There are a bunch of people who are members here getting ready for contests right now, but I guess that you are all being shy little bunnies so far. For those of you who are in the thick of contest prep now feel free to let me know if you think I'm behind or offer any other suggestions. We all have a lot of company right now so we are not alone in our trials and tribulations!

I'm pleased that detail is starting to come in decently in some areas, but I'm still striving for more detail in others like my quads, hams and lower abs. Hopefully those areas will come in better as I get closer.

So far I'm really not feeling the effects of the low cals/lower carbs too seriously but I am beginning to lose a little steam in the gym mostly on the heavier movements for chest and legs. I've been able to tough it out so far but suspect that next week some weight or reps will start to fall off a bit. I try hard to stick with the same weights pre-contest and do not shift to more reps/lower weight as some do.

No cardio yet - hopefully I won't need to add it. Overall body weight is still dropping at a pace of about 1 lb a week.

Here are today's pics.:

http://f2.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/mdm24551/album?.dir=/faae

The old dog is still hanging in there... Going to have to decide if I just want to enter the masters category or if I want to throw caution to the wind and also cross over into the open. I may not decide that until show day.

Hey VA,

Looks like you're making great progress. Where's your BF at right now? Or are you just going by the mirror, sometimes I think that is just better. Any changes to your weight workouts yet?

VA, Looking good man! If I could make a suggestion, on your posing, keep your heels together more, point your toes out a bit, and sit on your legs more, if you know what I mean. And squeeze them! Theres more there than your showing. Keep it up, your on time.

Justin - I don't get my bf measured, I just go by the mirror. My guesstimate would be somewhere between 5 and 6% right now. I try to keep my training the same precontest with a few exceptions. I drop deadlifts once I get fairly lean as I feel that is an exercise where you can negatively impact joints/ligaments, etc especially when you are leaner. Starting about now, at 3 or 4 weeks out, I may lower the number of heavy sets on the big movements like leg press or benching but most of the other exercises stay at the same number of sets, reps and weights. They sure start to feel heavier though!

Bob - Good advice and I know better - set your legs and build the pose up from there - that does not mean that I always do it, however

Things were a bit rushed today, but I need to get those details down. My quads are always one of the last things to show more detail especially from the front. Wish that you were a bit closer to Lynchburg - I'd twist your arm to help me with practice posing. If you are going to be up this way in the next 2 weeks be sure to give me a shout! I used to fly out of Raleigh a lot, but not recently. I get down to the VA tidewater area frequently and into north eastern NC but not down to your area often.

Hey VA...One thing I have been doing this year that has helped deepen my quad separation is slow, strict leg extensions. I am on a 3 on 1 off cycle, 2 different workouts for each group. On the 1st leg day I do extensions last, heavy as possible, 12-15 reps. On the 2nd day, it's immediately following squats and it's 4 sets of 15 strict, slow in both directions and with a good squeeze at the top. After a set of these, I usually need about 10-15 secs to regain most motor function as these send my quads into a massive burning frenzy.

Unlike most of you, my legs come in early - for me it's everything else that comes in late and stresses me out. But, comparing progress from my previous show, and my training regimen, I believe these extensions are really helping.

Dwayne

Good detail, I am 2.5 weeks out and have about the same as you some skin on lower abs and back but fat coming off as I am on pretty agressive cardio and supp routine to get lean.

What are you doing diet and supp wise?
Food and MRP's?


What will be your color routine?

I am currently 2.5 weeks out and my upper body couldnt possibly get any tighter,my lower body is about 50% there.

Glad to hear from some of you other guys - I knew that you were out there! Sounds like you are each making good progress. Isn't it interesting how each person sees a different progression and how our bodies drop body fat from different areas at different times. I say "interesting" when in reality it drives a person a little nuts waiting for lagging body parts to fall in line!

Without going into all of the details diet wise I'm at about 2100 total k/cals a day this week Week 4)and will probably drop that by at least 200-300 k/cals a day for next week(week 3). Meals 2, 4 and 6 are one scoop US, one scoop MP eaten as a pudding mix next week I'll switch to 2 scoops of MP and drop the US. Whole food protein is 6 egg whites and one whole egg plus 6 oz tuna in meal one, and 8oz of 96% beef in meals 3 and 5.

How many total k/cals are you other guys consuming right now?

Supps pre-meal are 2GH, 2LO, 1 ER. With meals are 2 Mass, 3 Muscularity, 6 U-40. Glutamine select added in during training sessions about 4 scoops in water shaken and sipped during the w/o. 3 ZMA before bed.

I'm determined to get to a point this time where I have more definition in my quads and hams (hopefully glutes also). From what I am hearing from most others it is not unusual for detail to wait to appear in those areas until about 7-10 days out so I remain optimistic that it will happen but a little apprehensive.

Dwayne - I appreciate your suggestions on specific exercises but I'm pretty much of the thought that at this point in the game (less than 4 weeks out) that the primary things that will drive definition and conditioning are diet and supplements with training running in third place as a significant factor.

One day at a time...seems to crawl by when you are waiting for certain areas to lean out!

Right now here is my meal plan
1 9 egg white/1yolk, .75-.5 cup oats
2 Labrada leanbody low carb MRP
3 .5 cup oats
4 .5 pound lean turkey/beef, 2 cups broch
5 same as 2
6 same as 4
7 same as 2, sometimes with .2 pound turk and tomato

Supps:
4 Hot rox, AM and PM
4 U40 between meals
3 Muscularity between meals
5 GH Factor & 8 Muscle Synergy AM and PM
1 Tsp Flax oil in AM
4 Amino 1500 between meals
1 Superpak daily
3 Scoops Glut Select during training

Cardio:
3 days/wk 60 minutes split 30AM/PM
3 days/wk 20-25 HIIT

Training: by instinct mainly legs once upper body sometimes twice depends on how I feel

Result: getting tighter and haven't really lost much weight or size probably from the supps

VA...Agreed, just sharing experience (I have been doing those for the past 15 weeks). Anywho, currently weighing 199 at 2 weeks out, here's what I am eating, haven't calculated the total cals. And like you, just using mirror and Mark R's advice.

Meal 1 - 6 oz 99% lean turkey breast, 6 whites, 1/2 grapefruit
Meal 2 - 3 scoops MP
Meal 3 - 8 oz tilapia, 2 cups green beans
Meal 4 - 3 scoops MP
Meal 5 - 8 oz tilapia, spinach salad (spinach, onion, cucumbers, red wine vinegar and splenda as dressing)

Every 4th day replace Meal 5 with carb up.

Forgot the supps....

Pre Meals - 3 LO, 2 ER
With Meals - (superpak meal 1), 6 U40, 4 Mass, 4 Muscularity (ultra c with meal 5)
Dropped GS at 3 weeks out
CS - 2 scoops/day (before and after training)
15 Muscle Mass during training and cardio
24 Synergy on training days, 16 on off days
1 tsp flax with meal 1,5
3 caps fish oil meal 3
L-Tyrosine - 1000mg 3 times a day
Green Tea Extract - 1000mg 3 times a day
Coleus Forskilin - 25 mg 2 times a day
R+ALA - 150mg with 1st 4 meals
6 GH in AM and PM before bed

Cardio - 4 25 min HIIT (will increase to 30 min next week)

All training done on empty stomach.

Thanks Dwayne good supp program what is the Green tea, coleus, ala for?

Ok, i guess i'll chime in. I'm a little more than 2 wks out from the first and 4 wks from the second. Weight is hovering around 183. Will weigh-in at 176.25.

1- 6 egg whites, 5 oz ostrich or turkey breast, or buffalo or mix of any two, 1/2 grapefruit, 1 tsp fish oil
2- 2 scoops MP, 1 TBS 100% egg, 1 tsp fish oil
3- 8 oz lean meat (ostrich, turkey, buffalo, venison), 2 cups (12 oz) green beans
4- same as meal 2 minus fish oil
5- 8 oz tilapia, 2 cups green beans
6- 1 scoop MP, 1 scoop US, 1 scoop GS. On M/TH, standard carb meal in place of shake (i use white rice)

This saturday (2 wks out), will eliminate all shakes and use whole foods all day, every day.

Supps are many and include:
U-40
mass aminos
fish oil
acetyl l-tyrosine
GTF chromium
green tea extract
coleus forskilin
GH factor
l-carnitine
acetyl l-carnitine
Lean Out
ER
muscle mass
muscularity
antioxidants
glutamine select
super pak

Cardio is 6 days of HIIT (20 min) on semi-empty stomach. I take 2 scoops of GS and 10 muscle mass before cardio. Two days per week, i'll have two 20 min HIIT sessions. Weight training done after meal #3.

Last year, i began weight training much earlier in the day thinking i could utilize my fat stores as energy. However, i train so slowly (on purpose) that there is hardly any aerobic benefit for me to weight train on an empty or semi-empty stomach. My training is definitely an anaerobic adventure. Thus, i need as much muscle glycogen (as much as i can get from ~30g/day) available for training.

Thanks fitdoc
why go to all meals? just curious?
also, acetyl l-tyrosine
GTF chromium
green tea extract
coleus forskilin
what are the for and how do you use them?

thanks

E68..

Coleus:
Coleus Forskohlii is the only known natural source of the unique adenylate cyclase activating phytonutrient, Forskolin. Adenylate cyclase is the enzyme involved in the production of Cyclic Adenosine Monophosphate (cAMP), a very important energy molecule which has a positive effect on many biochemical processes in the body. The Cyclic AMP is the secondary hormone messenger which is essential to healing and energy. When cAMP is raised inside the cells, many changes occur, including increased thyroid function, and increased lipolysis (burning fat for fuel). Forskolin has also been shown to lower blood pressure, through its ability to relax arteries and veins. Studies validate the use of forskolin in maintaining cardiac, circulatory and respiratory health. America’s Finest brings you two potencies of Coleus Forskolli or Forskohlin. Forslean is a standardized root extract of Coleus forskohlii, an ancient Ayurvedic plant. Studies show that the use of standardized Coleus forskohlii may help to increase lean body mass and aid in weight management

Green Tea
Green tea is a natural source of antioxidants, which neutralize harmful molecules in the body known as free radicals. Researchers have found that epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), an antioxidant-like compound found in green tea, is over 200 times more powerful than vitamin E in neutralizing pro-oxidants and free radicals.


Studies have already shown that green tea may lead to a lower risk of skin, lung and prostate cancer, but now, it appears that the nutrient’s EGCG may be effective at lowering the risk of esophageal cancer. Researchers at Harvard Medical School and VA Boston Healthcare System found that EGCG effectively inhibited the growth and reproduction of esophageal cancer cells. It was found that EGCG induced “cell suicide,” preventing the cancerous cells from replicating. In addition, increased EGCG concentration led to a higher rate of cell suicide, with no harm to healthy cells.

In recent studies, green tea extract (standardized to 90 mg of EGCG) increased the 24-hour energy expenditure in human subjects, thus aiding in weight reduction. Plus, the antioxidants of green tea are also beneficial for the heart, as they help decrease levels of LDL ("bad") cholesterol. In addition, green tea contains a small amount of caffeine (1% or 5 mg), so it serves as a mild appetite suppressant.

r+ALA
http://www.r-lipoic.com/

Dwayne,
I noticed that your comp weight is similar to last years. I was wondering if added any lbm to that figure.
Matt

Matt..Actually I weighed 185 on stage last year. I am hoping to be around 190-192 this time around.

Hey all,

Never really done a show before and was wondering how many you guys usually do in a year? Also, when the off season comes what are usually your goals? Last one I promise. Do you find yourself competing more with yourself or the other competitors?

In addition to the supplements I listed originally I have also been taking Green Tea extract and ginger. During training I take 15 Muscle Mass in addition to the Glut Sel. At three weeks out I'll add in Muscle Synergy am and pm. Have been taking Ultra-4 but will switch soon to super pak as total k/cals get even lower.

Justin - I normally just do one show a year. I have considered doing two near each other in timing but that has never worked out. During the off-season I try to use a gaining/hardening cyclical diet to put on more LBM but also keep bf at a reasonable level. At my age (45) I'm pretty happy if I can add 1/2 to 1 lb of LBM a month over the long haul.

I really do try to compete against myself as far as adding LBM, presentation and mostly conditioning and this is how I can gague progress from year to year. You can't really gague progress if you compare yourself to others - it is an individual measure. I would be untruthful, however, if I also did not admit to wanting to do well in the particular contest. After all - to do this you have to be competitive by nature.

Dwayne - That info on coleus was great - if I did not know better I would have thought that you were reading it right off the bottle. You are one smart guiy when it comes to coleus!

Not sure if fitdoc or Dwayne win the award for "Most variety in supplements". I don't know about the rest of you - but at about 4 weeks out keeping track of what supp I want to take when starts to become a bigger and bigger challenge - the combination of more supps and less carbs and calories frequently leaves me standing in front of an open kitchen cabinet looking at a shelf full of supplements with a bit of a blank stare... and please don't interrupt me as I trying to sort it all out!

I was in a series of business meetings again today with a group of people who I did not know. I finally just said that I tend to get a bit hypo-glycemic if I don't eat often - it was a much easier explanation for my constant digging in my bag of goodies and then I did not have to try to be as discreet.

Dwayne wrote a good synopsis of why i include two of the supps on my list. The last paragraph in particular is the most commonly quoted piece of literature supporting the use of green tea and its extract for fat loss. For competition, i try to attack fat loss from as many angles as possible short of sympathetic stimulation (ie, ephedrine). The GTF chromium is a special type of chromium used to stabilize glucose levels. Tyrosine is an integral component of thyroid hormone production.

I switch to all meals at 2 wks out (which is an arbitrary number) simply for satiety reasons. Gastric emptying of solids is slower than liquids, so i use solid meals in the final couple weeks to help keep my appetite supressed. In my case, 2 scoops of MP + 1 TBS 100% egg nutritionally = about 6.5 oz of lean meat. The latter coupled with about 16 oz water seems to hold my appetite at bay longer than the shake. This being said, beverly protein powders can and are used all the way to (and including) the day of competition. I've used MP throughout my entire contest prep in the past.

To answer Justin's questions, i usually compete twice per year. My off-season goals are to add as much lean muscle mass as possible while minimizing fat gain. Frankly, when i compete, i'm competing to win. While competitive bodybuilding is technically a hobby since i dont earn a paycheck from competition, my goal is to advance as far as possible up the ranks of the NPC. Competition against oneself is inherent in contest prep, but honestly, i compete to win. I also use each show as a learning experience for subsequent competitions.