First Contest Prep Log!

[Jaredia123]

Well I tried this last year, but moving and a wedding changed plans. I'm doing it now! I work at a gym and have a free membership, so there's NO reason to not do a show.
I'm shooting for late 2009. This gives me plenty of time to prep and lose some of my well earned "fat". I have two shows in mind right now...
first - OCB Midwest States DeKalb, IL Nov. 2009
second - Musclemania Midwest Chicago, IL Oct. 2009

If anyone has any other show that they know of in late 2009 around the Illinois/Indiana area, let me know.
I'll get some pics and workouts up on here tomorrow. Current stats are 210 lbs., 6'00 tall, 18 inch arms, 16 inch calves. I wear size 34 pants, but it seems that my midsection is where I retain all of my fat.
My goals for this year of training is to drastically reduce belly fat, bring up my legs, and do a slow cut for the year, to save the muscle that I do have.
I have never seen abs on myself and would love to do a bodybuilding show to see what I can do if I put my mind into it.
My wife and I are expecting our first baby in Feb. 09' and this will be a challenge juggling everything, which is why I need to do this log and need the motivation and support from people like me who love bodybuilding!

I worked out today Chest and Tri's
-bench press 135x20 slow, 225x7 slow, 225x5 slow (by slow i mean slow way down, 2 second rest, drive through the top)
-pec deck 30x12 45x12 60x10
-tricep overhead extensions (single arm) 30x12 35x12 40x10
-chest squeeze invert (an invention of my own where i just pull two weights across my chest and squeeze my pec till it burns)
- tricep push down 65x12 65x12 65x12
-dips 15x3
-grip up pull downs - 65x12 65x12 65x12

then 25 minutes, fast pace elliptical, 2.5 miles (I am having really bad shin splints on the treadmills so I have found that I am really good at the elliptical)
I take NoXplode 1.5 scoops before my workout and down a BodyFortress protein shake after my cardio (one scoop)
I eat 2 chicken breasts a day, oatmeal, tuna, salmon, my problem is major carb foods. Like eating a full Digiorno rising crust pizza in one sitting :/ but i'm definitely getting better.
I'm done having this belly and ready for some rock hard abs.
Well thanks for reading and i'll update this alot!

[Blazed]

Herro, its actually mind boggling how similar your stats are to mine, height, weight, even measurements. And goals too, I too am looking to compete towards the end of 2009. Hopefully we can keep each other motivated. Best of luck on your prep. The hard work WILL pay off.

[str8flexed]

ocb midwest states in dekalb in november.

also the NANBF Great lakes states show in nov. in university park

[Jaredia123]

just got back from Legs and Shoulders! woooo...i'm beat. Downed some protein and let the dogs out.
heres how the workout looked.

Shoulders - press (25,30,35x12), side and front raises (15,20,25 x10-12 single arm) shrugs (100lb. dumbbells 3x12)

legs - wide squats 135lbsx15 3 sets. Deep and slow. (thats what she said..-.Michael Scott (the office) lol)
leg press - i started doing what I call 40's. which is 3 sets of 40 different pushes. Calf raises, wide stance, close, and standard. I do 40 in a row, break for 2 minutes then do it again. 4 plates, 2 each side.
Calf raises - 3x20
Leg extensions - 100lbs 3sets of 12 holding for 3 seconds at the top and inverting my feet at the top.

Then today I also did abs, I just did 10 minutes of any ab exercises I could think of.
My wife and I have practice tonight at our church, I play drums or guitar on sunday's. So before practice I'm gonna go do my 2.5 miles on the elliptical.

Blazed - Man I was looking at your log and I was blown away by how close our stats are too! It is gonna be a great journey to the end of 09!!! We gotta keep each other motivated for sure. I watched "Bigger, Stronger, Faster" last night, and I was pumped!

Layne - I'm definitely gonna have to go to some of the shows around this area before late next year. I've never been to a show before and I heard that its a great experience to see it first hand before competing. You've done AWESOME with your Team Norton! Hopefully I can see it in action soon. Let me know if anyone's competing anytime soon and I'll have to show up to it.

Well I should get going, my bulldog looks like she's hungry lol. Adios

[str8flexed]

this weekend in dekalb at the egyption theater... we have 11 members of the team competing :)

[Jaredia123]

this weekend in dekalb at the egyption theater... we have 11 members of the team competing :)

I gotta work this weekend. Well good luck to everyone competing, especially Team Norton!

Well I haven't taken any pictures since August, but here's some from then.
The first is a two year difference. The 2nd a back double bi 2 years ago, 3rd back double bi - Aug. 08.

[Joe Go]

I gotta work this weekend. Well good luck to everyone competing, especially Team Norton!

Well I haven't taken any pictures since August, but here's some from then.
The first is a two year difference. The 2nd a back double bi 2 years ago, 3rd back double bi - Aug. 08.

You come a long way. Trim down and lets see the final results. Good luck! It'll be a life changing experience.

[Blazed]

Good leg session mate. DO work son!

[Jaredia123]

Good leg session mate. DO work son!

Oh you know it man!
I've definitely lost some more fat since August. Just gotta have my wife take some pictures of me.
Today I have a Bi's and Tri's day. I've found what works for me and I'm running with it. I try to split up my week like this: 1 - Chest & Tri's , 2 - Back & bi's , 3 - Legs & Shoulders, 4 - Bi's & Tri's , 5 - Back , 6 - Chest , 7 - Legs & Shoulders.
Then I take a day or two off, depending on how my body is responding.
I don't lift really heavy, especially Legs. I tore my ACL, MCL, and most of the cartilage is gone in my right knee. So I try not to go over 10 plates on the press and 225 on Squats. But no excuses, just gotta hit it smart & strong.

Joe Go: thanks for the comment man! Yeah I know that I gotta hit it hard before the baby comes, cause then everything changes. But there's a nursery here, so he'll learn to enjoy the gym just like his daddy. lol

[Jaredia123]

took these today, just woke up. relaxed, besides the back on two.

[Jaredia123]

just wondering if I have a build to attain this physique? i know i'm not anywhere near this level. just trying to imagine where i'm gonna be for my first show in 52 weeks.

[bwelch1985]

just wondering if I have a build to attain this physique? i know i'm not anywhere near this level. just trying to imagine where i'm gonna be for my first show in 52 weeks.

You can be BETTER than that guy! Never put limits on yourself. Genetics play a role in this sport, but hard work and dedication play a MUCH bigger role! Can't wait to see your continued progress.

[Jaredia123]

You can be BETTER than that guy! Never put limits on yourself. Genetics play a role in this sport, but hard work and dedication play a MUCH bigger role! Can't wait to see your continued progress.

thanks man! words of encouragement are helping me not to indulge in candy and crap tonight. I'm working overnights as a dispatcher here at the police department and it's easy to just eat bad stuff here.
well I did bi's and tri's yesterday, arms are still right at 18 inches pumped, which to me they seem small but I know that it's just height and bodyfat giving me no definition.
today i did back. Bent over rows 135x20 3 sets. 100lb. dumbbell single arm rows 3 sets X 10. Lat pull down 150 x 12 3 sets, seated rows pulling slow and low, trying to really stretch my back and widen the lats.
Back has definitely been the most fun bodypart for me to work on, i've always been intrigued when the pro's do a rear lat spread! Friggin wings!
well tommorow I will do light chest and legs, cause my sleep is gonna be thrown off for a couple days.

Everyone at the gym says they can tell a difference in my gut. So i'll take their word for it, but still bust my a$$ on the cardio and abs.

[Blazed]

Bro you have the potential to look way better than that guy. Looking at your pics I can tell that we are around the same BF% as well currently.

I hope we can use this as a good motivational tool man. You have the same time frame, build, stats, etc. You are stronger then me in the bench and upper body I think I have you on legs but you explained about your leg issues. Can't wait to see how this goes for both of us.

How long are you planning on cutting on? Do you think you will do a 4-5 month bulk before starting prep? Just curious as to what approach you are taking as far as getting the LBM high and getting into shape in time for a fall show.

[Jaredia123]

You guys are all awesome! Blazed, i'm gonna try to lose about 0.5-0.6 lbs. of fat every week. 52 weeks = 26-30 lbs of fat. Hopefully gaining 8-10 lbs of muscle during that time as well.
I have a feeling that it will take me the whole 52 weeks of slow cutting to get me to where I want to be. I've never had abs and don't want to risk gaining back bodyfat after a cut.
As for my workouts, they have been great the last few days. Today was Legs and Shoulders, I really pushed my self on legs and I could tell because I put on my jeans afterwards and they were really tight around my quads. Shoulders were good too, just not as needed as a good leg day. On Saturday night after Chest I ran 5 miles on the elliptical and then yesterday I had bi's & tri's and I jogged/ran 3 miles. I'm gonna try to go back again tonight to do some cardio and abs. I know that this is a little overkill to some but it's really keeping me on track. I have a hard time losing fat and i'm gonna be ripped in 52 weeks, then I can post an awesome before and after transformation.
One of my buddies up at the gym has been asking me about bodybuilding lately, so i'm really trying to get a good workout partner who's in it for the same thing as me.
Well i'm gonna take some pics this week and hopefully won't go into a turkey coma. lol
Stay strong

[Blazed]

Good to hear man. I think we can both get fairly lean by mid/end of january. From there on I think a little bulk or recomp definitely wouldn't hurt. I'm shooting to drop a lb of fat a week till mid january and then slowly bulk for 16 weeks or so until I have to start preping 16-20 weeks out.

[coloBB]

subbed! Good luck with your prep man

[stayfit2008]

Looking at your thread you seem to have your bases covered,..Good things to come! the more you stay focused the easier it will be.

[Jaredia123]

thanks guys! Yes, I'm really motivated this time around.
Today was Back and I did light Bi's
Lat pulldowns 100x20, 150x12, 180x10, 180x8
One arm seated lat row x10 each arm 40, 50, 60lbs
straight arm lat pull down, lat squeeze? with curl bar

curls (hammer, regular, peak squeeze?) , seated bi's extension

Then after that I raced one of my buddies on the eliptical. he was holding 2lb weights and I was holding 3 lb weights. He won, sadly, he had a lower incline but I still wanted to win. He went 2.5 miles and I went 2.4, 25 minutes total. Then we went up to the grocery store and got some Natural protein drink and a couple of 15 gram protein bars. It helps alot having someone push you alittle, cause our gym is really small and geared towards cardio and classes. I did an abdominal/thigh the other day and saw four abs and was stoked!! but it went away after I drank some water lol.
I'm bustin my baIIs though, so expect a sick shredded beast next year!
God speed.

[Jaredia123]

Well I did Chest yesterday. Then my wife and I went to target and I got some ankle weights, I am a complete dork (lol) but I really want to do anything that will make my legs bigger.
So I went back to the gym after that and did 2.5 miles elliptical,with the (2.5 lbs per weight = 5lbs total) weights on my wrists. Then did 2.2 miles incline speed walk on the treadmill with the weights on my ankles. I can really tell that this is gonna help.
Today I scorched my legs. Seated press 6 plates X 20, 8 X 15, 10 X 12, 10 X 12. Then front squats 135 X 12 (3 sets). Leg extensions and no weight deep lunges around the gym. I wore work boots for this workout and it seemed to help in my squats! I was able to keep my feet flat really easy. After about 45 minutes of my good leg workout I went and got some life water and protein bars!
My wife said that she really noticed me losing fat, so I think she'll be my caliper rather than my own eyes.
Stay motivated and Happy Thanksgiving!

[Jaredia123]

I took my day off yesterday. It was a well deserved rest for my body!
I did work at the gym though and I think that a couple of guys that I work out with and me are going to try to go out to the Arnold Classic. It's like a 6 hour drive from where we live and it sounds like it'll be great motivation for this upcoming year. I'm really trying to convince them to do the OCB midwest show with me next year! Two of the guys are in their 40's and one could easily win the Masters trophy. He's a brick house, 20-21 inch arms, HUGE everything else too, lifetime natural.
Well today I'm gonna start my routine back up again. Back and Bi's. I noticed I started losing fat and muscle a little too much by doing too much cardio. So i'm gonna just do 2.5 miles every other day. I think that i'll be able to keep more muscle mass this way, cause I don't have a ton to spare. :)
I'll keep everyone posted on how my workouts are going.
peace out

[Blazed]

If you go to the Arnold Classic I will see you there. I go every year with a bunch of friends from all over the country off another board. Usually about 15-20 of us. Its always a good time. First weekend in March. Plane tickets from NY are usually about 130 round trip and Hotel ends up being 30/night per person in double rooms.

If you are worried about preserving LBM try HIIT as opposed to solid state cardio! I feel you on this too brothaman. At our height its a battle to get filled out.

[Cape1]

just wondering if I have a build to attain this physique? i know i'm not anywhere near this level. just trying to imagine where i'm gonna be for my first show in 52 weeks.

Congrats on competing! Nothing like it. You have a great base to work with so bring it all the way down and see how you look. Do yourself a favor and compare yourself to nobody. Beleive me, I did this too. First time out it's a mystery what you'll look like and you just want to know. Bottom line: you wont know until you get there. 52 weeks is a loooong time bro. Take it nice and slow but be consistent. You'll be awsome in the end!!

[Jaredia123]

Thanks cape and blazed! Yeah man its been great lately, got a good workout partner who's going to do the same show with me and go to the Arnold Classic! And now posing in the mirror with someone else doesn't make me look like a "complete" idiot. lol
Yesterday we did chest and tri's.
Decline press, incline flies, dumbbell press, pec deck, cable crossovers.
One arm overhead, kick backs, skull crushers, cable pull downs.
Then we jump roped for about 10-15 minutes.
Today I went at it alone. Legs and shoulders. OUCH!
Leg press, front squat, wide squat, leg extensions, hamstring curl, lunges.
Shoulder press, dumbbell press, side/front raises, light shrugs.
WOO..then I ate some mashed potatoes and ham. mmm.
Tomorrow I plan on doing just abs and cardio because my body is SORE! Haven't been sore in a while, so I enjoy the feeling cause I know that it means i'm getting leaner and meaner. :)

I'm so thankful to everyone on here! I've run into quite a few big guys lately at my gym that have noticed my cutting and posing, some think it funny and some are really interested. Working at the gym makes it easier for me to kind of take over and put on good music and turn off the overhead fans during cardio.
I bought bags of salmon, talapia, chicken; cans of tuna, peanut butter...lol my wife does like the fact that I don't want any mcdonalds or fast food crap anymore. it just doesn't taste good to me anymore, and makes my bathroom trips not so fun haha.
50 weeks and counting!!! hooaahh

[Blazed]

w00t, sounds like things are going great. I'll see you in March then bro. I will be attending the Arnold Classic for sure. Lets see who is bigger and leaner by then ;)

[Jaredia123]

w00t, sounds like things are going great. I'll see you in March then bro. I will be attending the Arnold Classic for sure. Lets see who is bigger and leaner by then ;)
haha!! I love it! yeah man we'll have to hang out and get tons of free supplements. :)

[Blazed]

Definitely. And that's 12 weeks away. I'm hoping to be pretty lean by then.

[Jaredia123]

An update...things have been going pretty good lately! Some cheat meals here and there, but I'm looking alot better in the mirror and in the gym. I've really been focusing on my form and squeeze during my lifts and my cardio has changed from long runs to fast pace sprints and high incline jogs. My legs have come up alot, the tear drops are alot deeper and the quads are getting wider...i think they were around 27-28 inches the last time I did legs..? don't quote me on that but they were 26 inches cold 2 weeks ago and I'm pretty sure they get really pumped on my leg days.
anyways the fat is slowly leaving my stomach, and i'm torn because I want abs already but I know I gotta take it slow. :( Obliques are killing today because of my ab routine last night, lots of twist's with medicine balls.

My supplements could prolly be better but I just don't have the money to afford the best of the best. I'm currently taking NoXplode and Body Fortress Protein (wal-mart cheap-o), Amino Acids, Fish Oil, Multi-Vitamin (meg man multi).
Eating lots of chicken, tuna, salmon, veggies, need to go get some more rice though.
My cheat meals are usually Arby's, which my wife just LOVES. lol so...processed beef..mmmm. :)
Well, I am for sure doing the Nov. 21st OCB Midwest 2009!!!! I'll prolly be going up against some Team Norton "Phenoms"! but very much looking forward to starting my long career as a bodybuilder. I honestly have great confidence that I could go Natural Pro in the next 3-4 years. My weaknesses right now are my legs slightly and my mid section, which will be gone in about 3-4 months.
WNBF or NANBF, I personally want to go up against the best and have the most fun, so i'll have to find out what suits my needs best.
I'm pumped today because I weighed in at 207 and my 32" pants are getting alot looser on me! Four pack in the morning and two pack by night, lol. Sorry for the rambling, it's the post Xplode talking. :)
Training Hard -

[Blazed]

Nice, glad to hear things are going well. Do me a solid, measure your waist with a tape measure, around the widest part, usually around the naval/love handles. Let me know what it is. I am just trying to get a comparison since we have very similar builds, mesaure the chest and bi's too son. Its good for tracking progress.

[Jaredia123]

Nice, glad to hear things are going well. Do me a solid, measure your waist with a tape measure, around the widest part, usually around the naval/love handles. Let me know what it is. I am just trying to get a comparison since we have very similar builds, mesaure the chest and bi's too son. Its good for tracking progress.

arms: 17.5" cold
stomach: 37.5" after a big meal :(
calves: 16" cold
thigh: 26" cold

not too happy with myself cause I ate some pizza, dammit. had a perfect day then come home to the sweet smell of pizza. :/
well tomorrow I have Chest and Tri's then i'm gonna scorch my abs and cardio. hooaahhh

Looks like things are going really good for you bro, oh and thanks for the add on Facebook. lol

[Blazed]

Your waist is almos the same size as mine, I measured 37 this morning. Arms almost the same size too, thats scary lol. Thighs same size, you beat me on calves i think.

[Jaredia123]

this is good man, cause when we see each other at the Arnold Classic we can see what we really look like, without the mirror!
Yeah my waist was down to about 37 this morning too.
I used to have small chicken legs but suddenly the weight lifting has really brought them up. Legs twice a week for me is a must cause I don't wanna be able to fit into any of my jeans by show time.

[Blazed]

Great goals lol. Arnold classic is soon, I will have a 6 pack by then.

[Jaredia123]

some new pics today, leg day...felt weak :(

[Jaredia123]

here's my arms, shows measure - 17.3-17.5? cold but flexed

[Blazed]

Lookin swole man. Can't wait to see what you got hiding under there. Every % you drop should be very exciting.

[ConLaV]

good luck buddy!

[Jaredia123]

Took a day off yesterday and got some more chicken and rice to make it through the holidays! :)
My workout today was Back, Bi's, & Quads. no cardio.
I'm starting to do just HIIT (bike & elliptical), the shins just won't do the treadmill anymore.
Basically just slow results, nothing really that can be seen in a picture. Pants are getting looser.
I know I haven't been writing in here that much, but it's just been busy getting ready for Christmas and my wife and my first baby. So lots of nursery painting and stuff.
I'll keep everyone up to date as much as I can, and I've been alot better with food and snacks lately.
My weight today was 208 but I know that i've lost a couple pounds of fat, so it feels good!

[Blazed]

We need an update slacker.

[Jaredia123]

alright alright...my wife and I had our baby boy, 7lbs. 9oz. & 20.6" long, Feb. 12th @ 12:01pm . Workouts, sleep, and bodybuilding foods have been hard to come by...but its getting better. Definitely gained some fat from not eating well this past month :(
weight is 210, workouts haven't been fully there in a month, however I have my wife's "full blessing" on hitting it hard again! lol. And for those of us that are married, I can attest to the fact that if she's not happy neither am I. So here we GO.
Blazed, YOU ARE A BEAST! I can't wait to feel a completely motivated workout again!
I've been averaging 4-6 hours of sleep per night, which I hear is pretty good for the first few weeks.
Cardio and Diet are going to have to be my main priorities right now, so keep me motivated guys, its sweat'n time

[Work-Hard]

Congrats on the little one, brother. My wife and I just had our first in July, a little girl. The sleeping thing is tough, but as time goes on all of you will start sleeping better. Plus, nothing is more motivating than wanting to give that baby something to brag about when they are older, or coming home and seeing their face light up. Again, congrats.

[Jaredia123]

thanks work-hard! yeah, being a dad is the best feeling in the world. I can't wait till his friends are like "Woh, your dad is HUGE!" :)
Last night I had a really good workout, there were some big guys at the gym so it helped me stay motivated. Had chest and tri's-

Flat bench (halves, touch chest then half way up then down again)- 135 x 25, 225 x 9, 245 x 3, 135 x 20. felt kinda weak tonight.
Incline dumbells - 90's x 12, 90's x 10, 80 x 12.
Flat dumbells - 50 x 20, 75 x 15, 80 x 10
Pec Dec - 3 sets of 10-12 60-90lbs

Overhead single tricep (each arm)- 30lb x 15, 40 x 12, 45 x 8
Skullcrushers - 70lbs 3 sets of 12
Pulldown tricep 3 sets of 12
Reverse pulldown tricep 3 sets 12

Usually i'm pushing around some more weights but I can tell a difference on a good day of eating and sleeping. But we gotta take what we get. Tonight is going to be Legs and Shoulders, one of my buddies who might do the show with me is really working hard on his legs as well, so, it should be a kick a$$ workout tonight!
Oh and last night we ran on the treadmill for 2 miles after the workout, it felt GREAT to get my heart pumping and body sweating again! Will post some pics when I get some time. Later.

[Jaredia123]

Alright I'm back!! 6 months and counting to the OCB Midwest...Nov. 21st. Plenty of time for me to get this thing into high gear.
My son is now 3 months and is starting to sleep more during the night, until he starts teething of course. Workouts have been slightly strained, I was doing a police testing and I tore my shins due to shin splints (i had no chance to stay off of my feet). I have 8 more weeks of no rigorous cardio but I have been eating better and training well. Weight is hovering at 206-208. Lost a lot of strength because of focusing on the police officer testing.
This morning I walked a mile and now i'm working here at the gym from 8-12 then dispatch 3-11. Gonna try to get an arm workout at noon then bring some resistance bands to the police station with me for tonight.
Thinking about getting P90X because i'm having a hard time with my body hitting a wall.
Any ideas?
Kinda ranting...but it's good to be back on the forums and on track. Later

[Jaredia123]

Just so everyone knows, I haven't fallen off the wagon. Still hitting it hard 5-6 times a week. It's very different training now, been doing some P90X which has been great for working up a sweat. I have kind of tailored it more to a bodybuilding workout rather than fitness...but yeah working pretty good. I picked up alot more hours of working here at the gym so I have no reasons for not working out. lol
Yesterday everyone in the gym was really unmotivated, so I hit up an hour and a half of low intensity cardio (treadmill & recumbent) then did 30 minutes of Quads & Hams. Turned it into a really motivating day.
Tonight my wife and I are going to do some P90X, probably Chest & Back. She's getting really motivated as well, which is helping me alot. She's tough, so it should be fun working out together!
Well I will try to keep this thing updated, even if no one reads it. I want to be able to look back at it and see the progression.
Later

[Blazed]

I've been following since day one bro!

Keep us posted on your progress from time to time. Are you still competing this fall?