Help Old Man Skinny Prepare for a Show

[OldManSkinny]

Baldie suggested I post here to get some support for a show I'd like to do in Sept. It's 8 weeks out, an ABA show here in Utah. Sept. 5. They'll have an "ultra masters" class for age-challenged guys like me--over 60. "Why not do it?" I ask myself. I want to get back down in body fat. I'm going to be tanning to get ready for a 2 week vacation/cruise the a couple of weeks after the show. It sounds like a good idea.

I'm 164 @ 9% I would want to be 5% on stage. That's down 1% every 2 weeks. Sounds do-able and not too painful. This will be my third show, so I know kind of what to expect with the posing, etc.

The plan?
Cardio--30 minutes Tuesday, Thurs, Sat.
Weights--60 minutes 6 days a week, med. to heavy weights, concentrating on major muscles (so I don't lose muscle mass).
Nutrition--Cut back on total calories. Cut out carbs on cardio days.

I'll re-assess the plan in a week when I see what this has done.

Suggestions?

Baldie saw my post in the "contest prep" forum and made the following reply:

Originally Posted by Baldiewonkanobi

OMS remember that you will be a Bodybuilder for that show...not a runner and not a gastronomist. Natural or 'assisted' makes no difference, the basic rules of the road apply to me at 69, you, or a 35 year old. Running runs off precious muscle. Bodybuilding is a muscle sport. STOP!!. If you are not so far offended come over into the Advanced Over 35 where we have dozens of Natural competitors and a few 'assisted' who know the ropes, love to show up BOTH big and shredded and will assist in your quest. You can watch me prepare to win next years NPC Nationals Over 70 and do it Naturally with tons of protein, super nutrition, very little cardio and youthful heavy ass lifting. I am contest ready now as I type and plan on adding 10 pounds of quality lean muscle in my 70th year.

Baldie

So, Baldie (and any others who would be so kind as to give their thoughts), I'm all for being up on that stage with lots of muscle mass. I've tried to improve on my first show a year ago. For that show I was 155 @ 5-6% (my avatar pic is from that show). How do I shed the body fat without the cardio? Eat less?

Here's what I had planned to follow for a couple of weeks to see where it got me:

8:00 Pre-workout--6 oz juice with 20g of whey protein, ISA-test, Morph, glutamine, BCAAs

9:15 Post workout--3XL, glutamine, BCAAs

9:45 4 egg whites, 2 whole eggs, 20g carb (whole grain bread or flour) Metamucil

12:30 6 oz meat, green veggies

3:30 30g whey protein, carb (on MWF) or 1 tbl Nat. PB (on TThS)

6:30 6 oz meat, green veggies

9:30 1 C cottage cheese (on MWF) with nuts or 30g whey protein (on TThS)

Go ahead and tear it apart if you can put it back together into a better plan.

[Baldiewonkanobi]

Welcome OMS. I'm having my 11PM carb (bowl of oatmeal) since I am comming off a long Keto diet practise preparing for next years (one year two days) Over 70 NPC Nationals. I have not competed for 12 years and needed the big reminder. There are 4 active members in here (appologies if I missed someone) competeting at the Nationals Friday, Eric and James in the O40 Super Heavies, Carl in the ) O40Lightweights and Ed in the O50 Heavies. There is also a gaggle going to watch like myself.

You will find nothing but constructive help in this sub section. Our collective goal is the continuing success of all, self progress, and avoiding those darn pitfalls.

OK....back to sleep for me...I'll peek at your program and comment when I wake. Meanwhile grasshopper your assignment for the night is to read my '14 months.....' thread.
You will gain comfort that you sir are not alone in this crazy mixed up Masters competetive world of Bodybuilding. Other threads are just as informative if not moreso.

Baldie

[Baldiewonkanobi]

OK OMS I am up and coffee'd. First off let me say that there are several pitfalls in on line training advise. If you have a trainer at your home gym stay with him at this point. Multiple points of view are not constructive. I will do my best to be helpful/constructive. I am Ectomorphic as are you by your avitar. I am also like you doing this Naturally although I did 'use' for a period in the 80s.

Can we have a good current pic to judge as best we can of the fat on your torso? It's hard to imagine much at all at your height and even as an Ecto.

Nutrition wise are you taking a big vit/min suppliment like Universal Animal PAK? Creatine? Beta Alanine? Arginine at bedtime? I am not familiar with ISA Test and Morph. What are they? Your 'good' fats are very low as is your protein in my book.

Ectos need to do squats, incline heavy dumbells and heavy rowing. Weighted chins and dips, dead lifts and power cleans help. Is this how you train?

Have you done a Testosterone/Estrogen blood test at your Doc? If you are low Test and high Est (I bet you are) will your Natural Assoc. allow doctor HRT assistance? Most are completely anal about this even though HRT only places you into the normal range.

Hey you other Nattys...chime in here.

Baldie

[yakabebe]

Originally Posted by Baldiewonkanobi

OK OMS I am up and coffee'd. First off let me say that there are several pitfalls in on line training advise. If you have a trainer at your home gym stay with him at this point. Multiple points of view are not constructive. I will do my best to be helpful/constructive. I am Ectomorphic as are you by your avitar. I am also like you doing this Naturally although I did 'use' for a period in the 80s.

Can we have a good current pic to judge as best we can of the fat on your torso? It's hard to imagine much at all at your height and even as an Ecto.

Nutrition wise are you taking a big vit/min suppliment like Universal Animal PAK? Creatine? Beta Alanine? Arginine at bedtime? I am not familiar with ISA Test and Morph. What are they? Your 'good' fats are very low as is your protein in my book.

Ectos need to do squats, incline heavy dumbells and heavy rowing. Weighted chins and dips, dead lifts and power cleans help. Is this how you train?

Have you done a Testosterone/Estrogen blood test at your Doc? If you are low Test and high Est (I bet you are) will your Natural Assoc. allow doctor HRT assistance? Most are completely anal about this even though HRT only places you into the normal range.

Hey you other Nattys...chime in here.

Baldie

FWIW - over here in Oz - nothing like HRT is countenanced

Can see both sides of the arguement but for mine if you can get an MD to sign off on it then you should be good to go.

Alas reality isn't as you'd like it to be...it is how it is.

[Slackadjuster]

I used Testofen and trib and just competed in an NGA event. I could see a difference in midsection and upper thighs.

A list that should cover you for natty orgs.
http://www.inbfcanada.com/docs/2009W...tancesList.pdf

[Hi_Volume]

Hey OMS,
Welcome. I agree to get your "Free"-test, total test, and estrogen (estrodial) checked via blood work. I would only recommend HRT if you are pitifully low say 300nG/dl and below. Even then some supplementation can optimize these levels. Maybe I will change my view when I hit 50-60-70. But yes most natural org's ban it even with a doctors prescription.

Looking thru your diet I noticed you are taking 3 whey shakes a day. You really may want to consider "eating" your protein sources not drinking them. Using whey isolates in your PWO shake with some dextrose is probably the only time you may want to consider the powder.
I will cut out all powders, including PWO, 3-4 week before competing.

Good Luck..

[OldManSkinny]

Thanks for all the feedback. I just haven't had computer time the last couple of days. Here's some quick responses to your questions:

ISA-Test is a "natural" T-booster. I think it's making a difference.
3XL is a creatine product with NO
Morph is a pre-workout supp--no caffeine

I use olive oil in food prep, take fish oil capsules 3 3X a day

I take a multivitamin

The reason I have been using the protein powder 3 times a day instead of my normal 2 is to avoid the fat-free cottage cheese that I would otherwise eat at bedtime. Maybe the cc is okay.

I had a trainer for my last show in April. I did exactly what he said (he's a previous ABA Mr. America and protege of Larry Scott), but I didn't think some of the advice was doing me any good or was "current" info. So I've been going it alone this time.

I got all ready to take some current pics and my camera wouldn't work. I'll try again tomorrow.

And I must have eaten something funny because I've had 3 days of diarrhea and been TOTALLY washed out energy wise, so just one day at the gym.

Still, if you don't go the cardio route to help lower the body fat, what DO you do?

[DNG]

Originally Posted by OldManSkinny

...an "ultra masters" class for age-challenged guys like me--over 60.

LOL@"Age Challenged"

No direct input to your questions here - other than to wish you luck. I'll "sub" this thread to follow progress...

[OldManSkinny]

I took these on Friday. I was so ill I could hardly flex. The "bug" kept me weak for a couple of days. I got back to eating on Sunday, and did a great chest workout this morning.

So is it cardio to get lean or just diet? So far today the only low-fiber carb I've had was a piece of toast after workout and an apricot fresh off the tree this afternoon. I've had lots of high fiber veggies. My trainer last year even told me to cut those! To just eat protein and fat for the last big push to get cut.

Chime in with suggestions.

[Baldiewonkanobi]

OK lets analyze. Your torso is only weeks away from being spot on. Smile is perfect. Bring your arms/hands in about 6" each to narrow your 'look' which will peak your biceps more. Check out Charles Glass (trainer) here in BB.com and search for his Golds Gym arm workout. You need to bring up your brachs (muscle that runs along top of forearm and between bicep/tricep.) Will increase arm mass. Do pull overs on a flat bench. Will help spread your front lat spread. Use mind muscle connection and FEEL lats spreading. Then practise in front of mirror to bring them out. Too late to add leg mass but you can still bring out upper leg separation. Sissy squats and leg extensions. Wear shorts and concentrate looking at this happening while flexing. Do that posing. Drop your carbs a bit and up your protein and eat natural no sugar P nutt butter. 3-4 tablespoons per day. Stay hydrated.

You asked about my Pitt pics. Still frozen in the darn camera. Anyway there will be loads next year when I go for the gold.

Judges...I was refering to what they are looking for in non natural shows. They want no less than the IFBB Pro look even in the Over 40s and 50s.

Baldie

[OldManSkinny]

Thanks for posting, Baldie. Sugar PB--that's been out of our house for years. I actually watch as my PB is ground from whole, plain peanuts into my take-home container at the store. I haven't been eating quite that much, though, so I'll up that.

I couldn't find the Glass article on brachs, but there was an article that addressed it. I've been doing hammer curls, but not quite as focused as this article says. It's just in time for my upper arm day Friday. There were plenty of Glass videos of his training. I'll enjoy some of those over the next days.

Yup, the legs just don't seem to get any bigger, although definition has improved over the last year. I've never done sissy squats, so we'll toss those in on my follow-up leg day Saturday.

So you think I can drop the body fat in just over 6 weeks without doing cardio? I'm down to small carb servings before and after the workout, but nothing else for the rest of the day.

[Baldiewonkanobi]

OMS you appear to be on the edge of burning precious muscle instead of fat. It's not too late to pull some fluid into the muscle. Ectos like you and I need to hydrate and FEED the muscle. Creatine combined with Beta Alanine will do that. 5 gm Creatine and 3 gm BA (if you have not used BA before it has a bit of a tingling Niacin rush at first...harmless, as it's an amino acid) pre workout. Many drop the creatine a few weeks before show time. Not you...you will be OK.

Bodybuilding is 80% diet and 20% dialed in training. FEED THE BEAST. If I were training you I would have you drink a 60 gram whey/water drink 1/2 hour prework out with my creatine and BA. Drink a liter of water during training. Bowl of oatmeal when you get home with a huge tablespoon of P nutt butter and 10 gm L-glutamine. Hour later a large protein meal. Mine is 2 whole Omega eggs and 8 added whites scrambled. Was a 1/2 pound of buffalo burger before I became gouty.

If you have the running Jones then 3 times a week do wind sprints. Sprint 50 yards, walk 50, sprint, walk, etc. etc. 20 min. max.

You are a Bodybuilder and want to place well in a show. Think like one. Emphasis on the 'build'.

Baldie

[OldManSkinny]

Originally Posted by Baldiewonkanobi

OMS you appear to be on the edge of burning precious muscle instead of fat. It's not too late to pull some fluid into the muscle. Ectos like you and I need to hydrate and FEED the muscle. Creatine combined with Beta Alanine will do that. 5 gm Creatine and 3 gm BA (if you have not used BA before it has a bit of a tingling Niacin rush at first...harmless, as it's an amino acid) pre workout. Many drop the creatine a few weeks before show time. Not you...you will be OK.

I'd be the first one to add clean calories to the nutrition plan if I thought it wouldn't show up in body fat. Since my show last April that's exactly what I've been doing--pushing the calories as high as I could without letting it spill over into fat. I've been okay--I went from the 5% at show time up to 7% for a long stretch and then on to 9%-10% the last few weeks. This last week of lower carbs has gotten me back down to low 9%s, but the show's just 6 weeks off.

My pre-workout supps have included BA for months. I usually take my creatine supp (iSatori's 3XL) 40 minutes into my workout, reasoning that its job is muscle repair and rejuvenation. On your advice I added some plain creatine to the pre-workout stack this morning.

Originally Posted by Baldiewonkanobi

Bodybuilding is 80% diet and 20% dialed in training. FEED THE BEAST. If I were training you I would have you drink a 60 gram whey/water drink 1/2 hour prework out with my creatine and BA. Drink a liter of water during training. Bowl of oatmeal when you get home with a huge tablespoon of P nutt butter and 10 gm L-glutamine. Hour later a large protein meal. Mine is 2 whole Omega eggs and 8 added whites scrambled. Was a 1/2 pound of buffalo burger before I became gouty.

I've been enjoying the extra PB the last few days at your suggestion. Both my pre- and post-workout stack include glutamine and BCAAs.

Originally Posted by Baldiewonkanobi

If you have the running Jones then 3 times a week do wind sprints. Sprint 50 yards, walk 50, sprint, walk, etc. etc. 20 min. max.

I'm going with no cardio, again on your advice, for another few days to see if the fat will come off with diet alone.

Originally Posted by Baldiewonkanobi

You are a Bodybuilder and want to place well in a show. Think like one. Emphasis on the 'build'.

Baldie

That's good mental advice. I've just not had a strong enough mindset the last few weeks. I think that it comes from my questioning the quality of the ABA and the show I'll be doing. It's close. I'm already a member from last year's show. But I'm afraid that I'll be the only ultra-master again and so the spirit of competition hasn't bit me yet.

I'm going to up the investment--do a full body shave and start looking the part. Up the posing time in front of that mirror so that I can visualize myself on the stage.

[yakabebe]

What date is your show?

The reason I ask is I am running down to a 2 shows; one on 26 Sept and the Nationals 24 October 09.

[OldManSkinny]

Originally Posted by yakabebe

What date is your show?

Mine is an ABA show on the 5th. There is an NGA show on the 26th in Roy, Utah. I was going to do that show before they moved the date. Now I'll be out of state at that time. Besides, I'd me in the large 40+ Masters class. No chance there for a guy half-again their age.
But then, you're that old too yet your July 16 pics sure look impressive. What show were you at then?
And how does a guy from Australia "run down" to Utah?

[yakabebe]

Originally Posted by OldManSkinny

Mine is an ABA show on the 5th. There is an NGA show on the 26th in Roy, Utah. I was going to do that show before they moved the date. Now I'll be out of state at that time. Besides, I'd me in the large 40+ Masters class. No chance there for a guy half-again their age.
But then, you're that old too yet your July 16 pics sure look impressive. What show were you at then?
And how does a guy from Australia "run down" to Utah?

- sorry to have misled. Yeah, I'm over here in Oz and the shows are here as well.

Got the Queensland State final on Sept 26 09 and then 4 weeks later the Nationals in Sydney. This is my last tilt at the >50's class. Really had to focus this year as last year a couple of "young" guys rolled into the category from the >40's and ii makes it tough. Next year I can terrorise the oldies...

Thought we'd sort of take our journeys together - help each other out.

[OldManSkinny]

Originally Posted by yakabebe

Thought we'd sort of take our journeys together - help each other out.

I'm all for that. So what's your readiness at the moment?

I spent 20 minutes posing last night and it looked so bad I tossed it in. I'll go down to the mirror in a minute and see what today looks like. It had better be an improvement.

[yakabebe]

Originally Posted by OldManSkinny

I'm all for that. So what's your readiness at the moment?

I spent 20 minutes posing last night and it looked so bad I tossed it in. I'll go down to the mirror in a minute and see what today looks like. It had better be an improvement.

Bodywise - I use calipers and a 3 site measure. Thigh, abdomen and chest. Total at the moment is 10mm in total. Aiming for 6.

Diet is changed today alternating 2 days of a low carb, low fat & high protein mix with 1 day of high fat, moderate protein low carb.

Bumping up the cardio from 3x 40min to 6 x 45-50 min.

Havent got my routine yet but thinking of this song as the one.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pxo3OnekPg8

Posing is something i have pretty well nailed. but will start to add 5-10 min p/day about 4 weeks out

[BuckSpin]

In if the two of you are going to be documenting your day to day here for show prep. Training, nutrition, etc. It would be most educational to us whose stage virginity is intact but has a really hot date in 2011.....

[Baldiewonkanobi]

Yak...OMS....remember there are 2 sides to Bodybuiling stage readiness. Front and REAR. Yak your front shots are simply amazing. You would be dangerous in the USA O60 Nationals (from the front). Yak....drop your shoulders down even and spread that great back work of yours w-i-d-e-r......got it? Now your missing glutes upper hamstrings. They do not match your great quad work. Lunges, lunges, lunges. I too am slight in this area. We can work them together.

Baldie

[yakabebe]

Originally Posted by Baldiewonkanobi

Yak...OMS....remember there are 2 sides to Bodybuiling stage readiness. Front and REAR. Yak your front shots are simply amazing. You would be dangerous in the USA O60 Nationals (from the front). Yak....drop your shoulders down even and spread that great back work of yours w-i-d-e-r......got it? Now your missing glutes upper hamstrings. They do not match your great quad work. Lunges, lunges, lunges. I too am slight in this area. We can work them together.

Baldie

You are spot on!

My glute/hammie insertions are my nemesis atm. I am also taking a caliper measure there and atm it is 17...sighhhhh. Last comp that is what kept me from my goal. The plan this year was to stay leaner during the off and then hopefully - with both working on the musculature and leaning off really hard but from a better starting point - the results would be there.

Been doing the lunges and working on using ever more weight. Presently up to 3 sets of 20-25 meters with 13k dumbbells. Keep the stride as long and as deep as I can manage.

How many times a week do you rekon? Presently do them once a week with legs.

'Bout the shoulders and spreading - really could use some help here but frankly I dont now how. I have posed and posed and posed then posed some more with really good trainers and the issue is two shoulder reconstructions including 2 acromioplasties - which means to get the surgery done - they removed a fair bit of the acromion on both sides. This really prohibits the sort of shoulder adduction and flexion that keeps the shoulders high AND wide.

Also....(geezzzz....I sound like a whinger...) I also have a prolapse at C3/4 which not only flares up rather often but which plays havoc with the neck and back and also inhibits the range of motion.

[OldManSkinny]

And it is the side "relaxed" pose that is going to convince me that I'm not worth being up there on the stage. My legs look like toothpicks and there isn't much chest in the profile. I've kept tabs on my back and front views and felt encouraged, but seeing myself from the side was a forced reality.

I really have been hitting legs hard, trying to build some muscle. And I have--20 inches a couple of years ago to 22 (quad girth) now. From the front I can get some definition in the muscle bodies. Hams--curls, dead lifts, body extensions from the knee. They're stonger but still not visually impressive.

Yak, what does Baldie have to say about your cardio 6X a week? I'll have to use my callipers for a fat comparison.

Yak, the music is great--ideal for a posing routine. I've never heard it before--wrong generation. It's a little to in-your-face for me. I'm kind of a low-key guy so it wouldn't feel right for me to be posing to it.

[yakabebe]

Heres my diet till its changed (9 weeks before State)

2 days:
Meal 1: 1 egg, 8 whites plus 1 teaspoon olive oil
Meal 2: 2 scoops protein (40g) plus 1 tbs flax-oil
Meal 3: 250g chicken plus small bowl salad
Meal 4: 1 egg, 8 whites plus 1 teaspoon olive oil
Meal 5: 250g chicken OR 220g salmon plus small salad
Meal 6: 40g protein plus 1 tbs peanut butter

1 day:
Meal 1: 3 omega-3 eggs, 30g Colby cheese plus 1 tbs olive oil
Meal 2: 2 scoops protein (40g) plus 1 tbs flax-oil plus 1 tbs olive oil
Meal 3: 250g red meat plus 1 tbs olive oil
Meal 4: 3 omega-3 eggs, 30g Colby cheese
Meal 5: 250g red meat OR 220g salmon plus 1 tbs olive oil
Meal 6: 40g protein plus 1 tbs peanut butter

Sat or Sun have a large carb meal as last meal

W/Out
Tues
Back and shoulders
4x12 Wide Grip Pullups
4x12 One Arm Dumbbell rows
4x12 Seated Cable Rows
4x12 T-Bar rows

4x12 Shoulder Press
4x12 Side Raise
4x12 Rear Raise
3x12 Shrugs

3x45 min Ab sessions
1 Using weighted moves
1 Using core based moves

Supps Daily

Multivitamin
BCAA's
Creatine
Metamucil

6x 45-50 min cardio

[OldManSkinny]

I'm still waiting to hear Baldie cut you for the cardio workouts. I'm not losing body fat fast enough though, so I may have to resort to it if it doesn't improve by next week.

My nutrition plan is pretty stable like I posted above, except that I've added more protein and dropped all low-fiber carbs (no grains, fruits, juices, etc.) except for before/after my workout.

I smiled at seeing the Metamucil. I drink it every morning, but people give me a bad time about it. I'm convinced that the extra fiber is important. Besides, it's filling.

I had a really good chest/tri workout this morning:
5 sets of flat bench
5 sets of tri pushdowns
4 sets of incline bench, close grip with elbows wide to target upper chest better
4 sets of cable over-head tri extensions with rope
4 sets of decline bench
4 sets of machine fly
1 set of dips

I added iSatori's H+Blocker to my pre-workout stack. I'm sure that is what kept me going through to the end.

[Baldiewonkanobi]

OMS I have a better 'visual' of you since I can factor in your height and weight. Together with your pics I can questimate your skeletal structure to be small boned. You are balancing 'running' muscle mass right off your frame and using it as fuel. Where with Yak I have only a visual. His avitar on a man 5'4" would sudgest a quite different body type than the same pic on a man 6'1". We also do not know the pace of his training. Fast and furious or slow and deliberate. Other factors such as natural hormone levels test/estroidols (on the both of you), nutritional suppliments, sleep and hydration ....all of which make us unique. This is the obvious problem with cyber evaluation.

This whole competition Bodybuilding lifestyle is constantly in flux. Unless we are shot in the butt with gifted DNA from the get go we all seem to learn the hard way. Continual adjustment in training pardigms, suppliments and nutrition. If I knew 25 years ago (when I was 'assisted') what I know now I would have won some major National shows instead of a dozen 2nds and 3rds. Even more so in my Natural shows.

Yak seems to have what it takes competing at his State level and when he gets his glutes/hammies dialed in he will be dangerous. And he is on a 5 day a week Keto with weekend carbs....interesting.

Baldie

[OldManSkinny]

You've spotted something that I didn't see--Yak's height. Now I can see that we'll need to be a little different. I'll keep faith in the no-cardio for another week.

I?m heading to the mountains Wednesday-Saturday for a few days camping with kids and grandkids. (Family--one thing that out ranks the training schedule) Fresh, cool air will of course be healthy, as will lifting grandkids, setting up camp, hauling firewood, etc. But a real workout?

Cardio, of course, would be easy?hiking, jogging trails, etc. I'll probably be forced into some of that no matter what. But for weight workouts, I?m taking lifting straps and a PVC pipe to rig up a chinning bar. I?m taking resistance bands. And there will be picnic benches to do step-ups, etc. I think I can make it work?maybe not for "heavy" lifting goals, but for a total-body workout. Mon-Wed. I?ve been doing heavy, targeted workouts for each muscle group, so they?ll have it hit for the week anyway.

The big challenge will be eating. I?m taking lots of veggies, protein powder, cottage cheese, chicken breasts, etc. so that no matter what the "family meal" is, I can adjust it to suit my needs. They know I?m strange, anyway. My kids were discussing ice cream on our family web page a couple of days ago. Here was my reply:

"I had a great Sundae last night! Instead of chocolate topping I used blended apricot skins. Instead of nuts I used ground flax seed. Instead of whipped cream I used homemade plain yogurt. Instead of ice cream I used fat-free cottage cheese. Yummmm. "

[yakabebe]

Originally Posted by OldManSkinny

You've spotted something that I didn't see--Yak's height. Now I can see that we'll need to be a little different. I'll keep faith in the no-cardio for another week.

I?m heading to the mountains Wednesday-Saturday for a few days camping with kids and grandkids. (Family--one thing that out ranks the training schedule) Fresh, cool air will of course be healthy, as will lifting grandkids, setting up camp, hauling firewood, etc. But a real workout?

Cardio, of course, would be easy?hiking, jogging trails, etc. I'll probably be forced into some of that no matter what. But for weight workouts, I?m taking lifting straps and a PVC pipe to rig up a chinning bar. I?m taking resistance bands. And there will be picnic benches to do step-ups, etc. I think I can make it work?maybe not for "heavy" lifting goals, but for a total-body workout. Mon-Wed. I?ve been doing heavy, targeted workouts for each muscle group, so they?ll have it hit for the week anyway.

The big challenge will be eating. I?m taking lots of veggies, protein powder, cottage cheese, chicken breasts, etc. so that no matter what the "family meal" is, I can adjust it to suit my needs. They know I?m strange, anyway. My kids were discussing ice cream on our family web page a couple of days ago. Here was my reply:

"I had a great Sundae last night! Instead of chocolate topping I used blended apricot skins. Instead of nuts I used ground flax seed. Instead of whipped cream I used homemade plain yogurt. Instead of ice cream I used fat-free cottage cheese. Yummmm. "

Have fun in the "outback"!

Abs today.
4x20 seated weighted crunch on lat pulldown machine with arm straps
4x20 weighted side crunch at cables - high position
4x20 weighted wood-choppers on cable
4x15 Hanging leg lifts with ankle weights

Done as a super set with minimal break between s/sets. Takes about 35-40"
Pace on all gym work is rather relentless. The break between sets is the time it takes my training partner to complete his. Always done i a bout the 55-65 minutes. Often truly breathless for much of the session.

Cardio this AM - 50 min.

My overall fitness level, if one uses resting heart rate as a measure, seems pretty good. In the AM - on rising - my resting H/R is 44-46. Sometimes this goes up if I'm really over training but ya get that. Funny thing thing is I find that to get my heart rate up into the "zone" of say 60-70% of the Max H/r (220 - age) walking - no matter how hard i push my pace - never gets it much over the mid 80's, maybe very low 90's. So I've taken to a bastardised version of HIIT - where I do 1-2 minute jogs followed by 1-2 minute walks and this gets my H/R up to the mid 110 region for most of the session.

Any suggestions here would be truly appreciated

Yesterday and Monday were the first 2 days in a 2 day/1 day cycle on the diet plan and as this does entail a calorie deficit - I did start to feel it in the afternoon and evening last night. During cardio its an "empty" sort of "light-headed" feeling during the cardio session. It comes over you like a bit o a wave at about the 30' mark and you need to really grit your teeth and push thru it. It then sort of passes but it takes a while thereafter to really get over it.

Anyone else get that sort of feeling? My gut tells me its some sort of insulin level response.

BTW...I'm 5'11 and weighing 83.5kg atm

[OldManSkinny]

Where did Baldie get the 5'4" then? 83kg is 184 pounds. You're a big boy!

Yes, that "light head" is not enough sugar in the blood.

That ab workout sounds intense. When I was getting a trainer's help, he said NOT to do weighted ab exercises because it would jut make my waist bulkier, taking away from the "thin waist / broad shoulders" look. Myth?

[yakabebe]

Originally Posted by OldManSkinny

Where did Baldie get the 5'4" then? 83kg is 184 pounds. You're a big boy!

Yes, that "light head" is not enough sugar in the blood.

That ab workout sounds intense. When I was getting a trainer's help, he said NOT to do weighted ab exercises because it would jut make my waist bulkier, taking away from the "thin waist / broad shoulders" look. Myth?

'Bout the weighted ab exercises and width - not 100% sure...but my understanding that if you do those exercises with a dumbell in each hand and lean to each side then that will add to your width.

The actions I'm doing are either the full forward crunch or the same movement that you use when you are on stage with arms over head and crunch - sort of to the side - to show off the externals and the obliques.

Sure hope I havent been adding to the "width"....

[yakabebe]

Back on the high protein/low fat/no carb phase

Chest this AM
4x12 Incline bench barbell press
4x12 Seated Chest Press followed by pushups to failure
4x12 Flat Bench
4x12 Pec Deck
4x to failure Dips

4x12 tricep pushdown
4x12 Revese tri pushdown

4x12 standing Barbell curl
4x12 Preacher Curl

Abs at lunchtime

50" cardio tonight

Noticed my long time training partner who's also a good mate who competed last year but who isnt in the near future lacks a certain intensity which contest prep demands. Hope he can bring it in the future.