray tan coat.  It’s on! 

PEAK WEAK - 2013 NPC Excalibur -- Last Show With the NPC

Since my last post, I've just maintained at the 147-150 lb. range.  I didn't make any changes to my training or cardio to allow my body to stabilize and so my energy levels can be brought up a bit.  I don't want to enter the competition feeling weak and run down.  Starting Saturday, I started cutting cardio in half.  Up until 2 weeks ago, I was doing about 3 hours of cardio in a week, roughly a 1800 calorie burn in total.  Now I am doing 15 minutes a day or about 1.5 hours a week, roughly a 900 calorie burn in total.

I planned on delaying my carb load, but because I felt like turd on Saturday, I figured it was time.  This would give me ample time to deplete glycogen and appear as dry as possible.  As they say, it's always better to step on stage flat than spilled over.  This way, by back loading carbs the night before and on the day of the show, I can control my appearance by increasing small increments of carbs until I am content with my physique.  I made sure to really load up on Saturday, and maximize my glycogen stores so I am read for the week's worth of depletion exercises.

I loaded at about 3100 calories:
170g protein
500g carbs
50g fat

The funny thing was that I still felt fatigued the day after load, which signifies that caloric uptake was still considered low.  Anyway, food for thought for when I enter offseason mode post-show.

I have adjusted my macros to allow for thorough depletion--dropping carbs:

Keeping at about 2000 calories on Regular Days:
230+g protein
>100g carbs
50+g fat

My priorities for the remaining few days leading up to the show is:
1. Cap out my daily caloric intake at 2000
2. Keep carbs below 100g
3. Whatever protein and fats end up so I meet 2000 calories with the amount of carbs I've eaten

I haven't set my carbs so low since months ago when I went on a road trip prior to deciding on competing.  It's going to be interesting to see how I turn out since I've been maxing out my carb intake this whole time thru prep.  So far, this is the plan....  And in order to achieve this, I will be eating a lot of egg whites and egg product (lots of volume for a pure protein source), full fat cheeses (protein/fat source with low-to-zero carbs), almond or peanut butters (favorite fat source with traces of protein and carbs), and tons of vegetables like broccoli, zucchini, and salad greens (trace carbs and tons of volume to keep me from getting hungry).

I was thinking long and hard about the NPC organization, and whether I wanted to renew my membership to compete in the 2014 NPC Ironman Naturally at the Fit Expo.  I've concluded that I'm going to skip that one and just enjoy attending the Fit Expo because of my future goals.  I am and will forever be a natural bodybuilder, so there is definitely a conflict of interest with the NPC organization as even though they do hold natural competitions, the drug testing is very lenient.  I understand that you can not be 100% sure that competitors didn't cheat, but I would prefer the most leveled playing field, which is why I have extreme interest in pursuing natural organizations beginning 2014.  I am looking into the OCB/INBF, and the new ANBF.  But, one thing at a time.  I will explain more later on my future goals of competing.

Lastly, I am having a great experience coaching my friends and clients online.  With clients as far away as Singapore and Australia, I am deeply blessed that these individuals have put the faith in me to guide them towards their fitness goals.  Lots of exciting things to come with this project!  I only have 2-3 seats left before I need to create a waiting list, so if you or your friends have any interest in bulking, cutting, or just simply losing weight, please email me at SWOLEXPERIMENTS@GMAIL.COM.

Until next time!  Just 5 days out!  Let's go!

Online Fitness Coach & Updates to Contest Prep - 12 Days Out!!!

Side Relaxed Pose -- Everything but 'Relaxed'

Updated Posing Pictures

Getting "Drier" -- the trick to achieving the "dry" look is just getting leaner and leaner.  Less body fat = less water retention.

Most Muscular Pose w/ a side of Most Muscular Face lol

WOW--what a rollercoaster ride it has been since my last update!  So many awesome things have happened!  First off, my biggest announcement, is that I've decided to begin offering online fitness coaching.  I've coached a few people here and there in the past, but never took it seriously or do it in a large scale.  The truth is I love it.  I love all things that has to do with diet and nutrition and it's role in fitness goals no matter what it is.  I will not take on more clients than I can comfortably manage as I do not believe in quantity over quality of service.  No matter the goal of the individual, I will custom tailor a diet plan for that individual and advise them from week to week.  This is exciting because within the first week of starting, I'm already getting close to having all my seats full!  What's even more exciting is that these amazing people of all ethnic backgrounds, from different parts of the world, different fitness goals, different level of knowledge in diet/training, everyone is unique!  Cookie cutter diets are stupid.  People are different, thus diets should be different.  For more information, please e-mail me at SWOLEXPERIMENTS@GMAIL.COM!

On to other news!  I am now 12 days out from the 2013 NPC Excalibur.  What I intended to be a warm-up show may be THE show for me.  I was planning on shooting for the 2014 NPC Ironman Naturally as my main event, but weighing out my future plans, it may not make sense for me to renew my NPC membership for 2014.  I am still on the fence about it, but I really want to continue my bodybuilding competitions in a natural arena.  Still pondering about this decision, but in the meantime, I will take it one show at a time, so I will focus my attention on this one.

Last week, I hit a new low of 147.8 lbs.  At this point in my diet and conditioning, I will not allow my caloric intake to drop any further.  Weighing out my options, I can do one of two things: (1) drop calories to get leaner, and risk losing intensity from the gym out of hunger and fatigue; or (2) increase output of caloric burn by adding more cardio.  I have more room for changes in the second choice so that's what I did.  Previous week, I did about a 1350 calorie burn of cardio that week, and last week I've increased cardio to about an 1800 calorie burn throughout that week.  In the next few days, I should see the leanest condition I've ever experienced in this prep and maybe even in my whole life.

Caloric intake is as follows:

Regular Days (Training and Rest Days)
~2000 calories
230g protein
180g carbs
50g fat

Refeed Day (Once a Week)
~3000 calories
230g protein
450g carbs
40g fat

Training continues to be 6 days on, 1 day off; where now, my "off" day consist of only cardio, light stretching, and maybe a sprinkle of ab work.  Training protocol is a Push / Pull / Legs / Repeat / Off pattern.  All training days begin with 2-3 exercises per muscle group and train for strength with a heavier load and lower reps, then the workout ends with more hypertrophy-focused rep schemes.  I seldom train to failure, perhaps only reaching the point where I have only 1 rep left in the tank.  My goal is longevity and sustainability.  I want to avoid injuries with strict, perfect form at a slow and controlled tempo.  I don't want to take unscheduled rest days because I've obliterated my body.  A true rest day = zero extra calories burned; which is beneficial and essential in a bulk phase.  Training more frequently = more calories burned per week = a leaner, more conditioned physique; most efficiently utilized in a cut phase.

My psoriasis has been acting up again, but no fear.  I will be beginning a couple of tanning sessions to apply a good base color prior to spray tan.  I've noticed last year when I was prepping for my first competition, tanning, even though it is artificial tanning with tanning beds, really helped clear my skin.

All in all, my mental health is great!  I am so much happier and functional this year versus last.  Perhaps it is my focus on micronutrients, or the fact that I'm dieting smarter and less aggressive this year.  Either way, I am thankful I chose the route of flexible dieting.  It has surely helped on so many levels.  I am bigger, fuller, and leaner this year compared to last.  The harsh reality of contest prep is that it isn't easy.  In fact, it can be the most mentality and physically draining and exhausting thing you'll ever do!  Fatigue is setting in more intensely and often times, whenever I am on my feet and walking a lot, my body feels like it weighs a ton.  Thankfully, I am strategically eating foods with high volume to put hunger at bay.  Combined, hunger and fatigue is a deadly duo.  I am also thankful that my job is pretty sedentary.  I live a sedentary life so it's nice.

I will report back with further updates in a few days!  Thanks for the support and continued readership!  Please follow my Instagram handle -- WAY_PROTEIN for my daily uploads!  I have begun taking videos and though it is still amateur work, I try to convey tips and useful tidbits that can benefit anyone into fitness.

Have a good day!

Preparing for "Peak Week" & Updates!

Taken about a week ago - No pump, feeling a bit bloated, but it's OK!  Practice, practice, practice!!!

New bodyweight low in this prep - 148.4 lbs. on November 21, 2013

The 2013 NPC Excalibur is 3 weeks out -- I'm so excited!  Every bodybuilder looks forward to the grueling last haul at the final stretch -- "Peak Week."  Well, almost every bodybuilder.  As a natural, certain 'broscience' methods and strategies of peak week is not necessary, and borderline dangerous to the health!  Layne Norton is a huge advocate in going against the grain of bro-methodology in leading into peak week; and he is a huge inspiration for me and how I live the natural amateur bodybuilder lifestyle.

Let's see... What are the general methods that a lot of bodybuilders go through during peak week?
-Cut sodium
-Cut water
-Load diuretics
-Load potassium
-Stop training legs
-Stop lifting heavy and just go marathon on those weights
- ...and the list goes on!

Why make it complicated?  Are these the things I do normally during my prep?  The best way to go about peak week is NO SURPRISES by keeping it simple.  Perhaps the aforementioned head-spinning to-do list is what athletes on super-supps must go through because of all the crazy imbalances in their body from the gear.  Or perhaps even natural athletes that are simply just not lean enough and want to do whatever it takes to "appear" leaner on stage.  Either way, these are drastic changes and comes with drastic repercussions.  People have fainted, even died at shows taking these unnecessary steps just for a plastic trophy.  I don't know about you, but I'd like to be lifting and looking better with age up to the last moments of my life.

This is my take on peak week:
-get LEAN and I mean as LEAN and conditioned as possible; then you don't need to think about cutting water or sodium
-look for patterns--I noticed that with my current macros, I look my best 5-6 days after my carb load day.  This is perfect because I will continue to keep my carb load day where it is so I will load carbs as I normally do exactly 7 days from the competition.  Then on competition day, just eat small meals of protein and fat and throw in carbs here and there to maintain the physique
-look for more patterns--my legs look best 2-3 days after leg day, so I will train legs 2-3 days prior to competition
-NO SURPRISES--I will train normally the way I do and maybe just ease up on trying to lift as heavy as possible; but stick to the 6-12 rep range on all exercises.  The only difference is not training to failure so I don't end up being sore on stage.
-That's it!  Nothing really special for "peak week" except a nice coat of competition tan ;P

As for updates, I have added more and more cardio into my regimen since 2-3 weeks ago so it can do the grunt work in my fat loss, instead of cutting back calories.  I am happy with my 2000 calories a day!  How the hell did I live on a low of 1400 calories last year?!  It's crazy... I am so happy with this prep thus far.  I feel a million times better, and I am cutting on carbs, eating cereal and ice cream for dinner and on refeed days (I even ate Chipotle last week!).

Here is my current training plan--

Monday - Push Day & Abs w/ 300 calorie burn low intensity cardio
Tuesday - Pull Day
Wednesday - Legs w/ 300 calorie burn low intensity cardio
Thursday - Push Day & Abs w/ 150 calorie burn low intensity cardio
Friday - Pull Day
Saturday - Legs w/ 300 calorie burn low intensity cardio
Sunday - Abs & Weakpoint Training w/ 300 calorie burn low intensity cardio aka "Rest Day"

Total cardio per week: ~2 hours; and if I run out of time to finish my 300 calorie burn on Monday, for example, I will finish the remainder on Tuesday.

Competition Tan

Last year, I utilized the services of JanTana.  Though it was expensive ($130), they take care of everything.  The only drawback was that they have WAY too many clients, and I hate waiting.  It almost seems like they try to get through as many people as possible as quickly as possible.  Their attention to detail could be better.  Still, if anyone asks, I would recommend professional services over DIY.  I've seen some competitors that were just not presentable attempting to save some money and applying competition tan themselves.  I would suggest spending the extra money, saves the time, saves the laborious work (it's exhausting to do it yourself, and when you have prep-brain, the last thing you want to do is spend hours on tanning yourself), and they will even touch you up on the day of the competition.

This year, I am taking an alternative route to professional services.  I found a company called Tanned Creations and they are an independent, smaller tanning service company.  Lauri, who runs Tanned Creations, is incredibly nice, personable, and experienced!  She used to work for JanTana and branched off to start her own biz -- SMART!  She only charges $99 for the same service that JanTana offers.  Can't wait to get all dark!  :)

Contest Prep Update - 3.5 Weeks Out From Excalibur & Plan to Prep for Another 9.5 Weeks Out

It's official!  Yesterday I registered for the 2013 NPC Excalibur.  All I have to do now is lock down my posing routine and plan my tanning situation. I may end up shelling out the cash for the convenience that JanTana provides at the competitions.  I noticed faint striations in the glutes yesterday under good lighting so I feel confident that I can be prepared for this show.  As a natural bodybuilder, I know what I will be up against in an NPC non-tested show.  It is what it is and I know that some competitors may have an ace up their sleeve over me--and that's okay.  This is the lifestyle and direction that I believe in and I will bring the best natural physique that I can mold for this competition.  I thought, "if I can't beat 'em on size, I'll beat 'em on conditioning!"  I adjusted the ## weeks out numbers to not consider peak week as a week.  I want to be ready by or before peak week.

So, to keep the momentum rolling, as I project that I will truly be at 5% BF or less with another 2 lb. drop in weight.  This is an estimation and not by all means the end all be all.  What I see in the mirror triumphs the number on the scale.  To keep myself from over-dieting, over-training, and appear stringy on stage, I have implemented this plan:

-Never stop training heavy; abstain from low weights & high reps
-Add another 10 minutes for a total of 30 minutes of cardio this week
-Keep calories and carbs where it is now and attempt to allow energy output to further lean out
-Added Yohimbine HCL into the mix pre-cardio--10 to 12.5mg dose taken 15-20 minutes pre-cardio

However I perform on contest day of the Excalibur, I have a carb load day that day so I will celebrate a little but not go overboard as I know I have another show, my target show, 6 weeks later.  Whatever my condition ends up being on the Excalibur stage, I plan to take it to another level at the Ironman Naturally.  I am feeling surprisingly healthy mentally and physically.  I am at about 6-7% BF at the moment, and normally, this is where things get fuzzy.

When your body experiences super low body fat percentages, strange things begin to happen.  Fatigue sets in.  Hunger, too, if you are on a fixed diet, which is incredibly painful when coupled with fatigue.  Mind gets foggy, energy levels are low, zero motivation to do anything but mustering through a less-than-mediocre work out, and your tolerance for people and pretty much anything a touch annoying can be blown up exponentially and drive you absolutely crazy.  I experienced all these things last year when I was inexperienced with cutting for a show.  I did reach 5-6% BF but I did it in the worst way.  I am incredibly happy to have sought the truth about dieting, and that it doesn't have to be rocket science.  It's actually quite simple really....  But I am heading into the darkest days of prep--under 6% BF.  Today I may feel amazing, tomorrow, I might feel like crap.  Who knows!  But one thing I must keep in mind is that life is grand--I love this lifestyle, I love my supporting peoples, I love it!  Whenever things get down, I must stop, just smell the roses and enjoy the moment.

Contest Prep Update - 5 Weeks Out & 9 Weeks Out!

Down -0.6 lbs. vs. Last Week -- 151.0 lbs. flat!

Fun with Corn Pops on Refeed Day -- I <3 Flexible Dieting -- It Doesn't Even Feel Like Prep!

I'm still waiting for signs of glute & ham shreds to appear, and though I only have 5 weeks out from a possible warm up show, the 2013 NPC Excalibur Championships, I must be patient!  I'm now doing 20 minutes total of HIIT cardio per week; I may up the ante and do 30 minutes this week and dropping fats by 10g to keep the fat burning accelerated.

If the glute shreds begin to appear by 3 weeks out from the Excalibur, I'm going in.  Then all I have to worry about is depleting and "drying out."  As a natural bodybuilder, I will not focus on any magic tricks like dropping sodium, dropping water, taking diuretics, or potassium loading.  Dr. Layne Norton has made plenty of videos and provided plenty of empirical data on how unhealthy and even ineffective those methods are. As long as I focus on getting leaner and leaner, then "drying out" will come.  Less fat means less water retention.  The strategy is keeping it simple and no tweaking.

I'm going to feel it out, but macros may stay the same or I may drop it by 30g carbs, or 10g fat (~100 calories):

Regular Day Macros - 2150 -2300 Calories

230g Protein

200-230g Carbs

40-50g Fat

Refeed Day Macros - 3000 Calories

230g Protein

400g Carbs

50g Fat

My training continue to be strength focused.  I seldom train above the 12 rep range per set.  It's funny how I used to believe that high reps/light weight is for burning fat and cutting.  Training heavy was what built this physique, and training heavy is what will keep the physique thick and strong when I'm cutting.  Last year, I overtrained and overdieted and appeared thin, felt weak, and overly fatigued.  I was stringy.  I want to step on stage strong, dense, and conditioned.

Cardio will be minimal and only HIIT-style.  LISS and long periods of cardio does not promote muscle retention.  I will burn fat in the best method that I believe in, and that's with heavy resistance training.  I'm going to lean on one of my greatest inspirations again, Dr. Layne Norton.  He believes a diet should have 3 main goals, as mentioned on SimplyShredded.com:

1. Spare as much muscle mass as possible.
2. Lose as much fat as possible.
3. Not cause the person to lose intensity in the weight room

I feel like I am accomplishing just that during this year's contest prep, so I keep trucking on!

November 6th, 2013 - Update - Eat Less or Do More?

Finally, I’ve decided to add cardio into the mix.  This week’s weigh-ins are trending to run flat to last week.  I’m in the 151-152s.  This week, due to work, I have not been able to get in 1 gallon+ of liquids every day (at least I don’t think); so something with water retention could be occurring.  Nevertheless, I will not overthink it and just take it for what it is.  No weight loss is no weight loss.  Apparently adding 200 calories or so back into my diet has done more than slow the weight loss process down.  My performance has increased and I am appearing leaner in the mirror which is all that matters.  But regardless, when fat loss must be timed, progress must continue; and instead of dropping calories down again, I will just do more work and burn more calories.  I am adding two 10-minute HIIT cardio sessions.  I started today post-leg day.  I will perform my 2^nd session post-leg day on my 2^nd leg day of the week on Saturday, or on my rest day on Sunday, 

HIIT Cardio Session

1 minute warm up on any cardio machine—elliptical, stationary cycle, treatmill, or stepmill

10 minute intervals of 15 second MAX level output (ex: level 20 out of 20), 45 second low level output (ex: level 8 out of 20)

This is my current training protocol:

Monday – PUSH – Chest, Shoulders, Triceps

Tuesday – PULL – Back, Biceps, Traps, Rear Delts

Wednesday – LOWER & CARDIO – Legs, Quad Focus

Thursday – PUSH – Chest, Shoulders, Triceps

FRIDAY – PULL – Back, Biceps, Traps, Rear Delts

SATURDAY – LOWER & CARDIO – Legs, Ham Focus

SUNDAY – Rest, or if skipping cardio then will do cardio here

**Ab work will be done 1-2 times a week wherever I can fit it in.

10 Weeks Out - 2014 NPC Ironman Naturally Championships

10 weeks out!  I'd like to be 100% prepared and ready at latest 2 weeks out from the competition.  I'm excited!  And it's goin' down!  Cardio will be added to my off day on Sundays starting this weekend.

November 4th - Updates!

Not the best lighting, but happy with whatever leg development during the 4-5 months of bulking I did from December to April.  Post leg pump pic!  I need to shave my legs...

~8% BF, During Carb Load w/ My Favorite Carb Source -- Cereal

Quick update -- weight seemed to have steadied at about 151-ish.  I trained with my buddy on Saturday for some legs and was able to pull 405 lb. deadlifts for 5 reps.  It wasn't too difficult either, which I was very impressed about with this year's prep.  My strength has stayed with me in certain lifts and am able to not lose very much strength in other lifts, like the bench press.  My bench press and shoulder press lifts usually suffer in strength as the prep gets deeper and deeper and I get leaner and leaner.  Necessary evils, I guess!

Determining your peak week strategy is all about trial and error. Pay very close attention how your depleted physique looks during carb loading, post carb loading, +1 day after, +2 days after, etc.  The trick is to get shredded (a realistic sub 5% BF) and not mess with sodium, water, potassium, or other gimmicks.  I think I am a during-carb-loader up to 24-hours-post-carb-load. 

If I can control my weight loss to 0.5 lbs of weight loss per week, I will be on track to be contest ready 3-4 weeks out from my target contest on Jan 25.  I'm excited!  Let's get 'er done!

Current Macros - Regular Days - 2300 calories
230g P
230g C
50g F

Current Macros - Refeed - 3000 calories
230g P
400g C
50g F

Still, no cardio.

October 31, 2013 - Constantly Making Adjustments During Prep & Variables

Comparison Pictures - 2012 (Top) vs. 2013 (Bottom) - Top image was 151ish lbs.  Bottom image was 152ish lbs.  My next offseason, I will invest more time in a caloric surplus.  I spent 3-4 months of bulking between the 2 pictures and I probably have gained 1-2 lbs of LBM.  Life of a natty ;P

I woke up this morning at 151.6 lbs!  That’s almost a 2 lb. drop from last week!  I need to slow this train down as I’m losing weight too quickly, putting LBM retention and performance at risk.  I brought my calories down from 2300 to 2100 calories last week because I did not witness a goaled measurable weight loss from last week to prior week (goal is 0.5-1.0 lbs. of loss per week).  My training hasn’t changed and I have yet incorporate cardio into the mix.  I did have a great experience cleaning up my carbs from the tasty processed variety (cereal and ice cream) to potatoes.  I had great experience with potatoes last year during my prep.  I found spuds to be very easily digestible by my body.  Perhaps that’s why the weight loss slowdown occurred 2 weeks ago when I decided I had to make that change from 2300 to 2100 calories—I was intestinally backed up.  I’m bringing the dial back up to 2300 and continue eating potato wedges, baked potato, fries, and hash browns for my main source of carbs and see what happens.

Current macros on reg days +200 calories (+50g carbs):
230g P, 230g C, 50g F = 2300 calories

Current macros on refeed:
150g-230g P, 400g-480g C, 50gF = 3000 calories

So, Variables....

There are 2 main variables that I like to tinker with when dieting—cutting or gaining, and I like to play with one while keeping the other constant so it’s more controlled.  (1) Diet and (2) Training.

By keeping training constant—same intensity, same routine from week to week—you will burn roughly X amount of calories from week to week.  It changes little.  Your calorie burn is now fixed, then you can play with your diet and consume less calories to cut, or more calories to burn.  In contrast, you can do the opposite.  Eat the same amount of calories each day and do more work (burn more calories) to cut, or do less work (burn less calories) to gain.  I like to let my diet govern my goals for the most part.  My training changes little if any between offseason and contest prep.  The only thing that changes is my diet—eat more to grow, eat less to shred.  I consider cardio as supplemental as I do not do it during my offseason and I am not too big of a fan of it.  Cardio is a useful tool to increase caloric expenditure, but the drawback is that for any type of cardio, it runs the risk of catabolism.  It is just the nature of cardio exercises.  I put off cardio until the very end and only if I really need it.  

October 28th, 2013 - Updates & Contest Plans!

Today's weight: 152.8 lbs.

It's funny.  I originally started this Summer Shred experiment to lean out for the Summer.  I was new to the flexible dieting/IIFYM/IF lifestyles and it is amazing how much you can learn and implement in such a short span of time.  I looked at myself, my continued success with this diet, and thought about the idea of competing again.  As of this morning, I weigh 152.8 lbs, the lightest I have been this year.  I stepped on stage last December at 148.0 lbs @ ~5-6% bf, so I am not far from stage weight.  I hope I have made SOME gains in the past year, but let's say I haven't.  That would mean I am less than 5 lbs away from last year's stage weight.  If I did make 1-2 lbs of gains (hopefully in the legs department--I have small legs), then I should be just as well conditioned as last year at about 150 lbs.  But if a competition is what I want to do, I want to bring a better package than last year.

Last year's contest prep plan:
-cyclical ketogenic diet--ultra low carbs, ultra low calories
-traditional approach to food choices--chicken/tilapia, broccoli, and almond butter
-traditional approach to 6 small meals a day, feed every 2-3 hours
-mentally and physically difficult w/ minimal energy and decrease in performance
-life revolved around contest prep--no life balance (thank you, Then-Girlfriend-Now-Fiancee, for sticking by me even though I was probably a stink to be around)

This year's contest prep approach:
-flexible dieting/IIFYM/IF approach
-low fat, maximize carb intake for maximum performance
-meal frequency and meal timing is irrelevant--eat what I want when I want so long as it fits my macros
-this time last year at 152 lbs, I felt like shit--I feel 100x better today with this new diet approach
-balance is key--if my Fiancee wants to eat out, I'll consider eating out too given the restaurant provides nutrition information

What show am I going to compete in?  Honestly, I'm not 100% sure.  I'm taking a different approach to the way I select my shows.  Instead of pointing one out 5-6 months out and going all in for that target date, I'm going to do it ass backwards to allow for a much more stress-free experience.  I'll just focus on getting shredded and getting prepared for a show.  When I am getting close to the level of condition that I am happy with, I will then select the show.  The next show that I may be ready for is the 2013 NPC Excalibur (the same show and production that I competed at last year) on December 14th, 2013.  I may be cutting it close to be ready in time for that show, and in case I am not completely happy with my physique by that time, I'll just aim for another show in January or whenever I feel like I can deliver the best physique that I can carve out.  It's not about entering a show just to compete, but to showcase the best damned physique you can possibly deliver.  And sometimes it takes much longer than expected--that's okay!  Rome wasn't built over night, right?  Also beginning 2014 will be the end of my membership in the NPC.  It's been a great experience, but I am a natural bodybuilder and would love to continue competing at a more even playing field.  I will look into other bodybuilding organizations that are drug-tested, such as the NANBF, OCB, INBA, and so forth.  I don't know a great deal about these organizations yet, so I will need to do my research on them.

Here's a great video by Eric Helms from Team 3DMJ on expanding on the different major natural bodybuilding organizations, as well as the controversial topics in natural bodybuilding:

What started to be just an experiment with flexible dieting to lean out for the Summer has now become contest prep just because I am having such a great experience with dieting thus far with this method.  On that note, I strongly recommend that you keep your mind open, maintain a student mentality, read the facts and take all of it with a grain of salt, be open to try new things, and just keep learning.  You never know what you might come up on that works better for you and completely change everything you knew about bodybuilding.

So that's it for today!  I dropped 0.4 lbs versus last week and I had chips and beer on Saturday on my refeed day (it was a Halloween party so I had to enjoy myself).  The contest prep journeys on!

Current macros--

Regular Days:
2100 calories
230g protein
180g carbs
50g fat

Refeed Day:
3000-3200 calories
230g protein
400-450g carbs
50g fat

Current Training Plan--Goal: burn as many calories as possible through lifting weights; I hate cardio and will only utilize this method of burning calories if my joints/muscles are sore

6 days on, 1 day off
Push/Pull/Legs, repeat, off
Currently no cardio, but will consider adding cardio on off day

October 14th, 2013 - Diets & Being Sick

Everyone got flu shots at work last week -- except me.  "I haven't got the flu shot in over 5 years and I've been fine!"  I caught a gnarly cold, and the Santa Ana winds carried a wonderful slew of allergies that have pummeled my immune system.  Whenever I'm ill, the number one priority is to get better so I can get back on track with my fitness goals.  This is what I do to speed up the healing process:

[1] Increase calories close to or at maintenance (since I've been cutting and on a caloric deficit).  Your body's metabolic rate increases a smidge when you are sick or injured.  I increased the calories about 200-400 with carbs and protein.  Your body needs all the energy it can get to heal, so don't deprive it from doing its job.
[2] If it's not a major headache, stomach flu, or major fever (all of which make is my kryptonite and keeps me in PJs and in bed); I actually like to continue to train.  I believe that a de-load type work out to increase flow in the body can speed up the recovery process.  Plus, I actually tend to feel pretty good and normal when I work out while I'm sick.
[3] Don't look at the scale because whenever your body is stressed from illness or injury, increased water retention is likely to occur.  Digestion function may be slowed as well.  So scale weight can be expected to increase.  Don't step on the scale when you're sick, but if you do, don't let the number get the best of you.  Let your body do it's thing and heal properly.

The faster you heal, the faster you can get back on the grind!  Once again, don't let bodybuilding rule your life.  Take care of your priorities first!

October 10th, 2013 - I'm Back!

Wow, so much for staying consistent with my updates!  If you have been following all this time, I apologize for my absence.  You can find me regularly on these social networks:

facebook.com/swolexperiments
instagram.com/way_protein

A lot has happened since my last update!  I have taken some time off and traveled, made a change in my career, and most importantly, got ENGAGED!  Those are three valid reasons that explain my hiatus and I cannot be HAPPIER!  Can you recall me constantly repeating the ol' mantra, "Bodybuilding should enhance every aspect of your life"?  Well, it most certainly did.

My last progress update was June 22nd and I weighed in at a strong and fluffy 167.8 lbs.  Fast forward to today, 16 weeks later, I am happy to report that I am a much leaner 153.6 lbs.  There were weeks in between that I stayed at maintenance or just estimated calories to be at around maintenance during my 2-3 weeks of travel and vacationing, but I averaged about a pound of weight loss per week.  The slower the weight of weight loss, the less of the impact you feel from it.  Even today, at about 14 lbs. lighter, I still have not felt hungry, or overly fatigued.  Last year when I prepped for my first competition, I felt like turd at this body weight and I was much weaker and felt much more fatigued.

Here's a few snapshots of my transformation:

The original plan for a "Summer Shred" has gone longer than expected, but I'm okay with it!  I never imagined myself feeling this energetic and healthy at this point in the diet.  I haven't done anything too different since I began except slowly and steadily dropping calories.  I've also become MUCH more lenient with my fat and carbohydrate intake.  

Here are my priorities in my diet & nutrition:

#1 - Hit caloric goal (it is now 2300 calories)

#2 - At minimum, hit my protein requirement of 230g

#3 - If I have a high fat day, I decrease carbs; if I have a high carb day, I decrease fat; so long as #1 and #2 are met, carbs and fat can be pretty much anything

#4 - Food choices, meal frequency, meal timing is irrelevant 

...And that's it!  Sure, my PR's in my main lifts have dropped a bit, but that's to be expected on a cut, especially after being in a caloric deficit since what -- March?  April?  Damn!  A few learnings though...

I am an individual that when keeping carbs high, the rate of fat loss is slowed; thus I have to incorporate days where I am essentially doing keto (carbs less than 100g).  I love keeping carbs high because of it's direct effect on performance.  When carb intake is high, you feel stronger, fuller, and when lean, look better!  So I mix in days of keto with days of high carb.  For example, this is typically how my week looks like:

SATURDAY:  Carb load at ~3200 calories -- drop protein intake to 1g of protein per lb. of bodyweight and drop fats to maximize carb intake -- it looks something like 150g P / 500g C / 50g F.  Since the calorie level is probably higher than my maintenance level, I need to keep fats as low as possible to avoid possible fat storage.  In "The Ketogenic Diet," Lyle recommends a cap of 88g fat when carb loading.  Someone of my size (since I'm only 5'6" and weighing in the 150s), is not recommended to surpass 65g fat.  I train LEGS with a focus on DEADLIFTS on this day.
SUNDAY: 2300 calories -- but is my rest day, and a day that I like to allow more freedom in my macros so I can balance my life and allow myself to eat out with my Fiancee and friends.  As long as I meet 150g of protein, carbs and fats can be whatever it ends up being, so long as I do not surpass the 2300 calorie threshold.
MONDAY: 2300 calories -- PUSH DAY - CHEST / SHOULDERS / TRICEPS.  I am replenished with glycogen and am rested from the previous 2 days.  I will keep carbs under 100g and do something like a keto day.  Carbs can be as low as 50g, but I shoot for anything under 100g.  My macros can look like 230g P / 50g C / 120g F.  As mentioned, I am lenient with hitting macros.  So long as I meet my protein and caloric goals, and carbs are under 100g, then I fill in the remainder of my calories with fat.
TUESDAY: 2300 calories - PULL DAY - BACK / BICEPS.  I will continue to repeat the diet from Monday.
WEDNESDAY: 2300 calories - LEGS - SQUAT FOCUS.  I will continue to repeat the diet from Monday, but if I feel like I need a boost of energy, I'll maximize my carb intake.  230g P / 220g C / 50g F.  Same principle on being lenient.  I like to go through this being as flexible and organic as possible as long as I meet my over arching goal of 0.5 - 1.0 lbs. of fat loss per week while keeping gym performance as high as possible.
THURSDAY: Repeat Monday training, but will high carb it if I feel like it's necessary.
FRIDAY: Repeat Tuesday training, but will high carb it if I feel like it's necessary.
SATURDAY: ...the cycle repeats.

On the subject of keto and low carb, did you know that the brain uses approximately 100g of carbs for fuel per day?  I spent idle time reading while travelling and I read various publications by Lyle McDonald like "The Ultimate Diet 2.0, "A Guide to Flexible Dieting," and "The Ketogenic Diet."  I find it absolutely fascinating when the mechanics of the body is explained scientifically.  If you have not read any of these publications, I highly recommend it!  If you google them, you can find free PDF versions of them.  And as always, question everything but keep your mind open.  I consider all anecdotal facts in diet, nutrition, and training; and will try it before I knock it.

Anyway, until next time!  The quest for ab veins continue... Cheers!