This upcoming Sunday the 31st will mark 14 weeks out from my first bodybuilding contest. I stand at 5'7 about 185lbs. My plan is to step on stage between 170-175 shredded. I get my bodyfat checked every other week using the 7-site method. Last checked I was 186lbs at 7.6% bodyfat. I am currently in Phase 1B of the precontest diet and use 1.5 scoops Muscle Provider pre-training and 3 scoops Mass Maker and 1 scoop Muscle Provider post-training. I train with weights 5 times per week going as heavy as I can but still maintaining proper form. I squat 315 for reps, deadlift 315 for reps, incline press 225 for reps, and can do weighted pull-ups with a 25lb weight for reps. All clean form. I focus on bettering my workouts every week by increasing poundage, reps, decreasing workout time, or increasing calories expended. Should I be going heavier? I plan to cut out Mass Maker and replace it with 1 scoop Ultimate Muscle Protein at 10-12 weeks out. Am I on the right track? My show is May 8th 2010.

It sounds like you are right on track. 7.6 at 14 weeks out gives you plenty of time to get down lower without losing much muscle. As long as your training is progressive you will be fine. Most people find that 8-12 reps is best for hypertrophy. Good luck in preparing for your first contest.

@KHunt...

Thank you. My rep range is about 8-12 on most lifts. Some lifts I may go up to 13-15 reps and some I may drop down to 6 reps. For cardio, I have been doing 2-3 days per week for 20 minutes. When the weather gets warmer I incorporate tire flips, sprints, and car pushes into my cardio workout. I am hoping this works. This is all new to me. I will be forever grateful for your support. Pardon me, I now have to eat my 2 cans of tuna, low sodium relish, and homemade hummus.

The rep range is perfect. Keep most sets between 8-12 but its great to occasionaly go up or down a little bit to shock the muscle. Keep your cardio schedual the same as long as you are continuing to lose fat. However as soon as fat loss stals I would add another day of cardio or up the session time.

Currently less than 12 weeks out. Bodyweight is about 185-186. Still using phase 1B in the manual. Bodyfat is down to less than 6%. Planning to compete as a natural middleweight. Any suggestions?

Great job, everything seems to be working perfect. You must not be losing much muscle if your weight has stayed the same but your body fat has dropped almost 2 percent! Thats what you want. At this point I would take out the Mass Maker, if I knew your exact diet plan it would be easier to recomend other adjustments. Keep up the good work.

@ khunt

Meal 1- 2 scoops UMP, 1 Mp, 2 Tbsp nut butter, 1/4 cup oatmeal
Meal 2- 2 eggs, 1/2 cup egg whites, 6 oz sweet potato, 8 oz lean protein
Meal 3- 8 oz lean protein, 3/4- 1 cup brown rice, 1-2 cups vegetables
Meal 4- 8 oz lean protein, 1-2 cups vegetables OR 1/2 cup egg whites, 4 oz lean protein
Meal 5- 8 oz lean protein, 1-2 cups vegetables
Meal 6- 2 scoops UMP, 1/2 cup water, 2 tbsp heavy whipping cream or 2 tbsp nut butter

This is not etched in stone, I may change up things a bit but keep the macronutrients exactly the same.

I can see my abs clearly however I do have a thick waist which needs to be steamlined. I also have great legs. My quads are defined and are getting better week by week. I do need to get my glutes up and defined with lines. If you send me your email address I can send over pictures.

I drink 1.5 gallons of water per day and my sum of 6 is 36.5. My supscap pinch is a 10, my goal for showtime is to get it down to a 7. I have taken Mass Maker out at week 14. Daily carb intake is about 75-95 with refeeds on Sun and Wed (about 175g carbs in 6th meal), protein is about 300-350, and fats are about 60-70 per day. Strength is still going up, although I am not a heavy lifter to begin with, my weights are still increasing each week.

Cardio is done 20 mins 4 days per week on an empty stomach. I also do 10 min cardio as a warm up for my strength workouts (5 times per week). A 5th cardio session is done mid-day on Sundays.

Any suggestions?

Email me at salazarcpt@yahoo.com