Contest prep for my first show

[proud_polack]

It's 11:45 P.M. on August 24th. The show is November 13th, I'm 11 weeks and 3 days away from the stage. This is my first show that I'm training for and I'm really anticipating it. I'm putting forth my best despite a rigorous course schedule (being a chemistry major at a science school does get hard now and then). Currently at 168 pounds at 7.5% bodyfat. Got there by eating 7 clean meals a day at 2.5-3 hours apart. Had clean starchy carbs at each meal and fat was somewhat unmonitored. Now I'm still at 7 meals a day, but only 3 contain carbs (breakfast, pre and post workout) for a total of 120 grams. Using green beans, lettuce, and spinach as my fillers. I just made a meal spreadsheet to track my numbers. I am going for 12-13 calories per pound with 50% protein, 30% fat, 20% carbs.
Lifting schedule will be
Monday-Quads, hamstrings, abs
Tuesday-chest and back
Thursday-Shoulders Traps, Calves
Friday-Arms and Abs
I'll have the spreadsheet attached separately for my own convenience to save time from typing
Cardio will start Saturday September 4th and cardio days up until 6 weeks out will be Saturday, Sunday, Wednesday. Cardio will be 3 MPH walking on incline set to 15.0 for 20 minutes for the first 3 weeks, then moved to 30.
I plan on uploading my diet (everything from foods, portions, macros) and lifting and cardio data here. Weekly picture updates should be on my bodyspace as well.
Feel free to post motivation and critique as I need both.

[Blazed]

II'm in. Polska moznosc!

[proud_polack]

Every day I take Animal Pak upon waking up, NOW Beta-Alanine 6 grams a day (2 grams pre, then 1 gram at breakfast, meal 3, post workout, and before bed), 5 grams of Dymatize micronized creatine pre workout and post workout, and Animal PM half an hour before meal 7. Animal Omega is counted in one of my meals. As a general note, I don't count my greens into my macros. My diet is attached, and below are some comments about it

Diet felt pretty good today. Got into a rush to make it to my Lab Prep TA training so I quickly added two whole eggs to the 4 oz. of ground turkey I had not thinking of my fat count for the rest of the day. I had a little more fat than I had intended but my total calories came out to ballpark of 2200. I'm shooting for about 2150 give or take.


And my lifting Data is attached as well. If there is an 's after the number, that means I used a pair of the dumbbells. Example, shoulder press I have 80's meaning I used an 80lb dumbbell in each hand for a total of 160 pounds (don't want to look like I'm using light weights). All of my lifts felt pretty solid. A few cheat reps towards the end of my 3rd set on a few exercises, but form was good, felt a good pump and overall had a good workout. I've been having a soreness in my right shoulder the past few days, I think I slept on it weird the other night but it's not debilitating in anyway (as of now at least). I also noticed I'm mentally tired due to carb restriction, hopefully I adapt but on a positive note I sleep really heavy thanks to it. Will continue to post one day at a time. Thanks for reading

[proud_polack]

Just noticed I left the totals blank on my excel doc for diet. Protein was 257, Fat was 81.5, Carbs were 114, Calories were 2217.5

[proud_polack]

Yesterday was 8-26-10. The data for my lifting and my diet are attached. I relied on an extra shake and tbsp of natural peanut butter since I was seeing a movie and can't easily sneak a whole food meal in my girlfriend's purse. Other than that not a bad day since I was under 2200 calories. Lifting felt pretty solid. I went a little heavier on barbell curls (95 pounds) to switch things up a bit. Tried doing a 4x6 at that weight, last set ended up at 4 reps, but I'm not disappointed. I didn't sleep as well as I normally did. I was staying over my girlfriend's and her living room couch was much warmer than my apartment where my bed is right next to the air conditioner which is set at a constant 66 degrees. Overall, not a bad day. Thank you to the people that opened up my previously attached data as well, means a lot to me.
-Mike

[proud_polack]

Haven't updated this in a week or so since hardly anyone is viewing it. I actually want to remove the thread but I can't find the option for it. For anyone actually viewing this and wanting to follow my progress, just check my bodyspace for any updates. Thanks
-Mike

[proud_polack]

Changed my mind. Figured I'd update this with any changes to my meals and if weights changed up from any of my workouts. I got my food scale in my apartment today! Also created a fitday account so I can accurately calculate calories in my steaks. Diets been pretty solid since my last data sheet post. I've been 2200 calories or a few less each day with one exception. Last night my natural peanut butter jar was almost empty, so instead of the 1 TBSP I have before bed, I had about 2-2.5 = / no serious regrets though considering crazy richard's natural peanut butter is incredible. Will keep posting for anyone that reads.
-Mike

[wrkoutfrq]

no reason to stop keeping a journal just because nobody seems to be reading it... it should be for you to keep track rather than everyone else...

good luck with everything!

[jrm868s]

no reason to stop keeping a journal just because nobody seems to be reading it... it should be for you to keep track rather than everyone else...

good luck with everything!

This.

[proud_polack]

Thanks guys. Can anyone tell me if I'm too cut up for 9 weeks out? I'm at 165 with about 6-7 percent body fat measured by a 3 site caliper and chart. Taking an average of 2200 calories a day. Need opinions and possible fixes.

[FrmrHoss]

Thanks guys. Can anyone tell me if I'm too cut up for 9 weeks out? I'm at 165 with about 6-7 percent body fat measured by a 3 site caliper and chart. Taking an average of 2200 calories a day. Need opinions and possible fixes.

Pictures are worth a 1000 3-site caliper tests.....

[proud_polack]

Pictures are worth a 1000 3-site caliper tests.....

Very true. Will take some ASAP, note that I'm pretty white (worked outdoors setting up party tents for my cousin's business until july, then in a research lab until now so all my tan is gone). So I'll try to get the best lighting and show as much definition as I can.

[proud_polack]

OK so am I too cut for 9 weeks out? Show is November 13th and I'm worried if I'm going to loss lean mass or not. Here's the links http://bodyspace.bodybuilding.com/img/user_images/growable/2010/09/07/24741151/profilepic/1v7IVC589LH2sRvV266vIkk1eb36v746.jpeg
and http://bodyspace.bodybuilding.com/proud_polack/more.php?section=progresspics (Look at the after picture in the small format, the picture quality isn't great in large format). Any thoughts on being "too cut" for 9 weeks out? Other than that today was kinda hard. I was mentally tired after 5 o clock despite a 2/3 cup bowl of oatmeal at that time.... Considering breaking up my oatmeal into 4 1/2 cup servings so I feel a little less tired. 1/2 cup at breakfast, 1/2 cup meal 2 or 3, then 1/2 cup pre workout, 1/2 cup post workout. Currently I'm doing 2/3 cup breakfast, 2/3 cup pre workout, 2/3 cup post workout. So either way it's 2 cups total, just the frequency changes. Any ideas?

[proud_polack]

Anyone have thoughts if I'm "too cut" for 9 weeks out? Links to pictures are in my previous post. Anyways today's stuff.
Acetyl l-carnitine came in today. I plan on taking it more for mental alertness rather than fat loss. Since I think I might be "too cut" for 9 weeks out, I decided to order Gaspari Size On pre-contest. Hopefully the intra workout drink should help preserve my mass a bit. Almost seems like supplement overload with Animal Pak, Animal Omega, Gaspari Myofusion, ON casein, beta-alanine, micronized creatine, acetyl l-carnitine, Gaspari Size On, and Animal PM... Preserving my lean mass is costing me a lot these next few weeks = /
Didn't notice much difference in terms of mental clarity today with the oatmeal shift (2 cups spread out in 4 meals at 1/2 cut servings versus the original 2 cups in three 2/3 cup servings). Definitely going to keep doing it that way most days considering the amount of walking to and from class and my apartment.
Shoulders/Traps/Calves went pretty well today too, only thing I noticed was inconsistency in my reps on shoulder press. 80 pound dumbells for 9,8,6. Wasn't too pleased with that, might attempt a 3x8 at the same weight next week. Guess that's everything. Opinions, thoughts, critique always welcome. Thanks
-Mike

[proud_polack]

My friend Andrew got me thinking today about switching up some of my numbers. 40% protein, 30% fat, 30% carb. 2200 calories. So my fat intake isn't changing at all, protein is decreasing, and carbs are increasing. This might be ideal for me since my body seems to be lacking fuel (and my kidneys can get a break too). Will try that and post my thoughts. Still have plenty of time to experiment given my current stats and the fact that I'm 9 weeks out. Let you guys know
On lifting for today, arms felt great. Good solid pumps, heavy weight and fairly consistent reps. That's it for today

[gator20jcl]

I wouldn't worry about being to cut up for 9 wks out. In my opinion there is no way you are 6% already. You need to test a 9 site if your gonna do the calipers. Its way more accurate than a 3 site. On a 9 site you are probably closer to 10. Just keep doing what your doing grinding away and get as SHREDDED as possible.

[proud_polack]

I wouldn't worry about being to cut up for 9 wks out. In my opinion there is no way you are 6% already. You need to test a 9 site if your gonna do the calipers. Its way more accurate than a 3 site. On a 9 site you are probably closer to 10. Just keep doing what your doing grinding away and get as SHREDDED as possible.

Checked it on a 3 and a 7 site measurement. 3 site came out at 6% and 7 site measurement came out at 6.22%. Bear in mind I was at roughly 7.5% (measured by the same methods) before I started my calorie restricted diet at 12 weeks out (Was eating 2500-3000 clean calories before 12 weeks out). My pictures are pretty low quality in terms of lighting, resolution, and my skin tone (I've been working in a lab since July so I lost mostly all my tan). Still, I'm going to get a Bod Pod composition test at my university (free for students!!). I'll let you know the results once I get them. Like I said in my previous post, I'm switching up my macros too. Going to try 40% protein, 30% fat, 30% carb at 2200 calories still. I'll keep everything posted.

[proud_polack]

Things have been alright the past two days with the updated diet. So 220 grams protein, 160 grams carb, and 75 fat seems to work pretty well. I have five carb meals, my last at 7:30 which is post workout. Definitely more alert for the majority of the day, can't wait to see how it plays out tomorrow with legs. I also hit the tanning bed today to start building a solid base. Was in for six minutes and felt pretty good. 9 weeks left till the stage, can't wait.

[Gun Master]

Checked it on a 3 and a 7 site measurement. 3 site came out at 6% and 7 site measurement came out at 6.22%. Bear in mind I was at roughly 7.5% (measured by the same methods) before I started my calorie restricted diet at 12 weeks out (Was eating 2500-3000 clean calories before 12 weeks out). My pictures are pretty low quality in terms of lighting, resolution, and my skin tone (I've been working in a lab since July so I lost mostly all my tan). Still, I'm going to get a Bod Pod composition test at my university (free for students!!). I'll let you know the results once I get them. Like I said in my previous post, I'm switching up my macros too. Going to try 40% protein, 30% fat, 30% carb at 2200 calories still. I'll keep everything posted.

calipers are almost always very generous, usually by about 3%. So if it says your 6% then your usually 9%. When i was 8% it was telling me i was really 5. You notice this when you actually get down to 5-6% because it will say 3% and you'll be like "not possible, that makes no sense, where are my striations then!?" lol

[proud_polack]

calipers are almost always very generous, usually by about 3%. So if it says your 6% then your usually 9%. When i was 8% it was telling me i was really 5. You notice this when you actually get down to 5-6% because it will say 3% and you'll be like "not possible, that makes no sense, where are my striations then!?" lol

Damn, 3% would make a huge difference, especially in single digit body fat. My university offers free Bod Pod composition tests. They're very accurate (the woman who performs the testing says near 100% so I'm hoping she's right) so I'll post up as soon as I get it done. Hopefully sometime this week.

[proud_polack]

Decided to switch up my lifting routine a bit. I do all the same lifts, but spread out throughout the week. So I have a full body routine wendesday, friday, and sunday. My routine is attached. It's 3 sets per body part per workout and I'll probably vary the rep range for each lift depending how I'm feeling that day. Noticed a huge difference in my incline cable flys today. 60 pounds each side for a 3x8 felt like nothing at all this time. Normally my chest is already worked a bit from bench, but since I had no other chest lifts today, my flys were much better. Well anyone who's interested in my full routine, check the attachment.

[proud_polack]

Woke up this morning without much soreness. Definitely how I wanted to feel. Last night my muscles got a pretty good pump and workout all over, and next day feels great. Already liking my new split. Also, picked up sprouted wheat bread since I now have 150 grams of carbs per day. I'm thinking of starting to add cardio at roughly the same time I lift on my off days. I'll probably add 1 day a week each consecutive week. I'll probably walk on the treadmill with the incline set to 15 around 3mph for half an hour. I'll immediately follow it with hardboiled egg whites and 2/3 cup oatmeal. Probably going to start this Either tuesday or thursday. Haven't decided quite yet.

[proud_polack]

Cardio will probably fit best on Thursday this week considering the school work I have due on Wednesday. Being in an integrated BS/MS chemistry program at a science university takes its toll = / Also, tanned for the second time today, 6 minutes, no oil. Probably going to tan on thursday again for 6 minutes, then bump next week up to 6.5 or 7. Definitely need to start practicing my poses more though, and need to start formulating my routine. I've picked my song "Hysteria" by Muse. Any advice for formulating a routine? Let me know.
Also, to those that checked out my tentative lifting schedule, thanks! Glad to know a few people checked it out, anyone that did look at have any thoughts?

[proud_polack]

Been busy the past few days. Diet has been pretty consistent. Tanning is going pretty well too. I'm 8 weeks out as of tomorrow so I really got start getting my posing routine together. I'll keep everyone posted.
-Mike

[proud_polack]

Good day today. Stiff legged deadlifts went way up. 3x8 at 185 with clean form. Last week I did 3x10 at 165, so this was a huge jump in my opinion. Rest of my workout was pretty solid other than my lat pulldowns, form felt a bit off today, probably going to lower the weight to somewhere between 125-140, not quite sure yet. Also, went tanning for 7 minutes my past two sessions, probably stepping it up to 8 on tuesday. Not really noticing much color though. Well other than that, solid day. I'll keep posting, if anyone wants macros, foods, or actual lifting data, let me know and I'll post that rather than just pointless bull**** that helps keep me sane.

[proud_polack]

Update
My current schedule for lifting, tanning, posing practice is as follows
Lifting-wed, fri, sun (I put it in that order simply because I like to end it with the two day off period and fits best so I don't end up lifting on my 8 a.m. organic chem lab day)
Tanning-Sun, Tues, Thurs
Posing-Tues, Thurs, Sat
Cardio-to be added in one session at a time. Starting with Thursday, following week Tues, Thurs, then Tues, Thurs, Sat. Not sure if I'm going to need more than 3 days considering the amount of walking I do every day to and from class, the grocery store and subway. I'll keep it all posted. Also, Starting wednesday I'll add some actual numbers for my lifting data, possibly diet as well(typically 2200 calories a day, but if anyone's interested I'll post actual foods and macros).

[proud_polack]

Just to keep my sanity I'll post my day. No lifting or cardio today. Pretty sore from yesterday's workout considering I upped weight on my stifflegged deadlifts to 185 for a 3x8 and my incline cable flys to 80 each side for a 3x8. Come to think of it, everything was a heavy 3x8 with the exception of squats, which was a 3x6, nothing was trained to failure though. As I said before, I'm going to start posting up my lifting data so there's more to see than just pointless BS that I type to help keep myself on track and focused (without losing my sanity). Tomorrow's going to be rough considering I have to wake up at 6:15, but I'll be getting to sleep a little earlier. Well, that's it for today. Thanks for reading.

[Blazed]

Keep it up bro. You might want to taper calories down under 2200 soon, are u doing ur own diet?

[proud_polack]

Keep it up bro. You might want to taper calories down under 2200 soon, are u doing ur own diet?

Yep. Just anything lean protein (eggs/whites, chicken, 90% lean ground beef, 99% lean ground chicken and ground turkey, lean steaks, fish, tuna), oatmeal, sprouted wheat bread, natural peanut butter, olive oil, and walnuts. I usually try to stick to 220 protein, 160 carbs, and 75 fat. Also, I count my green beans, spinach, and lettuce in my macros. Sometimes my carbs end up a little lower, and my protein a little higher, but it ends up within 25 calories of 2200. I was wondering if I should start dropping my calories lower, but I haven't really added in cardio yet...What do you think? Add in cardio first, then start dropping my calories?

[proud_polack]

Today's stuff. First lifting data.
-Cable leg press (plate sled was in use) 3x10 at 400 pounds (might not seem like a lot, but I really just squeeze my quads together rather than just press. I've got a damn strong mind-muscle connection)
-Hyperextensions 3x12 with a 35 pound plate
-Flat barbell bench press. 2x10, 1x8 at 205. I stopped at 8 since I don't want to train to failure and almost needed my girlfriend to spot me. Also, I dropped the weight from 225 for a 3x6 to this weight so as to avoid over-training.
-Cable rows 3x10 at 135, drop set on the last set 9- pounds for 8. Also, last 2 reps on third set had a slight cheat
-Bent over side raises 3x12 with 15 pound dumbells, drop set on the last set with 10's for 8.
-Barbell curls 2x8, 1x5 at 80 pounds, drop set on the last set with 50 for 8
-Tricep pushdowns 3x10 at 130, drop on the last set at 90 for 8
-Upright rows on cable machine 3x8 at 130
-Hanging leg lifts 3x10
Solid lifting day. Took a tiny bit over an hour so I cut out my tibialis raises so I was able to eat on time.
Diet was as follows. Note, carbs are with fiber already subtracted out. And data is grams protein, grams fat, grams carb, calories (I'll type out the first meal in full)
-9:30 a.m. 1 egg/5whites 26 protein, 4.5 fat, 2 carbs 148.5 calories
2/3 cup oatmeal 5.5 protein, 2.5 fat, 32 carb, 172.5 cal
1 tbsp natural pb 3.5 protein, 4.5 fat, 2 carb, 94 cal
-12 p.m. 1/2 cup tuna 26, 1, 0,1 13
2pcs sprouted wheat bread 8, 1, 32, 169
Animal omega 0, 7, 0, 63
-2:30 p.m. 3.5 oz grilled steak (weighed after cooking) 29.5, 6.5, 0, 176.5
2 pcs light wheat bread 5, 0.5, 13, 76.5
-5p.m. 1 egg/5 whites 26, 4.5, 2, 148.5
2/3 cup oatmeal 5.5, 2.5, 32, 172.5
1 tbsp natural pb 3.5, 8, 2, 94
-6:30p.m.-7p.m. (finished it in first half hour of workout) 31 grams Size on Precontest 10, 0, 2, 48
-7:30p.m. 36 grams Myofusion 25, 3, 4, 139
2/3 cup oatmeal 5.5, 2.5, 32, 148.5
-10 p.m. 3.8 oz grilled steak (weighed after cooking) 32, 7, 0, 191
3/4 cup green beans 1, 0, 3, 12
-12:30 a.m. (will be having at that time) 33 grams casein 24, 1, 2, 113
2 tbsp natural pb 7, 16, 4 188
Total Protein 243 grams
Total Fat 72.5 grams
Total Carbs 160
Calories 2264 (slightly higher than wanted). Biggest thing was my protein was about 10-15 grams higher than normal and my carbs were also about 10 grams higher than normal. All in all not too bad. Opted for a second egg/white meal today since I didn't have any chicken or fish thawed or cooked to eat. Calorie info for my steak was courtesy of fit day and a bit of comparing various websites to ensure it was accurate. As far as flavoring food goes, I use calorie free things such as ground pepper seasonings, garlic powder, and black pepper.
Decided to hold off on cardio till Saturday and just start all 3 sessions out rather than adding them one week at a time. Also considering dropping to 2100 calories at 6 weeks out, then 2000 at 4 weeks out. That's it for today. Comments, critique, advice, and motivation always appreciated. Thanks for reading

[Blazed]

Conditioning is one of the few things u can control, I would drop cals to 2k now by dropping fats to 40-50g a day. Starting doing hiit intervals once a week and slowly build up ur work capacity. You won't come in too lean, trust me.

[proud_polack]

Conditioning is one of the few things u can control, I would drop cals to 2k now by dropping fats to 40-50g a day. Starting doing hiit intervals once a week and slowly build up ur work capacity. You won't come in too lean, trust me.

Don't think 40-50 is too low for fat? Granted you're going for your natural pro and I'm competing in a natural amateur so I'd take your word on it. Also, checked the scale this morning, just a little over 161. I definitely want to start getting my cardio in starting this saturday. But if I did drop the fat to that level, are you suggesting I keep my carbs and protein the same. Also, if I drop fat that low, should I cut out lean steak and just use omegas, olive oil, and natural peanut butter for my fats?

[proud_polack]

I caught a cold yesterday, really feeling it today. Still going to get in the gym though and push through. Mentally tired, congested and sore throat. Nothing too extreme. Won't be able to post up data though since I'll probably be napping between my remaining meals. Sorry guys. I'll keep other miscellaneous stuff posted up though.

[proud_polack]

Starting up my cardio sessions today. Will let everyone know

[proud_polack]

Been sick the past few days. Got my cardio in on Saturday, 15 minutes HIIT (including 2 minute warmup and cool down). My Sunday lifting went well too, but I'm really bogged down today with whatever I'm sick with. Also, I did a refeed yesterday, woke up this morning with killer ab definition. Thinking of incorporating them once every 5 days. Any opinions on that?

[proud_polack]

Still sick, but got in 15 minute of HIIT on the elliptical. Only got 15 minutes in (including warmup and cooldown) since I had to get showered and get to class. Hopefully I feel a bit better tomorrow.

[proud_polack]

Contemplating using swimming laps for 20-30 minutes as my cardio. Anyone have opinions on that versus HIIT on the elliptical?

[proud_polack]

Got my lifting in today. Wasn't too happy with a few things. Bench went down a bit, 225x6, then 225x4 for two sets... used to be straight 3x6 (midway through cutting diet). Also, my curls went down too. 75 for a 3x6.. i mean a hard 3x6 too. Everything else was pretty good though. Diet was in tact as always, thinking of dropping my calories at 4 weeks out.. probably cut down to 2000. Almost forgot, bodyweight is down to 160 now. That's all for today, thanks for reading.

[proud_polack]

Did some swimming intervals for 15 minutes today. Had a really good workout. Definitely thinking of rotating between sprinting intervals, elliptical intervals, and swimming intervals. Still not getting enough posing practice in though. Starting saturday I'm going to shoot for at least half an hour to an hour a day. Not too much else new going on. Planning a refeed tomorrow. That's about it. Thanks for reading.

[proud_polack]

Pretty good lift yesterday. Also did a refeed. Did 15 minutes of intervals on the treadmill today. Still a little sick though actually. Not too much else going on. Weight's at 160 in the morning. That's it for now.

[proud_polack]

Good lift today
Squats 3x6x255
Stifflegged deadlifts 3x8x185
Single leg calf raises 3x10x10
Low cable crossovers 3x12x40
Lat pulldowns 3x8x135
Cable side lateral raises 3x10x20
Cable preacher curls 3x10x90
Incline skull crushers 3x8x95
Decline sit ups 2x15, 1x10
Felt pretty good in the gym today.
Stepped my tanning up to 10 minutes today, no burn or anything.
Diet was the same as always, thinking about slowly cutting down my fat to about 40 grams though to cut down my calories. Will keep everyone posted. Thanks for reading

[proud_polack]

Still at 2200 calories, but definitely dropping down to 2000 by week 4. Going to drop to 2100 this Saturday, then drop to 2000 the following. Currently at 220 pro, 160 carb, 75 fat. What would be good to switch to for 2000 calories?

[proud_polack]

Hey everyone, just turned 20 today! Also 5 weeks out. Noticing some changes in my appearance. A little more muscle separation, striation, and definition. Leaning out pretty nice so far. Starting my 2000 calorie diet today. Looking like 200 grams protein, 175 Carb, and 55 Fat. Cardio is going well, training hard still. However, definitely not posing nearly enough. I plan on posing for half an hour to an hour every day now until the end. Also, supplement update, I had to swap out a few things for a more cost-effective plan. Now supplements include Opti-Men multi, ZMA, Myofusion, Optimum Casein, NOW Beta-Alanine, Acetyl-L-Carnitine, flax and fish oil, and BCAA powder. That's about all I have for today, thanks for reading.

[proud_polack]

Down to 2000 calories. 210 grams protein, 175 carb, 50 fat. It's been going pretty well. Still 7 meals a day with the last 2 carb free (green beans and spinach are used for filler at meal 6). My carbs are still only from oatmeal and sprouted wheat bread. My protein as of now is from my shakes, egg whites, tilapia, and salmon. Only time this changes is on refeed days where I only consume egg whites and 99% lean ground chicken. Got into a good HIIT cardio routine on the treadmill. That's about it for now.

[proud_polack]

Noticed some veins in my legs today after my workout! Definitely making progress still. Nothing too new other than losing a little strength on a few lifts. My workout was
3x10 at 360pounds+plus sled (keep in mind I really squeeze my quads rather than press)
3x10 with 45 hyperextensions
2x8, 1x6 at 215 for bench
3x10 at 135 for cable rows
3x10 with 15 DB bent over side raises
Here's where it sucked
1x10, 1x8, 1x6 at 70 pounds
3x10 at 135 on tricep pushdowns
3x10 with 85s shrugs
The inconsistency on my curls was killing me though, that and the loss on my bench too... Oh well, my body keeps looking better and better. That's it for now

[jpfaherty]

Keep of the good work bud, best of luck.

[proud_polack]

Keep of the good work bud, best of luck.
Thanks for the encouragement, giving it my best everyday.
Cardio today, same as always. 15 minutes total on the treadmill. Incline constantly at 15.0, "resting" speed for 2-2.5 minutes at 3.0 mph, then intensity pace at 8.5 mph for 1 minute.
Repeat, it's hard, it hurts, I keep at it for some reason unknown to me. Still don't think I'm posing enough though, have to step that up ASAP. That's it for now everyone, thanks for reading.

[bmess]

Down to 2000 calories. 210 grams protein, 175 carb, 50 fat. It's been going pretty well. Still 7 meals a day with the last 2 carb free (green beans and spinach are used for filler at meal 6). My carbs are still only from oatmeal and sprouted wheat bread. My protein as of now is from my shakes, egg whites, tilapia, and salmon. Only time this changes is on refeed days where I only consume egg whites and 99% lean ground chicken. Got into a good HIIT cardio routine on the treadmill. That's about it for now.

Could you post your refeed day meals. I am looking at doing my first contest in May and your nutrition plan is very helpful. Keep up the good work!

[proud_polack]

Could you post your refeed day meals. I am looking at doing my first contest in May and your nutrition plan is very helpful. Keep up the good work!

Definitely will do, I actually over carbed last time and smoothed out a tiny bit so I'm waiting till Sunday for my next, but I'll post it up for you then. Just check back and I should have it up, glad to know something I post is valuable. I'm trying to start to get in the habit of posting my routines up here as well.

[proud_polack]

Yesterday's lifting stats
Leg extensions 3x10 at 105
Leg curls 3x10 at 85
Standing calf raises 3x12 with 20lb DB
DB shoulder press 2x10, 1x6 with 75lb DB
Reverse grip bench press 2x8, 1x6 at 135
V-grip pulldowns 2x10, 1x6 at 135
hammer grip curls 3x8 with 30's
Overhead cable extensions 3x10 at 130
Decline sit ups with 10lb ball 3x10

Not a bad lifting day, diet was 2000 calories, however slight change. Added oatmeal to meal 6 (meal after post workout) so the amount of carbs at each meal was slightly decreased, but still totaled 175. Just some posing practice and cardio today. Thanks for reading

[proud_polack]

Today was a refeed day! So my diet looked like this
9:30 a.m. 3 whites/1egg, 1 cup oatmeal
12p.m. 3oz (weighed after cooking) 99% fat free ground chicken, 1 cup oatmeal
2:30 p.m. 3oz 99% fat free ground chicken, 1 cup oatmeal
5:00 p.m. same as 12 and 2:30 (for some reason monotony tastes delicious)
7:30 p.m. 36 grams myofusion, 1 cup oatmeal
10 p.m. (to be had) 4 whites, 1 cup oatmeal
12:30 a.m. (to be had) 33 grams ON casein, 1/4 cup oatmeal
Only reason I had one egg was that the yolk was already broken and leaked out of the shell. Other than that fat was strictly a by-product of my carbs
Macro count Pro: 202.5 grams (slightly too high), carbs: 295 grams, fat 40g calories: 2350. This is good since this is still slightly below maitenance level. Definitely felt good
Lifting data
Squats. 3x6 at 255
SLDL 3x8 at 185
Low cable crossovers 3x10 at 85 (42.5 each side)
Wide grip pulldowns 3x10 at 120 (lowered to really focus on lat contraction)
Lateral raises on cable machine, 3x10 at 20 lbs each side
Preacher curls 3x10 at 70
Incline skull crushers 3x10 at 90
Decline sit ups 3x10 with 8lb medicine ball
Solid day today, thanks for reading

[bmess]

Today was a refeed day! So my diet looked like this
9:30 a.m. 3 whites/1egg, 1 cup oatmeal
12p.m. 3oz (weighed after cooking) 99% fat free ground chicken, 1 cup oatmeal
2:30 p.m. 3oz 99% fat free ground chicken, 1 cup oatmeal
5:00 p.m. same as 12 and 2:30 (for some reason monotony tastes delicious)
7:30 p.m. 36 grams myofusion, 1 cup oatmeal
10 p.m. (to be had) 4 whites, 1 cup oatmeal
12:30 a.m. (to be had) 33 grams ON casein, 1/4 cup oatmeal
Only reason I had one egg was that the yolk was already broken and leaked out of the shell. Other than that fat was strictly a by-product of my carbs
Macro count Pro: 202.5 grams (slightly too high), carbs: 295 grams, fat 40g calories: 2350. This is good since this is still slightly below maitenance level. Definitely felt good
Lifting data
Squats. 3x6 at 255
SLDL 3x8 at 185
Low cable crossovers 3x10 at 85 (42.5 each side)
Wide grip pulldowns 3x10 at 120 (lowered to really focus on lat contraction)
Lateral raises on cable machine, 3x10 at 20 lbs each side
Preacher curls 3x10 at 70
Incline skull crushers 3x10 at 90
Decline sit ups 3x10 with 8lb medicine ball
Solid day today, thanks for reading

thanks for posting. What other clean carbs do you take in on your refeed days? I enjoy oatmeal but want to mix it up.

[proud_polack]

thanks for posting. What other clean carbs do you take in on your refeed days? I enjoy oatmeal but want to mix it up.

If i had the nutrition facts for the long grain brown rice my mom gave me, I would definitely incorporate that. I also use Barilla wheat pasta as well from time to time (flavor with a teaspoon of soy sauce and garlic powder). For serving size just adjust the portions to fit your liking. If anything tastes plain, add ground red pepper, black pepper, garlic powder, or cinnamon. All of them are salt and calorie free, so they're perfect for flavor. Hope this helps!

Also, there was no smoothing out this time around meaning I did a proper refeed! Nothing but posing practice today. On another note, noticed my abs are coming out a bit more. I think this might in part be attributed to weighted decline sit ups. Other than that, nothing else new at this time. Thanks for reading

[proud_polack]

Hey everyone, just cardio and a little bit of posing practice today. Have my song picked (never mentioned it) "Endlessly" by Muse. It's a bit slower, honestly I'd kill to pose to "My Apocalypse" by Arch Enemy (I'm a huge metalhead), but given I'm not competing at a lt. heavyweight level it wouldn't really suit me. Still piecing the routine together, have a few parts down, but I need to find some good supplemental poses to add in. If anyone has any advice regarding supplementary poses please let me know. That's about it today, thanks for reading.

[proud_polack]

Bodyweight is at about 158 now, anyways here's today's lifting data
Today's lifting data
Leg press 3x10 at 360 plus sled
Hyperextensions 3x10 with 45 pound plate
Standing calf press 3x8 with 25 pound plate
Bench press 1x8, 2x7 at 215, lost a little bit of strength here
Cable rows 3x10 at 135
Barbell curls 3x8 at 65 (still going down)
Pushdowns 3x10 at 130
Leg lifts with 12.5 DB in between feet 2x10
Decline sit ups 1x10 with 8lb medicine ball
Pretty good lifting day. I've been drinking more water to flush out the subcataneous water and it's been working, definitely noticed in my abs. Not too much else new today. Thanks for reading

[proud_polack]

Lifting data for today
Leg extensions 3x10 at 105
Leg curls 3x10 at 85
DB shoulder press 3x8 with 75's
Reverse grip bench press 3x8 at 135
V grip pulldowns 3x10 at 135
DB hammer grip curls 3x8 with 30's
Overhead extensions on cable machine 3x10 at 130
Seated calf press 3x10 at 60
Decline sit ups 3x10 with 8lb medicine ball
Not too much else new today. 3 weeks out tomorrow! Getting pretty anxious

[proud_polack]

Changed my song for the posing routine. "Resistance" by Muse is officially my posing song. Flows much better and it is a little bit faster as well. Started getting it down pretty well tonight. My girlfriend did ballet, tap, and salsa dancing for years as well as play in marching band, so she's helping me choreograph it pretty well. Only other thing today was the same old cardio... well tomorrow (today considering it's 12 a.m.) is refeed day! Already excited about that.. anyways that's all for today. Thanks for reading

[Devils]

Good luck with the contest. Looks fine so far.

Enjoy the re-feed!

[proud_polack]

Good luck with the contest. Looks fine so far.

Enjoy the re-feed!
Thanks man, and I think I over-carbed again. Smoothes out a tiny bit on my abs, but everywhere else still looks solid. Yesterday's lifting data
Squats 3x6 at 255
SLDL 3x8 at 185
Low Cable crossovers 3x10 at 50 each side
Wide grip pulldowns 3x10 at 120
Cable lateral raises 3x10 at 20
Skull crushers 3x6 at 115
Preacher curls 3x10 at 70
Leg lifts 3x10 with 20 lb dumbell between feet supersetted with 3x10 decline sit ups with 8lb ball.
Not much else new, still putting the finishing touches on the routine and constantly practicing my relaxed and mandatories.

[proud_polack]

Posing routine nearly finished.. putting 1 or 2 more poses into it. I'll video record it and have it up within the week. Also, getting my body composition done tomorrow (finally). And to top it all off, new picture. Check my avi. Lighting in it sucks so I don't seem as cut as I am. Still working hard on my poses. Not much else new though. Thanks for reading.

[proud_polack]

Hey everyone, I got my body composition done today... The result was 15.9% BF? This number seems way too high considering my legs and abs are veining out and I'm pretty well cut... Anyone know any reason why this could be? I was thinking 8-10 would be my BF considering the cuts and vascularity I have..

[proud_polack]

Today's lifting data
Leg press 2x6 at540 plus the sled
Hyperextensions 3x10 with 45 plate
Bench press 1x8 at 215, 2x8 at 210
Cable rows 3x10 at 135
Bent over side raises 3x10 with 15 lb DB
Barbell curls 1x10, 2x8 at 70
Tricep pushdowns 3x10 at 130
Decline sit ups 3x10 with 12 lb ball supersetted with Reverse crunches 3x8
Single leg standing calf raises 3x8 with 25 lb dumbell
Still at 2000 calories, thinking of cutting down my 10 oclock meal a little bit by reducing the amount of oatmeal to 30 grams (I weigh it rather than using measuring cups, it's about a little more than a 1/3 cup). I read Lane Norton's contest prep guide, and so I'm going to begin sodium loading on Saturday = / Might have to start using saltier seasonings tomorrow though considering I cut them out awhile ago.. Will keep posted. Thanks for reading, and if anyone has a comment on why my BF was off, let me know.

[proud_polack]

Today's lifting data
Leg extensions 3x10 at 105
Leg curls 3x10 at 85
DB shoulder press 2x10, 1x6 with 75's
Weighted dips 3x6 with 35
V grip pulldowns 3x10 at 135
Hammer grip curls 3x8 with 30's
Overhead cable extensions 3x10 at 110
Decline sit ups 3x10 with a 25lb plate, less incline than I do with the medicine balls
Also did 15 minutes LISS cardio afterwards, 3.0 mph with incline set to 15. Started throwing sodium back into my diet today to start my sodium load/deplete.. hitting the bathroom every hour = /
Not much else new. Will keep everyone posted

[proud_polack]

Did some HIIT cardio today on the running track. It's 1/10 of a mile long. Sprinted 1 lap, walked 1 lap. Repeated for a total of 7 sprinted laps, and 6 walking laps (it's 1/3 of a mile walk back to my apartment). Definitely better than the treadmill and will continue doing this on days where I'm not lifting. Having some posing practice later today, and seeing Paranormal Activity 2 with my girlfriend and two friends. And yes, I will be sneaking my meal into the theater in my girlfriend's purse. Also, started sodium loading yesterday by using seasonings that have a fair sodium content on all my foods, will continue that today and slowly taper down the amount of sodium. I'm following Layne Norton's advice from his contest prep article for these last two weeks in case anyone was interested. Well that's all for today. Thanks for reading

[proud_polack]

2 weeks out as of yesterday!!!
Switched things up in the weightroom today, started to lower my intensity a bit and focus more on isolation moves. Here's the data
Leg extensions 1x15 at 90 lbs (did two warm up sets of 15 at 75 before hand)
Squats 1x15 at 185, went lower than parallel, literally ass to heels today. Also kept this in since it stretches me out really well
SLDL 2x15 at 135
Parallel bar dips (focus on chest) 1x15 bodyweight
low cable crossovers 2x15 at 30 each side
Wide grip pulldowns 2x15 at 90
Barbell curls 2x15 at 60 (cheated a little on second set)
Skull crushers 1x15 at 70
Cable Kickbacks 2x15 at 10 lbs
Seated calf press 2x15 at 30
Decline sit ups 2x15 with 8lb ball
Finished up with 20 minutes LISS cardio (treadmill-15.0 incline, 3.0 mph)
Really focused on the pump today and it felt great. Figured I'd start lowering the intensity a little since I'm adding more cardio and feeling more and more fatigued lately. Keeping calories slightly below 2000. Other than that, nothing new. Thanks for reading

[proud_polack]

Yesterday, did HIIT cardio by running a lap, then walking a lap, 7 repeats total. Practiced posing for about an hour and a half. My girlfriend was as strict as she could be for critiquing. When doing the side tricep, is it typically better to flex the abs, or vacuum? My girlfriend says the vacuum takes the abs back more and so more focus is on the tricep since it's then the bulkiest part showing.. Anyone have thoughts on that?

[proud_polack]

Felt so burned out yesterday I couldn't even do my cardio. Anyways, here's today's lifting data
Leg Extensions 2x15 at 90lbs
Squats 1x15 at 295 lbs
SLDL 2x15 at 145 lbs
High cable crossovers 1x15 at 60 lbs each side
Low Cable crossovers 1x15 at 30 lbs each side
Parallel bar dips 1x15 (such a good pump)
Wide grip pulldowns 1x15 at 120
Cable Rows 1x15 at 105
Bent over side raises 2x15 with 10 lbs DB
Lateral raises 1x15 with 10 lb DB
Barbell curls 2x15 at 60 lbs
tricep pushdowns 2x15 at 100 lbs
Decline sit ups 3x15 at bodyweight
LISS cardio on treadmill, 15.0 incline 3.5 mph 20 minutes.
Still holding fairly constant at 2000 calories, putting a few more carbs at breakfast, pre and post workout (50 grams oatmeal versus the normal 46).
Hitting posing practice tonight for about an hour. Keeping focused, 1 more week and a few days left.

[proud_polack]

Workout data today
Single leg extensions 2x15 (each leg) at 45 pounds
Squats 1x15 at 205
SLDL 2x15 at 145
Low cable crossovers 1x15 at 30 lbs each side
High cable crossovers 1x15 at 60 each side
Parallel bar dips 1x15 at bodyweight
Wide grip pulldowns 2x15 at 120 (2nd set failed around 12 I think actually)
Cable rows 1x15 at 105
DB shoulder press 1x10 with 75's (couldn't bring myself to lower the weight, damn ego)
Bent over side raises 1x20 with 10's
Lateral raises 1x15 with 10's
Barbell curls 1x15, 1x12 with 60
Rope pushdowns 2x15 with 90
Decline sit ups 1x25
LISS cardio-Treadmill on incline at 15.0, 3mph
1 week out tomorrow!!!!!

[proud_polack]

Peak week is here. Dropping my sodium to 2000 mg today through Wednesday. Also slowly dropping carbs. Going for 140-150 grams today. I'll post up how many I'm at each day for the remainder of the week. Also, finishing up hair removal today and tomorrow, spray tanning thursday. Will keep everyone updated. Thanks for reading. Also, yesterday's data is nearly the same as Friday's, except no shoulder press in there. No time to post it up since I'm really busy with school work this week. Thanks for reading.

[proud_polack]

Slowly dropping carbs stil. Down to a little under 100 grams today, sodium still around 2000, dropping it down tomorrow to 1500, then none added on friday. Depletion workout today, think I'm going to do light cardio tomorrow too just to really deplete glycogen stores. Finishing up hair removal today. My girlfriend waxed my legs and underarms on sudnay since both get razor irritation pretty easily. Now we're just getting anything that was missed. Getting spray tanned tomorrow and friday... Not too much else going on, will keep posted

[proud_polack]

Ended up at 90 grams of carbs today. Thinking about 70 tomorrow split between just two meals. Also, thinking of walking for half an hour tomorrow to really get all the glycogen burned out. Also, dropping my sodium down to 1000-1500mg. Thinking about just adding hot sauce to one of my meals later in the day and keeping the rest seasoned with things like ground pepper and garlic powder. Well, that's about it. Thanks for reading.

[proud_polack]

Hey everyone. Had only two carb meals today, 150 grams of sweet potatoes at breakfast and meal 2. All the rest were chicken, sodium free natural peanut butter, and omega 3s. No real numbers were calculated, but roughly 30-35 grams of protein, and 4-8 grams of fat per meal. Did cardio for half an hour to deplete my glycogen stores, just walking on an incline. Got a mystic spray tan to get a base. Definitely still applying pro tan tomorrow night and saturday morning. Had no added sodium in my diet today, so all flavoring was from ground red and black pepper, even my natural peanut butter was sodium free. Finally, I cut back on water a bit, just drinking a tiny bit when thirsty, nothing more, nothing less. Hitting my poses pretty soon. Getting ready to carb up tomorrow!! Thanks for reading everyone

[proud_polack]

The final day before the contest. Eating about 35 grams of carbs and 1.5 oz of chicken every 2 hours. Eating a tablespoon of salt free natural peanut butter (crazy richards if anyone cared) every 2-3 meals. When I don't have the PB I take 1 gram flaxseed, 1 gram fish oil. Drinking only sips of water when I need to, not exceeding a liter. Thanks for anyone who stopped by and offered encouragement or advice! Will post up pics and everything tomorrow

[IronResolution]

Good luck with your contest!
Regardless of the result, it seems you definitely achieved your best with the resources at hand.
Congratulations.
Will you be competing again in the near future or will you resume bulking preparation fro the 2011 season.

[proud_polack]

Good luck with your contest!
Regardless of the result, it seems you definitely achieved your best with the resources at hand.
Congratulations.
Will you be competing again in the near future or will you resume bulking preparation fro the 2011 season.

Thanks a lot. I got 3rd place in juniors, but the guy that took 2nd only got it due to knowing the judges... But I'm going to bulk for a bit, I didn't know how broad the weight for middleweight is. Goes from 155-175, I only came in at 159, so my goal is to come in on the heavier side of it in May/June hopefully. Definitely had a great time doing it, got a lot of learning experience too.
Thanks to everyone who stopped in and said something supportive or offered advice. I'll have pics up whenever I get them. Also, I posted a few things I learned in a different thread. Here's the link
http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?p=577285611#post577285611

[IronResolution]

Subscribed!

What competitions are you eyeing for the 2011 season?
I am glad your first competition was a success and a relatively positive experience.
It seems you got great insight into the bodybuilding / competing community and politics.

[proud_polack]

Subscribed!

What competitions are you eyeing for the 2011 season?
I am glad your first competition was a success and a relatively positive experience.
It seems you got great insight into the bodybuilding / competing community and politics.

Looking at one either May 21 or June 18th. Not sure which one yet, I'm going to do a clean bulk (I'll have a link for the thread since my friend and I are doing a "Battle of the Bulk")
Then November 12th.
I'll probably have separate threads for all of them.

Also for everyone else, I'm ordering pics from the contest so I'm not quite sure when I'll have them. I'll post up whenever I get them though.

[IronResolution]

I look forward to the pictures.
A successful gradual clean and lean bulk is great. Strength and size gains go through the roof.
Battle of the Bulk... an epic title.