Happydude's Road to Competition

**happydude101** · 05-19-2015, 09:49 AM

For most of my life I've been extremely active, whether in terms of recreational outdoor/sports pursuits or the many years I was involved in competitive skiing and running.

Unfortunately, since 2007 or so a series of family, medical and career-related challenges made maintaining that lifestyle particularly difficult, significantly so as in the period from 2007 to 2012 I found myself moving six (6) times between both cities and provinces, as well as changing career paths. With things finally settling down in late 2013 I decided it was about time to see if I could get back on the wagon and achieve even a small amount of my former "glory", namely a half-decent physique and level of fitness.

In January of 2014 I began working with an online coach in regards to both my diet and training, seeing some decent improvement over the following three (3) months. Ultimately, this arrangement landed on a discouraging note when that same coach went incommunicado and left me bobbing in an open ocean of confusion as to how I should maintain/proceed with my plan to get in shape. Fast forward four (4) months and I was still floundering around with my diet and training under the guise of knowing what I was doing, though the mirror sure didn't reflect that.

Through my past competitive experience I knew I had the discipline and mental fortitude to maintain a strict training regimen and diet, though lacked the knowledge (or maybe just confidence in the knowledge I had) to stay out of the weeds and get plagued by analysis paralysis. At this point I was beyond fortunate to flange up with another online coach whose expectation of his trainees (strict discipline, focus and near daily communication) synced up perfectly with my own style.

With a training relationship started in the last part of September/first part of October 2014, the first few months went exceptionally well and I was able to banish the image of "Fat Me" that my fiancee and I still occasionally laughed about as old pictures crept to the surface of daily life. While I still had a ways to go, my trainer and I made use of the comically-useless New Years' Resolution tradition to set one of actual meaning, namely to put my competitive spirit to use and enter a Physique show sometime in the year 2015.

If you've been gracious enough to read this long-winded introduction, that brings us to the present day, with a couple potential shows now identified in the October/November period, with me sitting roughly five (5) months out and ready to bear down on the prep.

This journal won't be a day-to-day record of my diet and training, as I already record those in MyFitnessPal and an ever-growing stack of spiral-bound notebooks. Rather, I'll keep this journal more as an easy means to track how I'm feeling in the coming weeks/months, as well as a record of the trials and tribulations a tremendously pale and short (5'3) fella may face in his road to Physique competition.

At worst, it will be something entertaining to look back on and shake my head when I say, "...geez, remember when THAT happened?!?!?" At best, it will serve as a great learning experience and reminder of what to do, and not do, for subsequent shows.

Cliff's Notes:
- Super active for most of my life.
- Life happens and I turn into fat, lazy Happydude.
- Work with a coach to get back in shape. Doesn't work out.
- Work with another coach to get back in shape. Kicking ass and taking names.
- Decide to complete.
- Start journal to record my naive and harrowing journey in prepping for a Physique show.

Presently, I stand 5'3 and weigh 133 lbs. I haven't had my bodyfat officially measured, though would like to think I am perhaps in the realm of 10-12%. I take weekly progress pictures, the last week of which are attached below. Hopefully, they aren't as dark as my monitor right now makes them look.

**IK9** · 05-19-2015, 11:58 AM

Pretty lean!

I'll be peeking thru here on occasion if you continue to post

**happydude101** · 05-21-2015, 08:48 AM

I'm on a very slow cut right now to reduce bf% while retaining as much muscle as possible. I began the cut about 1.5 months ago and am so far seeing an average of about 0.5 lbs (or a tad more) weight loss per week.

While the caloric deficit isn't what it was when I first started with my coach last September, I'm finding it a lot more manageable this time around and the stress around hitting proper macros, meal timing and hunger levels in general is greatly reduced. It also doesn't hurt that my old friend, Coke Zero, has made a re-appearance and helps take the edge off if there's a long gap between meals or I'm hungry nearer the end of the day.

That said, I still try to limit intake to a certain level and know that if I ever get to the point where I act like Gollum from Lord of the Rings and start referring to Coke Zero as "my precious" it's probably time to back-off a little. :-)

More seriously, the benefits over the last year of eating properly and to more appropriate macros has been night and day for me. What were frequent migraines now occur perhaps once every few months (at most) and feeling sick to my stomach in the mornings that used to be the norm rather than the exception has effectively disappeared.

Looking through my e-mail the other day I found a little collage (attached below) I had made of training/diet results from February 2014, when I was training with my first coach, to October 2014, when I was about 1.5 months into working with my current coach. I still find it amusing to look at the February pictures, among others, and remember thinking that I was in decent shape and "big". :-p

**happydude101** · 05-23-2015, 05:31 PM

Weigh-in today has me at 133.3, which is roughly the same as last week, give or take 0.1 lbs or so. Not necessarily the progress I'd like to see, though it's only one week in many and thus far progress since starting to slowly cut down has been good, from a starting point around 138 lbs about six weeks ago.

Had a fantastic back and biceps session today followed by a hard-to-beat meal of elk sausage and rice, then laying in the sun attempting to get even a tad bit darker. In this regard, my nordic heritage certainly doesn't serve me well and most attempts at darkening my pasty-white skin result in a burn. I'm considering trying a session or two at a tanning salon, if only to establish a slightly darker base.

A few progress pictures below taken in some contrasting light to see a bit more detail. Happy to see at least a little progress on legs, which have traditionally been one of my hardest muscle groups, along with chest, to develop. Not even close to where I want to be yet, though a combination of more cutting and hard training should get me closer!

**happydude101** · 05-27-2015, 07:44 AM

Another great session last night, hitting back and biceps hard and torturing myself with double/triple drop sets. Back, being one of my easier body parts to train, is always a nice pick-up as it leaves me feeling strong and pumped up. Later I couldn't help imagining the amusing picture I probably painted straining like hell with 15 lb dumbbells in the last of my bicep drop sets.

More seriously, the discipline of the last few months training has really raised my mind-muscle connection through the roof. Being able to specifically and rigidly target a certain muscle (large or small!) has weirdly left me feeling in supreme control of my body and provides that little boost of confidence that comes from not necessarily seeing progress, but being given the window by which to see/feel/review that progress when it does occur.

While I consistently met diet macros previously, I've also begun tightening things up a bit, even in small ways. That tablespoon of ketchup on my egg whites in the morning? Replace it with no-calorie hot sauce or eat 'em plain. Get Subway on one of my two refeeds days? Replace it with a big bowl of rice and additional lean meat. Inevitably this makes things a little more boring, but for a guy who has eaten the same breakfast for literally the whole year, as well as brings nearly the same lunch to work every day, its just par for the course.

Last but not least, the Cuisinart Griddler I ordered arrived last night a few days ahead of schedule. Didn't really need it but wanted something so I could quickly/easily cook meat on in decent quantities, as well as something relatively portable I can take on some planned trips in August to avoid the headache of a.) breaking my diet and, b.) spending a small fortune buying three meals a day over a two-week trip. While our kitchen is already packed to the brim (fiancee having moved in about seven months ago) the purchased waffle-making attachment alone makes it a worthwhile addition. :-)

**demonwareltd** · 05-27-2015, 07:59 AM

Following along!

**happydude101** · 05-29-2015, 06:56 AM

Got home late last night and blasted through a hard session of leg extensions, narrow stance squats, more leg extensions, banded squats, ham curls, romanian deads and barbell calf raises. Everything (except deads) was done with high-ish reps (16-18) with 60-90 seconds between sets based on the exercise.

Work in general had me irritated, which was compounded by getting home late, though I was able to channel a little bit of that aggression into the training. I will say, there's something about slogging away in a basement gym under a couple bare bulbs, with sweat dripping and music pounding, that doesn't get old.

The other highlight of the day was, while on my lunch break, finding a pair of sweatpants at a nearby department store that fit absolutely perfect for training. Sure, they're a children's large, but at least they were cheap! Of course, it got slightly awkward when I was asked if I wanted a change-room, which was colorfully painted with clowns and balloons.

**happydude101** · 05-30-2015, 06:28 PM

Had an all-round great day today, despite my fiancee being out of town and finding myself rattling around in the house like a hermit.

Got up early and hit the scale at 132.1 lbs, which has me down 2.6 lbs in the last three weeks.

Took some awkward progress pictures using my camera's self timer, a wooden stool and several textbooks. If you think the situation where someone sets a camera self-timer then snaps a picture of themselves reaching for it to see if it actually went off only occurs on television, you're wrong.

Nonetheless, I'm feeling generally pleased with the progress I'm seeing in the pictures.

Hammered through a great chest/triceps session in the morning and was able to isolate my pecs like no other workout I've done in recent memory. Just felt REALLY good.

Grabbed some food, did some housework and found myself at the gym a few hours later for a second session, this time back and biceps. Again, was really able to keep the hammer down and destroyed my back. Biceps was decent, though I'm going to experiment with some exercises to really try and develop the peak.

The only downside to the day was the loss of my stalwart Skullcandy ear-buds that crapped out on me. I'd been thinking of replacing them anyway, as I seem to have ears like the M. C. Escher "Relatively" drawing, namely weirdly-shaped and incapable of properly holding an ear-bud. Went by Best Buy and picked up pair of on-ear headphones that fit my head really REALLY well, despite making me look like a gym "bro". Yep, Beats by Dre *head shake*.

Even out of town, my fiancee has graciously offered to take them off my hands if I decide I don't like them. How generous.

**happydude101** · 06-04-2015, 06:56 AM

Some great sessions this week, particularly in regards to muscle isolation and intensity. Things are feeling really good from a training perspective and I feel like additional definition/leanness is starting to show through my torso, arms and legs.

From a dietary perspective I'm staying focused, though finding that bouts of hunger are becoming both more frequent and more pronounced.

**Devils** · 06-04-2015, 07:02 AM

Great shreds mate, especially from the back.

**happydude101** · 06-04-2015, 10:47 AM

Originally Posted by Devils

Great shreds mate, especially from the back.

Appreciate it, my friend!

I'm currently trying to get as lean/prepped as possible leading up to the first week of August, even though the show(s) I'm looking at aren't until October/November.

My fiancee and I are doing a pre-wedding road trip July 31 to August 16 and have the wedding/reception the week of September 7. Needless to say, despite all my best intentions I imagine training and/or diet may take a slight hit during those two periods, so want to ensure I'm as far along as possible and don't have to go to crazy/extraordinary lengths in late September and October to be back on track.

**demonwareltd** · 06-04-2015, 11:39 AM

Originally Posted by happydude101

Appreciate it, my friend!

I'm currently trying to get as lean/prepped as possible leading up to the first week of August, even though the show(s) I'm looking at aren't until October/November.

My fiancee and I are doing a pre-wedding road trip July 31 to August 16 and have the wedding/reception the week of September 7. Needless to say, despite all my best intentions I imagine training and/or diet may take a slight hit during those two periods, so want to ensure I'm as far along as possible and don't have to go to crazy/extraordinary lengths in late September and October to be back on track.

Devils is the foremost leader on having a ripped physique so you know a comment from him is legit and I agree with him.

Make sure you take the time and enjoy it with your fianc�e. I have been on vacation twice in Vegas with my wife during prep and you just have to set limits and you can still enjoy yourself immensely

**happydude101** · 06-07-2015, 09:24 AM

Another week and feeling good. Weighed in at 131.4 lbs this Saturday morning, which is another 0.9 lbs down from last week, so it seems like my current diet is doing the trick! I've also noticed myself getting a bit more lean in a few places, including stomach area, legs (frustratingly so, as always), arms and shoulders.

Have had a couple revelations in terms of chest work over the last week that have really helped with isolating the pecs and keeping my shoulders out of it. This has always been a problem for me, considering my shoulders are quite strong, relative.

A couple decent sessions yesterday, though managed to make my lower back decidedly sore after some hard/heavy bent-over rows. As a result, I decided to make this morning's leg session a technique primer of sorts, lowering the weight to about 75-80% of what I'd normally work at and up the reps to the 14-16 range, focusing primarily on strict and deliberate technique. It felt great, though back will be getting some care today with stretching, rolling and heat.

Attached progress pictures also taken this morning. I can't pose worth a damn, though was particularly happy with the side and front flexed pictures, showing a decent degree of leanness and muscularity. Also nice to more consistently be able to see the "christmas tree" on my lower back in either a relaxed or flexed back pose. As always, legs are my nemesis and so any definition I see there is a victory.

**happydude101** · 06-09-2015, 06:08 PM

Just a quick update.

Hit back and biceps today, which felt really good. The soreness in my lower back and hip flexors has reduced significantly after having spent a couple days in the tender loving care of a heating pad and foam roller. Friday will bring even more relief (or pain) in the form of an hour-long deep tissue massage. Looking forward to the whale-songs.

Reduced calories ever so slightly this past weekend and am looking forward to hopefully dropping into the 129's by next Saturday's weigh-in.

**demonwareltd** · 06-12-2015, 03:12 AM

Originally Posted by happydude101

Another week and feeling good. Weighed in at 131.4 lbs this Saturday morning, which is another 0.9 lbs down from last week, so it seems like my current diet is doing the trick! I've also noticed myself getting a bit more lean in a few places, including stomach area, legs (frustratingly so, as always), arms and shoulders.

Have had a couple revelations in terms of chest work over the last week that have really helped with isolating the pecs and keeping my shoulders out of it. This has always been a problem for me, considering my shoulders are quite strong, relative.

A couple decent sessions yesterday, though managed to make my lower back decidedly sore after some hard/heavy bent-over rows. As a result, I decided to make this morning's leg session a technique primer of sorts, lowering the weight to about 75-80% of what I'd normally work at and up the reps to the 14-16 range, focusing primarily on strict and deliberate technique. It felt great, though back will be getting some care today with stretching, rolling and heat.

Attached progress pictures also taken this morning. I can't pose worth a damn, though was particularly happy with the side and front flexed pictures, showing a decent degree of leanness and muscularity. Also nice to more consistently be able to see the "christmas tree" on my lower back in either a relaxed or flexed back pose. As always, legs are my nemesis and so any definition I see there is a victory.

You are doing bodybuilding, yeah? If you would like - email me over pics of all the mandatory poses and I"ll give you some pointers on the poses. I can't emphasize it enough how important it is to practice posing alot and be sure you are doing it to optimally display your physique. I saw it again last weekend like I do every show - there is inevitably a guy or two in each class with great muscularity who just doesn't know how to display it to the best of his ability.

guitarist28@hotmail.com

- Stan

**happydude101** · 06-12-2015, 10:12 AM

Originally Posted by demonwareltd

You are doing bodybuilding, yeah? If you would like - email me over pics of all the mandatory poses and I"ll give you some pointers on the poses. I can't emphasize it enough how important it is to practice posing alot and be sure you are doing it to optimally display your physique. I saw it again last weekend like I do every show - there is inevitably a guy or two in each class with great muscularity who just doesn't know how to display it to the best of his ability.

guitarist28@hotmail.com

- Stan

Thanks, Stan. That's real good of you.

I am actually planning on doing a Physique show first as I'm uncertain whether I have the build/muscularity/size to be able to pull off competing in a Bodybuilding category.

Either way, I'm always open to input on how best to display what muscularity and strong points I do have, so I'll likely take you up on that!

**happydude101** · 06-15-2015, 07:46 AM

This past weekend was fantastic from a training perspective.

Friday evening I had an hour-long deep tissue massage and am pretty sure I fell asleep. As I was on my back at the time I'm also quite sure I was snoring.

While I weigh myself every day, Saturday morning's are my "official" weigh-in that I use to track week-to-week progress. This weekend saw me down to 129.5 lbs, which is about another 1.5 lbs done from the week prior. Aside from the occasional periods of hunger pangs, I'm feeling pretty darn good and almost always hit the gym feeling energized.

Had one of my best chest/triceps sessions in a long time on Saturday morning, followed a few hours later by a very satisfying and strict back/biceps session. Saturday, being my primary refeed, also saw me re-acquaint with an old friend (natural peanut butter) and gorge on delicious homemade pizza and my traditionally-favorite meal of baked beans with chicken and tortilla chips mixed up in it.

On Sunday I did some more experimenting with my legs session and started getting things really dialed in in terms of hammering my quads and hamstrings. I'm really liking the progression of:

Single Leg Extensions
Narrow Squats w/ plates under heels
Single Leg Extensions
Sumo Squats
Supersets of Hamstring Curls and Hamstring Extensions (on a back hyper-extension bench)
Romanian Deadlift
Barbell Calf Raises

As always, weekly update pictures are attached. Overall, I am happy with the progress and, particularly in my Saturday sessions am starting to see some increased vascularity and definition in the upper body. Also seeing a little more detail in the legs, which is always welcome.

**IK9** · 06-15-2015, 01:37 PM

I think you can do bodybuilding.. I mean.. Anthony Kim came in at 131 & won his pro card

Your conditioning is good.. you should be a really big threat!

And I can vouch for Stan that he'll do a good job helping you

**Bnizzle163** · 06-15-2015, 04:41 PM

^^I agree. You just need to get your legs dialed in and you'll be a complete package!

**happydude101** · 06-16-2015, 08:49 AM

Yeah, my legs and butt are generally where the fat holds out the longest and whether I'll be wearing square-cut trunks or board shorts (depending on show) I certainly don't want to be that guy on stage with the legs that look like they've never been worked.

Not to mention the merciless mocking I'll take from my fiancee, whose legs are crazy. Tough to beat a combination of competitive rugby, hardcore cycling and powerlifting.

**happydude101** · 06-21-2015, 05:16 PM

Another week gone.

Weighed in at 129.1 lbs this Saturday, so down another 0.4 lbs from last week. Also found out my gym has a BMI-measuring device and plan to take it for a spin every couple weeks. Being one of those that you stand on and hold various handles I don't imagine it'll be overly accurate, though it will be interesting to see the trend as I continue cutting. First measurement was done on Friday and reported that I was sitting at 8.1% body fat.

I'm currently in "machine-mode" with diet and training, which essentially means giving it every bit of energy I can and plowing through day-after-day. Over the last couple months my strength has been maintained, or even increased slightly, which is welcome given the 7 - 8 lbs I've lost so far.

More prominently, I've really started noticing additional definition and vascularity, which has done wonders for keeping me in a positive head-space as the journey continues, even when I get bogged down with an off-day or a particular training session ends up feeling stale. I also got a nice little boost from both my physiotherapist and a couple power-lifting regulars at my gym asking how much weight I've put on in the last couple months. Grinning like an idiot, it felt great to say, "actually I'm down about 7 lbs lately."

Had a physiotherapy appointment on Friday for the particularly stubborn knot in my back and lord almighty was it painful. A few minutes of needling the muscle/knot was followed by some rather painful and pressure-induced contortions, after which I lay sweating on a heat pad like a 7-11 hot dog. That said, it's feeling better so I probably shouldn't be complaining.

As always, updated progress pictures are attached, below.

**happydude101** · 06-29-2015, 09:45 AM

Another busy week come and gone.

Overall, diet and training are progressing well and my re-discovered love for natural peanut butter has become a mainstay on refeed days.

Weight this past Saturday came in at 129.1 lbs, which is exactly the same as last week. I partially chalk this up to some *ahem* digestive timing *ahem* and have myself weighing in at 128.6 lbs only a couple days later. When dieting I have always tended to eat a good breakfast early on then try and "save" most calories for the latter half of the day, fearing the notion of going to bed hungry. Over the last few weeks I've tried to buck this trend and instead space intake a little more regularly, which has worked out really well. Rather then going to bed hungry, I find myself more consistently satiated through the day and less stressed in the evening when I realize how many calories I still need to consume.

Training intensity has remained high and exercises/muscles I had previously had trouble isolating or getting that "mind-muscle" connection with are starting to come into their own. It feels great and provides that feeling of a little victory and progression, no matter how minor, on a frequent basis.

Sleep has been the main issue lately as we get higher and higher temperatures. Being a cheap SOB, I don't have air conditioning and so face a bit of a damned-if-you-do damned-if-you-don't scenario. Either I have trouble sleeping because the house is so darn warm, or I open the windows (cooling things marginally) and can't sleep because of allergies. Will likely be retreating to the basement (undeveloped) with a foam pad for the rest of this week.

Updated pictures are included below.

**happydude101** · 07-06-2015, 01:51 PM

Decent week, with things relatively busy on the home-front, keeping me on my toes in terms of diet and ensuring training sessions are both efficient and effective.

Weighed in at 127.3 lbs this past Saturday, which is a nice little drop over the last couple weeks where I continually hovered around the 129 lbs mark. Diet has remained consistent and is providing for good progress in terms of increasing my leanness without the current need for any cardio work. Put the new waffle maker to good use for my Saturday cheat meal and downed eight waffles with scrambled eggs and ham.

Training has also been good and the last week I backed off the weight ever so slightly to re-solidify form and ensure each muscle is getting maximum tension through the full range of movement. Found this to be particularly helpful on exercises like lateral raises and Arnold presses where the tendency can be to relax form and cheat a little.

I'm also going to start getting more serious from a posing perspective. Having spoken with reps from each of the shows I may do I have info on the mandatory poses and plan on practicing those at least three times a week, with at least one of those being on Saturdays when I take weekly progress pictures.

It's a little concerning that the show I'll most likely do is in the first week of October. While that's still a ways out in terms of prep time, the fiancee and I will be going on our pre-wedding honeymoon for the first two weeks of August and going away for another week in mid-September for the wedding itself. Hopefully a combination of my early prep and diligence during the time away (particularly the two-week vacation) will keep me on the path to doing well in October/November.

As always, some progress pictures linked below.

**happydude101** · 07-13-2015, 09:30 AM

Going to try and cut these down to more frequent/less lengthy updates.

Last week was great from a training perspective. Back workouts, which I've lately been doing in the gym, got moved back into my basement and I almost forgot how great it felt to be toiling away down there with music blasting. Have also shifted back to at least one legs session per week in a high-rep range (i.e. 20 rep sets) and it feels fantastic, albeit draining as all hell. I've begun incorporating Jefferson Squats in these high-rep days and, after figuring out the somewhat awkward form, am loving them for the burn they provide.

Diet is also good and I'm finally starting to see some increased vascularity in my legs. All I can say is, THANK GOD! I'm also thinking of incorporating a stim-based preworkout for the times when I train after work and am feeling a bit trainer/tired. Would be happy to hear if anyone has experience with specific brands or stimulant use in general.

Update pictures, below!

**IK9** · 07-13-2015, 10:29 AM

Shreds!

Glad to see you updating again.

As for pre-workouts, I liked Noxi Pro by CTD? It had DMAA in it but it gave me laser-like focus

I like Nubreed Nutrition's Undisputed & their new Whiplash

I haven't bought a preworkout in forever but usually now I just have some black coffee if I am really dragging ass

**happydude101** · 07-13-2015, 12:48 PM

Funny you mention coffee. I used to have a love/hate relationship with Starbucks Frappucino's. So good, but inevitably made me violently ill afterwards. Trust me, not pretty. Was never sure if it was the dairy, the coffee or the caffeine that caused it.

With a preworkout supp on the horizon decided to do some testing on those theories. Dairy is a definite no-go and is something I've learned to avoid, much to my fiancees relief. ;-) This morning I had a black coffee with a hearty dose of caffeine (~250mg) and had no issues whatsoever, besides that it was disgusting.

I've been thinking of trying the BPI 1MR Vortex, if only for the reason that they have a "Snow Cone" flavor that doesn't taste like fruit. Anything fruit-flavored (yes, even fruit) makes me gag like you wouldn't believe and I'd probably just end up spewing it all over the gym partway through my workout. Will likely try mixing in a dose of BCAA's, as well and see how that suits me.

Appreciate the input!

**happydude101** · 07-15-2015, 07:31 PM

Just a quick update.

Tried a scoop of BPI Sports 1MR Vortex this afternoon before my chest/shoulders/triceps training session after work. It's effectively a stimulant/pump enhancer pre-workout and doesn't contain ingredients for any other purpose, at least as far as I could tell. I took the 1MR about a half hour before my session (as per the directions), had standard BCAA's mixed in water during the training and a protein shake after.

Now, I've never taken a pre-workout before and I read that 1MR is one of the stronger ones. With 300mg of caffeine per serving and me weighing in at only 127 lbs, I was curious how it would affect me.

From a stimulant perspective, probably the best word to describe the workout was "aggressive". Throughout what turned into a two-hour session I felt very aggressive, intense and even impatient to get to the next set and exercise, often flexing the worked muscle extremely hard between sets. Not for the posing practice mind you, but due to the feeling of being "amped up".

From a quantitative perspective, I didn't see Hulk-like strength gains (nor did I expect to), though I quite consistently was able to bump weight up slightly and/or add additional reps to each exercise while maintaining form. So to with my drop sets where I was able to stave off failure for longer and grind out a few additional hard reps due to an overwhelming attitude of, "I'll be damned if these weights can beat me."

From a pump perspective, I also experienced a difference. I was able to get a much harder and more satisfying pump, particularly in my chest and triceps, than I traditionally have and also noticed that it lasted for significantly longer after the workout. On the downside, a few times during the workout I found my hands getting a tad jittery/shaky.

Now, do these effects mean I'll turn into a bodybuilding colossus or powerlifting marvel overnight? Highly unlikely. However, the mentality it put me in, as well as the extra reps and increased pump certainly made the session more intense and I felt like I got more out of it than usual.

So it turns out this was a not-so-quick update (sorry!), but overall I was happy with what the 1MR did for me. I'm excited to try it this weekend in a hard back/biceps session, which are already my most intense in the weekly cycle.

**red_cat** · 07-16-2015, 07:02 AM

Vortex is some good stuff if you're mainly just looking for a stimulant boost. No creatine; no beta alanine; massive amounts of energy.

I'll be following along. Some really nice progress being made. Did you ever get any help with your posing? I think you've got a lot more definition than you're showing in your "flexed" progress pictures.

**happydude101** · 07-16-2015, 11:33 AM

Originally Posted by red_cat

Vortex is some good stuff if you're mainly just looking for a stimulant boost. No creatine; no beta alanine; massive amounts of energy.

I'll be following along. Some really nice progress being made. Did you ever get any help with your posing? I think you've got a lot more definition than you're showing in your "flexed" progress pictures.

Yeah, looking to get my hands on some Beta Alanine that I'll mix in with it before training, then keep supplementing my post-session shake with Creatine, as well.

I only just recently got some info on the mandatory poses for the physique show I want to do, so I've been trying to practice those. That said, my coach maintains I should think about bumping up to entering in a bodybuilding category, instead.

Either way, I have no doubt whatsoever I could present more muscularity and definition with the right posing/input, though hesitant to poke folks like yourself or Stan without knowing which direction I'll go and wasting your time (i.e. Physique vs. Bodybuilding).

Any general tips? I'd be happy to listen and give 'em a try in my next posing session and progress pics.

**red_cat** · 07-16-2015, 02:43 PM

Originally Posted by happydude101

Yeah, looking to get my hands on some Beta Alanine that I'll mix in with it before training, then keep supplementing my post-session shake with Creatine, as well.

I only just recently got some info on the mandatory poses for the physique show I want to do, so I've been trying to practice those. That said, my coach maintains I should think about bumping up to entering in a bodybuilding category, instead.

Either way, I have no doubt whatsoever I could present more muscularity and definition with the right posing/input, though hesitant to poke folks like yourself or Stan without knowing which direction I'll go and wasting your time (i.e. Physique vs. Bodybuilding).

Any general tips? I'd be happy to listen and give 'em a try in my next posing session and progress pics.

You should be in the bodybuilding category. Hands down.

Your upper body in your front double bi isn't bad but you could "sit" on your legs a bit more to get your quads to pop. Think of it like you're getting ready to sit into a squat.

On your rear double bi, again, upper body is good but your lower body needs work. It looks like you're flexing your hamstrings a bit but you should put one leg further back, spike it on the ball of your foot to show calf definition, and press your hips forward a bit to activate your glutes.

Layne's article on his contest prep guide is a decent starting point on the mandatories (http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/layn...ek-posing.html) and I'm happy to answer any other questions you've got!

Thread: Happydude's Road to Competition

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