4BC's Odyssey. MY Journey

[4backcracks]

Glad to hear you're feeling fantastic man! You gettin excited or what? 1 more week until our first show!

dude i am beyond stoked for both of our shows. my conditioning is still rapidly improving even though we're just 8 days out, i feel like im really firing on all cylinders right now.

just kinda wish i was gettin some more feedback for the thread, ive tried posting in a bunch of other guys' logs but to no avail.

[jpfaherty]

Eh, it takes time my man. I've had my log going for almost a year now lol. Just update on the regular and you'll get more love over time haha.

Shoot me a PM if you want with your full name and I'll FB ya. If not no bigs!

[4backcracks]

Eh, it takes time my man. I've had my log going for almost a year now lol. Just update on the regular and you'll get more love over time haha.

Shoot me a PM if you want with your full name and I'll FB ya. If not no bigs!

yeah i bet. i imagine ill get more love after ive posted contest pics too.

yeah sure

[4backcracks]

Loving my carb loading days!

brb pounding down rice cakes and sour patch kids

[jpfaherty]

Good meeting you man! See ya this weekend. Bringing dat dere misc crew still?

[domingochavez]

Doing very well considering you can't track macros that well!

Kick some ass in your upcoming show

[4backcracks]

Good meeting you man! See ya this weekend. Bringing dat dere misc crew still?

No, it didnt work out and I havent heard from them since, not too sure what happened.

Doing very well considering you can't track macros that well!

Kick some ass in your upcoming show

Thanks man I appreciate that!



My Post Contest Reflections

OCB Pine Tree State Classic

- For the PTSC I placed 5th out of 6 in Men's lightweight novice, and was the only teen competitor. I won't lie, I'm embarrassed to post the pictures from this show online. The week before the show was probably the most stressful week I've ever had to endure, between my normal classes, crafting my schedule for next year, picking my housing for next year, and all the appts that those things entailed, it was a nightmare. I ate an absurd amount of carbs (well over 2000 grams for the week), and I justified it in my mind as just a carb load. I looked watery and bloated in all of my contest pics. BUT I had fun! I got some valuable experience, got my feet wet, and got some great feedback. As horrible as I looked, and even though my placing wasn't good, I wouldn't trade the experience, because it's just the first battle, not the war.

- For the OCB Spirit of America (a HUGE show btw. One masters and two open pro cards were handed out for the men) I went with a completely different prep. The head judge at my previous show Sean "Sully" Sullivan (former MR USA and Yorton Cup Champ) gave me his e-book, which suggested a more traditional glycogen depletion workout prep, and super low carbs for meso-endos (which is what i think I am). It worked a lot better, and I can say that physique wise I brought my best package to the stage on Saturday. I felt much tighter, and I felt like the work I had put in hadn't gone to waste like the previous week. But then there were a few hiccups. There was no schedule available for the order of events, only one that had been posted on the wall. I assumed the order would go all women followed by men, as had been the case the previous week. I happened to look (purely by chance) and saw that teens were actually 4th, so I was on my heels right away. My meals were thrown way off, and I didn't have much time to pump up.

The one thing that really took me down a notch from this show was my tan. The night before, I got back on the bus from school a little past midnight, and my girlfriend did a fantastic job of putting on my pro tan, which we finished around 2:30 in the morning. I looked REALLY good, and I couldn't have been more stoked. Then in the morning, I took my quick rinse as per the directions, and I was left with virtually nothing. Im naturally pale as FUARK, so with just a little tan left I probably looked not much more tan than your average person in the middle of the summer. I didn't freak out, I just asked my family to throw on another coat. My mom didn't have time, and my dad really had no interest in helping me. Only my dad came out with me to the show, and I had to try to put on my own pro tan throughout the morning, and I ended up coming in with a light, streaky tan in the front, and next to nothing in the back.

I placed 3rd out of 6 in the teens, and while I felt great about the physique I brought, I couldn't help but leave with a sour taste in my mouth. I thought I had the kid in second beat soundly (2 random trainers I didnt know came up to me after the show and told me they thought the judges had it wrong), and I can't help but think the only reason why I lost was because I didn't have enough color. It was both depressing and infuriating that I couldn't get the little support I needed from my family with putting on my tan, the ONE thing you can easily manipulate in all of bodybuilding was what held me back. Even thinking about it now, it really makes me sad that my family couldn't muster a single fck to give. Live and learn I guess.

Feedback I got from the first show

the promoterYou have broad shoulders, with good delts.....that's a great thing to have! You need overall thickness.......deads, squats, chins, the basics, and you need to be a little harder. You have good symetry too which is a major plus. Once you thicken up your going to be pretty tough (it takes time for us tall people).

the head judge/ former YC Champ Your on track to do well in the SOA, just needed to be a bit tighter, and after another week of diet that will do it. Your posing was good and overall your physique was pleasing and well balanced. I would try to get your color darker for the my stage as the lighting favors the darker look. Now for the long term, you need overall mass. It is simply a mater of filling out your physique and taking the time to get bigger. I noticed you have the frame for it so each year I think you could add a good 10 pounds of muscle and within two years you will be doing quite well in open events. I look forward to seeing you at the SOA so train hard and here is a copy of my book.

Then at my second show, each of the three judges had more or less the same thing to say. They all liked my symmetry, they said I had a great frame and a pleasing X shape, and said my conditioning was fairly good (for a teen). They also said my frame looks like I could easily pack on a lot of muscle, like the first judge. For all three, the very first thing out of their mouth was the tan. I just had to nod my head grimly.


Anyways, since this time last year I've lost 50+ lbs, and spent 10 out of 12 months in a deficit. Physically and mentally, I am very much ready to pack on some slabs of muscle! As I stated in the OP, I've made the choice to become an IFPA Pro. Maybe my first contest prep wasn't the resounding success I'd hoped for, but I'm convinced I will never go through a dieting season with as many obstacles as my very first one, and I know I'll take the lessons learned with me. I'll keep you guys posted with my bulk, hopefully Ill be posting some PR vids within a few weeks. At the suggestion of the judges, I think I'm going to bulk up more or less continously until next spring, when I'm going to start dieting in preparation for a show some time in late July or August.


thanks for following along so far guys!

[4backcracks]

felt great getting back on the gym! I feel like working out while youre eating at a surplus (especially after having dieted for 10 out of the last 12 months) is like shooting fish in a barrel.

Upper Body PHAT

pull downs 3x12
t bar rows 3x5 3 25lb plates 1 10
pull downs 2x8 120
db row 2x6 85

OHP 3x5 105
high incline DB 2x8 55

low incline DB 3x5 65
floor press 2x10 45


everything felt good, and i felt pretty sharp. i think ill be back at my precontest numbers within 2-3 weeks.

[4backcracks]

PHAT Lower Body Power

I would say one of the greatest lessons I learned during my cut was the value of the mind-muscle connection. I had always valued it for my isolation lifts, but now I'm taking it much more seriously for my compounds. If that means sacrificing as much as 20% on a lift, so be it.

Started with a warmup circuit of leg extensions, leg curls, and a hip mobility circuit. I had always done isolation lifts before my first compound to do a little pre-fatigue, and to help stimulate the mind/muscle connection (esp for squats, where I am extremely glute dominant) but I've decided to expand that into a general warmup.

- If you've never tried doing hamstring curls before squatting/hacking, you gotta try it! You feel much more mobile and stable
- I've also started incorporating a little hip circuit, because my hip strength and mobility has also been a huge limiting factor in my squat. I do fire hydrants, bird dogs, and the adductor machine.




And if you've ever seen Kai greene's videos, I do the adductor machine the same way he does ( tight chest, extended contraction at the top).


Squats
worked up to 225 2x3 and then 1x5. Felt great, especially with my new warmup protocol, which helped me focus on contracting the quads, and not worry about my post chain mobility.

Hacks
carriage + 180 2x8
Nice and easy here, not trying to kill it with heavy weight just yet.

Leg ext
3x8 150


Leg curls again for pre fatigue

RDLS from 6" platform

185 3x5 again, I do these the way Kai teaches it, where you focus on trying to turn your feet out, which gives you a great hammie contraction. This weight felt relatively easy, even after having done my pre fatigue and squats.

Rack Pulls from below knee
275 2x3 first time doing these, felt really good all throughout the posterior chain.


a quick 10 minute HIIT session, 100kcal burned.


So from my 168lb state (carb depleted) the day before the show, I have put on 9lbs. I'm assuming about 5-6 of this is just muscle glycogen, so I'm going to go lower on carbs for the next couple of days to normalize my weight a little bit. If I don't lose 2-3 pounds, then I'll know I've actually put on significant adipose tissue, and if thats the case I'm actually going to go back into a deficit for a couple of weeks and reverse diet from there.

[jpfaherty]

Good stuff man! Keep up with this log and don't let up.

You plan on competing next year or taking a year off?

[4backcracks]

Good stuff man! Keep up with this log and don't let up.

You plan on competing next year or taking a year off?

Yeah I'm gonna try to keep at it. I'm trying to keep the same sense of purpose and motivation I had throughout my prep, even though the end isn't really in sight at all.

Honestly I haven't decided when I'll next compete. I know for a fact its going to be late summer, so that the majority of my dieting will be at home. Since all the judges told me I just needed to fill out better, I would say the soonest I'd consider competing would be July or August of next summer. I know there are generally a couple of Massachusetts shows around that time too.

PHAT Back/Shoulders Hypertrophy

3x15 pull downs
6x3 135 speed rows. i was surprised at how easy these felt
lat pull downs 3x10 120
seated rows 3x15 70
chins 2x6 bw
nautilus behind neck 2x15 130

Shoulders
lat raises 3x10 20
high incline DB presses
45x15 55 for 12,10,8
shoulder press 21's 30 lb db's

150kcal of hiit

[4backcracks]

PHAT Lower Hyper

Below para box squats
- layne says that box squats are best for getting out of the hole, which is by far the hardest part of the squat for me. I think from now on, all my speed work will be done off the box.

6x3x135 felt good, esp for my first time doing it as an exercise

hack machine
wide stance
carriage+ 180 3x10
widdowmaker stance 1x15

carriage + 230 medium stance 2x8

leg extensions 3x12

leg curls
RDLs from 6" platform 3x15x 135

Good solid day all around, back felt a little sore since this is my fourth straight day of hitting it, but overrall i felt great.

[4backcracks]

Upper Body Power

ripsht right now cause i did a huge entry and it got deleted cause of some bs about "token expiring"


Today's Motivation

Matt Kroc
- Cant say Ill ever really emulate the whole Matt Kroc/Branch warren throw heavy weight around without regard for human life, but that type of thick, dense muscle is deff motivation to lift heavy




pushdown FST-3
t bar rows 3x5 4 25lb plates
chins 2x6 bw
lat pull downs 2x6 140

lat raises FST-3
OHP 3x5 115
High Incline DB 2x8 60lb db's

45 degree incline db 2x5x70 1x8x70 (even after all the shoulder work this felt EASY)
DB Floor Press 1x8x65 1x6x70

decided not to do any arm work today. Going super high carb after my show gave me insane pumps, and I got really deep stretch marks all the way down to my mid bicept, so im gonna back off a little bit for now

[4backcracks]

PHAT Lower Body Power

Today I lifted without having breakfast beforehand. I did this yesterday also. Tmrw I plan to have oatmeal about an hour before I lift, and I will log the difference, because Ive usually had low GI carbs about an hour before working out and had good success with that.


warm up circuit
leg ext
leg curl
adductor machine
hip circuit

Squat
- my hips and the very top of my vastus were both bugging me, especially at the very top and bottom of the movement, so I decided not to go up in weight, just reps.

3x5 225

Hacks
wide stance carriage + 180 2x10
carriage + 270 2x10

close stance
carriage + 270 2x10

leg extensions

3x10 120
drop set 120x10 100x8 80x8 60x about 6 or 7

leg curls

RDLs from 6"
135x10
185x5
2x5 205

Rack Pulls
1x3 275
3x3 315

more leg curls


felt a little tired, just the stresses of finals week and what not, but I made progress in every lift, so I felt pretty good

[4backcracks]

Yesterday's back and shoulders was uneventful, i felt like sht from a cold so I didnt make a lot of progress.

PHAT Lower Hyper

below para box squats
6x3 155 felt great, im deff getting better at popping out of the hole.

split squats
3x8 95lb barbell

leg ext

back extensions
3x bw taken to failure with emphasis on hamstrings

rack pulls
225 1x8 1x10 1x15

[4backcracks]

PHAT Chest n Guns

Another day, another brick is laid. On my Chest and guns day I focus primarily on my upper chest, the lateral head of my tri's and my forearms.

speed inclines

dummbell floor press
3x8 75's
flat bench

curls for the gurls
some tricep supersets, usually ending with the tricep rope pushdowns

[4backcracks]

PHAT Upper Power

pullovers/pulldowns

t-bar 3x5 4 25's +10
chins 3x6
light db row 3x8 65

OHP 3x4 125
high incline Db 2x10 60's

incline DB 3x5 75's (went to 8 on the last set, these felt real easy)
db floor press 2x5 85's

[4backcracks]

PHAT Lower Power

another good day on my mini cut! I'm down to about 182, which is 10 lbs over my contest weight. I plan to cut for about another week, and then restart bulking, only this time in a much more controlled manner (read: not having 5 plates of pizza and cupcakes)

Squat was up to 3x3 245 Wasn't sure if I'd hit it today, especially when I got under the bar with 135 and it felt heavier than usual, but I worked my way into it, and made progress without sacrificing form.

Hacks got up to carriage+270 for about 8

RDLs didnt feel good, my hamstring just weren't firing like usual, so I stuck with 3x5 225

Rack Pulls probably shouldnt have pushed the weight since my hams were dead, but I worked my way up to 2x3 335

[4backcracks]

Upper Body PHAT

rows
175 3x5 didnt feel great, a little too much weight/momentum
lpd 2x8 120

OHP
2x3 135
1x5 115
high incline dummbell
2x8 60's

Incline dummbell
3x5 80's
floor press
1x8 1x6 80's

[4backcracks]

Today's Motivation: Ronnie Coleman


Arnold used to say when he was doing his curls he would imagine he was building his biceps to be as big as mountains, and that he was moving superhuman weight. I really like the idea of exaggerated imagery as motivation, so i use the ridiculous Mr. Coleman's legs.


Lower Body PHAT

Skwats
3x3 255 continuing to make solid linear progression, but my form felt off because my new gym has a different mirror setup. I'd prefer a full cage where I can just look at the ground and not be distracted by a mirror at all, but since the mirror is there I usually just focus on a point 15 feet back. This mirror was cut too high, so that when I was in the hole i lost my point on the ground. I'll have to figure out what to do about this..

Hack Machine
3x8 3plates each side
last set i did a double dropset, I think I got about 10 with 2 plates and about 25 with 1

Hamstring curls
2x12 90

RDLs'
2x15 135

Rack Pulls
2x3 345

[4backcracks]

Back and Shoulders PHAT

Always looking to shake it up, today I decided to try some of Dorian Yates' back training principles. The idea of pre-exhaust has always worked well for me, and being a big dude I was never a fan of the wide grip work so many bb'ers use for width, so I was drawn to DY's back training style.

Nautilus Pullovers
worked up to 105 for about 12

Pushdowns
worked up to 40lbs for about 15

Pronated grip high row machine
3x12 180lbs

Parallel Grip Chins
3x6 bodyweight

Seated Row
2x12 90
1x failure (something around 20 I think) 90


OHP Speed Press
6x3 95

High Incline DB
2x6 60's


An awesome day all around using the Dorian Yates exercise order. Really felt the mind/muscle connection, especially in retracted the scapula on each rep.

[4backcracks]

just had 2 straight posts get cancelled by some bullsht about a token error..

Legs
speed squat 6x3 185
hacks hit 6 plates for 10
RDL hit 185 for 10
Rack Pulls 2x5 275

Chest
Incline Speed 6x3 60's
DB Floor Press 85's x 7

[4backcracks]

PHAT Upper Body Power

Pullover Machine- 120x12
Pushdowns- 40x15
High Row Machine- 2x6 230 Probably went up in weight a little too quickly here, Ill look to focus more on the squeeze next time
DB Row to Armpit- 2x8 75's

OHP 2x3 135 pre-fatigued with the lateral raises a little too much here. Got a sweet pump, but I didnt make any progress in my strength numbers, so Ill be cutting back the lat raises
High Incline DB- 2x6 65's

Incline DB- Chest and shoulders were cooked at this point, barely got 75's x 3

[4backcracks]

Seeing a lot of people take their logs very seriously has inspired me lately, and I'd like to get back into it here.

Yesterday was upper body power

DB Rows to Armpit
105x5 felt good breaking the 100lb barrier again. Also happy to say that my main issue was grip, not back strength

DB Shoulder Press
75x3
DB High Incline
75x 3

DB Low Incline
80x3 Took it easy on these cause my chest was still a little sore from sunday, just focusing on getting good contractions and negatives



Lower Body Power

Oly Squat
2x3- 275
1x 6 or 7 225

Deadlift
3 x 3 295 Making some good, controlled progress on these, haven't done conventional pulls since before my show. Limiting factor is definitely my grip strength, not hams at all. This seems to be a theme...

[4backcracks]

Upper Body Power

First day back from a week off due to sickness. Kept the numbers reasonable so I don't just kick myself back into the cold.


db row
3x3 85

parallel bar pulldown
3x5 140

OHP
3x5 115

DB High incline
- these were with the fat handles, so the grip was deff a little awkward
3x5 65


DB Medium Incline
3x5 70

DB Floor Press
3x3 90s

[Anthonyxavcx]

More glutespread pics












Chris pls