No Time to Waste - DJaRiHardstyle's Off Season Log

[DJaRiHardstyle]

Hey guys! If you didn't come here from my 5 weeks out prep log, here's a brief introduction (I'll keep it short and sweet).

I'm 17 years old, a senior in high school. I started getting into lifting weights my sophomore year of high school when I was 15, but gradually I lost all interest in the sport of bodybuilding. It wasn't until this past summer that something kicked in and I thought to myself what a waste to just give up on something I liked so much, so I began an extremely uninformed dirty bulk, where I gained a lot of size, but looked awful. I had never cut weight before, yet decided to cut down for a competition in April (that I competed in 2 days ago). For 18 weeks, I dieted, following the advice of my step uncle, who is a former IFBB Pro.

In a little over 18 weeks, I went from this....


to this....


I ended up winning my juniors class by default, being the only competitor in that division, and getting 2nd out of 2 in my lightweight class, losing to a really good competitor who also won Best Posing Award and has competed 3 or 4 times before.

It would have been nice to have had more people competing against me, so I could really figure out what bodyparts I need to bring up, maybe what poses I should work on, etc etc. Nonetheless, seeing some of the bigger guys at that competition really inspired me to take this off season very seriously.

**My goals for this off season**

I'm unsure of when I will compete again, and aim on making that decision based on how my off season goes. My goals are to 1.) Get to 190 or so pounds, while staying SEMI-lean.... no more chubby eat whatever you want off season. (currently, I'm 168, 15 pounds heavier than my contest weight) 2.) Compete in my next show as a middleweight 3.) Bring up my quads, as they tend to be a weak point for me.. 4.) Work on increasing strength this off season

**How I will achieve them; The Plan**

I plan on increasing carbs each week for 4 weeks, until I'm back into a bulking phase. I'm currently very bloated from post contest binging and want to deal with that first, because as said earlier, I want to remain SEMI-lean this off season, so cutting bodyfat won't be so awful.

Currently, my macros are: 2316kcal, 254c/51f/205p
I will work on increasing them to: 3200kcal, 440c/71f/200p

If I want to cheat, I have to make sure it's around my workout, specifically AFTER working out, so at least the excess calories can be used properly. I'm not a fitness model; I'd like to stay lean, but size is a priority.
Fats are a bit low, I'm aware, I may increase them, we'll see.

As far as training and cardio, I will be on a 5/3/1 4 day split with Bodybuilding Assistance work. I will do cardio on my off days, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday.... just 30 minutes LISS.

**Training**

Here is my 5/3/1 routine with bodybuilding assistance (note: 1RM's are complete estimates):

Monday - Deadlift Day
-Deadlifts (5/3/1) - 344 1RM
-Dumbbell Stiff-Legged Deadlifts (4 x 12)
-Bent Over Rows (4 x 12)
-Wide Grip Lat Pulldowns (4 x 10)
-Barbell Wrist Curls (3 x 15)

Tuesday - 30 min LISS cardio

Wednesday - Bench Day
-Bench Press (5/3/1) - 230 1RM
-Incline Dumbbell Press (4 x 12)
-Dumbbell Fly's (4 x 12)
-Weighted Dips (4 x 10)
-Rope Pressdowns (3 x 12)

Thursday - 30 min LISS cardio

Friday - Squat Day
-Squats (5/3/1) - 279 1RM
-Leg Press (4 x 15)
-Lying Leg Curls (4 x 15)
-Leg Extensions (4 x 12)
-Standing Calf Raises (3 x 12)

Saturday - OHP Day
-Overhead Press (5/3/1) - 127 1RM
-Dumbbell Shoulder Press (4 x 12)
-Dumbbell Lateral Raises (4 x 12)
-Reverse Pec Deck Machine (3 x 12)
-Barbell Curls (4 x 12)
-Preacher Curls (4 x 10)

Sunday - 30 min LISS cardio


I'll be logging my workouts, and most likely what I'm eating too. I've got a lot of supplements and samples to run through and so there may be semi-reviews on here, too.

So, join me in my journey to more size and more strength!

[TGreggors]

153 to 168 in two days? dayum haha at least you got the binging out of the way and are getting right back on track. In!

[DJaRiHardstyle]

153 to 168 in two days? dayum haha at least you got the binging out of the way and are getting right back on track. In!

Haha nope, 153 to 168 in ONE day.... haven't even weighed myself today, too scared haha

just when i thought i was back on the disciplined eating train, i decided to sneak in a Met-Rx Big 100 Colossal bar:O

[BiggerWeighter]

i hadn't seen what u looked like 18 weeks ago...fuking impressive as fuk man...u giving me the energy, as I myself am 12 days out til NPC Vermont States

[370zzzz]

Subbed.

I followed your 5 weeks out log and I have to say you did a great job man! I was doubtful you would look stage ready after seeing some of the pics you posted but you really did end up looking like a bodybuilder. Congrats...I'll enjoy following your progress.

[adknows]

Whooaaaa you look like a completely different kid!!! That was a helluva 18 weeks. Like BiggerWeighter said thats motivation.

[DJaRiHardstyle]

i hadn't seen what u looked like 18 weeks ago...fuking impressive as fuk man...u giving me the energy, as I myself am 12 days out til NPC Vermont States

12 days? Damn man, all the hard work's about to pay off! Haven't seen any pics of you besides your avi, but your legs look freakin NASTY! Kick some butt bro!

Subbed.

I followed your 5 weeks out log and I have to say you did a great job man! I was doubtful you would look stage ready after seeing some of the pics you posted but you really did end up looking like a bodybuilder. Congrats...I'll enjoy following your progress.

Thanks man, appreciate it!

Whooaaaa you look like a completely different kid!!! That was a helluva 18 weeks. Like BiggerWeighter said thats motivation.

Yes it certainly was.... I've always been so skinny, so I thought I was ectomorphic, but after I saw what that dirty bulk did to me and after looking at myself now, 2 days after my contest, it's clear my body loves nothing more than to hold onto bodyfat....

I've seriously gotta get back on my diet starting tomorrow, no excuses. It feels so awful losing 18 weeks of hard work to these cravings.... Tomorrow I'll be back on

[370zzzz]

I'm curious to see how you look after all this binging - do you look fuller/better or worse? Post some pics once the bloat subsides.

[DJaRiHardstyle]

I'm curious to see how you look after all this binging - do you look fuller/better or worse? Post some pics once the bloat subsides.

Will do! Shoulda mentioned before.. I'll be posting pics every Thursday to track progress.... Thursday was my low carb day during dieting, so it was my designated picture day, I'll keep the same pattern.

Today's training:

Deadlift
135 x 8
205 x 5
235 x 5
275 x 5

DB Stiff-Legged Deadlifts
70s x 14
75s x 14
80s x 10
85s x 10

Bent Over Rows
95 x 14
135 x 12
155 x 10
185 x 8

Wide Grip Lat Pulldowns
100 x 14
120 x 12
130 x 10
140 x 10

DB Trap Shrugs
80s x 16
70s x 16
80s x 14



**Notes**
-I tried out the sample of C4 I got for "winning" Juniors.. the blueberry tasted awesome and gave me a nice rush of energy.. last time I used C4 was a while ago and it gave me an awful headache and made me super anxious, this time it was totally fine
-The deadlift weights were super easy, and so I did more on my last set than I was supposed to do, based on an Excel sheet I found, laying out proper training 1RMs and weights to use.... I would've been able to go past the weights I used, but being so bloated and trying to hold in gas while doing deadlifts doesn't usually work out
-^^Same thing with the DB Stiff-Legged Deadlifts.. me and my dad were still figuring out proper weights to use and plus my legs are still pretty sore from posing on Saturday
-The bent over rows were nice, I got an awesome pump from them, and my dad, who's never done them before, liked them too.
-The wide grip lat pulldowns were also nice, but for all these exercises, my weights were MUCH lower than usual, even with the C4 I used and the post-contest strength rebound
-We saw this huge guy with super developed traps doing trap shrugs with much lighter weight after I finished my set with the 80s and my dad with the 100s, so we went down and back up
-Next time, I'll be using proportionately heavier weights.. still not used to this lower volume, higher intensity, powerlifting-style approach
-My calves were sore as hell, even without training them, afterwards.. they started to cramp, which I knew was from the posing on Saturday (those BDBs and BLSs KILL your calves)

Eats

Today was pretty sloppy.. tomorrow I'll be back to slightly below maintenance cals, but I'll continue with Glycobol, creatine, pre-workout, not counting macros for veggies or condiments, etc etc.

Diet was too sloppy to even post. Tomorrow I'll be back on it. Promise. Tomorrow I also have 30 min LISS cardio and some ab work at the gym, that should be fun (strong sarcasm is strong)

Now back to my Chipotle and then some ON Casein sludge later tonight!

[DJaRiHardstyle]

I know this is a bit out of the norm for this thread and highly unrelated, but considering I'll be spending most of my time logging on here, I thought it needs to be said.

What happened today in Boston was absolutely horrific. My thoughts and prayers go out to the traumatized competitors, bystanders, and families of those affected. If you're reading this, I ask that you please pray tonight for those affected, or at least keep them in your thoughts. The outpouring of thoughtful posts I'm seeing on my ******** news feed brings a smile to my face because it reminds me how much kindness we all possess. It also makes me think about the immediate post-9/11 world. What makes America so strong is that after such horrific events take place, rather than speaking of retaliation immediately, we first band together, holding tight the American ideal of unity and love.

It bothers me to see the extraordinary amount of people calling this a hoax or turning this into a political issue so soon, but I recognize different people have different ways of dealing with traumatic events. I can only imagine what the families of those affected are going through. It takes a lot of strength for someone to even go through with running a marathon, and to have to endure this on such a day is really awful. Most of my mom's side of my family lives in Boston, so I immediately texted her, asking if everyone is alright, and they are, which was a relief. But it really brings home the atrocity of such hateful acts. We'll never fully eliminate hatred from our society, but as long as we do everything in our power, as individuals, to ensure unconditional love is alive and well, we'll make this world a much better place.

God bless!

[DJaRiHardstyle]

I've gotta say.. this is getting really depressing. So far today, I've managed to stuff 3/4 of a dark chocolate Easter bunny, 10 double-stuf oreos, 3 honey buns, a DCD and honey sandwich, and rice cakes w/ jelly down my fat face on top of my regular diet.

It's actually depressing at this point, because yesterday I was so pumped up to start shedding this water weight and getting back into my diet so i could reverse properly, but clearly that hasn't happened. I know I keep saying it, but TOMORROW! Maybe if I don't set my expectations so high it'll be easier.. or maybe if I build up the will power to throw away some of this junk!

I did 30 minutes walking on the inclined treadmill, then 3 sets of leg raises, followed by 2 sets of decline ab crunches today. Tomorrow is a bench press day and I'm so sick of this bloat, yet it's clear why it won't go away.

On the other hand, me being the natural fatass I am, expecting myself to continue eating under 2k calories a day with no contest anywhere near is a hard thing to do. I think I should toss all the junk, and if I'm CRAVING anything, I'll just eat more clean food, starting tomorrow. After today, I'll start doing permanent damage if I keep up this binging. I know it's my first contest and all, and I'm only 17 and have never cut before this, and it WAS a pretty drastic cut, but still, there's no excuse for this binge-eating.

Not sure what's for dinner yet, but whatever it is, I'm going to bed after I eat it. No room for my last meal..

[DJaRiHardstyle]

I've gotta say.. this is getting really depressing. So far today, I've managed to stuff 3/4 of a dark chocolate Easter bunny, 10 double-stuf oreos, 3 honey buns, a DCD and honey sandwich, and rice cakes w/ jelly down my fat face on top of my regular diet.

It's actually depressing at this point, because yesterday I was so pumped up to start shedding this water weight and getting back into my diet so i could reverse properly, but clearly that hasn't happened. I know I keep saying it, but TOMORROW! Maybe if I don't set my expectations so high it'll be easier.. or maybe if I build up the will power to throw away some of this junk!

I did 30 minutes walking on the inclined treadmill, then 3 sets of leg raises, followed by 2 sets of decline ab crunches today. Tomorrow is a bench press day and I'm so sick of this bloat, yet it's clear why it won't go away.

On the other hand, me being the natural fatass I am, expecting myself to continue eating under 2k calories a day with no contest anywhere near is a hard thing to do. I think I should toss all the junk, and if I'm CRAVING anything, I'll just eat more clean food, starting tomorrow. After today, I'll start doing permanent damage if I keep up this binging. I know it's my first contest and all, and I'm only 17 and have never cut before this, and it WAS a pretty drastic cut, but still, there's no excuse for this binge-eating.

Not sure what's for dinner yet, but whatever it is, I'm going to bed after I eat it. No room for my last meal..

Before you guys start unsubscribing because all you see is a demotivated bloated idiot, I'm getting this back on track. I know what I want out of life, I know what I want out of dieting and training, and I'm not willing to let these weaknesses control me. I want this dark depressing phase in my life to be as forgettable and short-lived as possible, so I threw away ALL the junk in my possession and figured out a sustainable meal plan for the rest of this week. Starting tomorrow (today will be finished by eating dinner, no meal 6) this will be my DEFINITE diet, no cheating, no extra meals, etc (with the exclusion of this Saturday, where I have an accepted student's event, where eating clean will be virtually impossible.... it's an all day event where all I can really eat is what they offer):

Meal 1
1/2 scoop Cellucor Whey
3 Omega 3 Eggs
1/2 cup quick oats
1 cup skim milk

Meal 2
1 scoop Trutein Cinnabun
6 oz FF GY
splash of skim milk (approx .2 cups)

Meal 3
6 oz cooked ground chicken breast
1/4 cup kasmati rice, measured dry

Meal 4
4 oz 92/8 lean ground beef
1 whole wheat wrap

Meal 5 (Post-Workout)
Whatever's for Dinner **relatively clean dinners**

Meal 6 (Pre-Bed)
1 scoop ON 100% Casein
2 tbsp natural peanut butter
splash of milk (approx .2 cups)

Estimating for dinner, this would amount to approximately:

2200kcal
171c/65f/238p

It's a bit high, yes, but it's sustainable and as long as I don't cheat and stay consistent with cardio and training, as well as get tons of water in daily, on top of the fact that I'll be using my Glycobol, it should feel much better to be on this diet, and I won't be reversing for a while, since calories are a bit higher.

I'm just so sick of watching myself throw away all my hard work for some stupid cravings.

I will update you guys tomorrow, hopefully soon all of this silly stuff will be behind me!

[BiggerWeighter]

Before you guys start unsubscribing because all you see is a demotivated bloated idiot, I'm getting this back on track. I know what I want out of life, I know what I want out of dieting and training, and I'm not willing to let these weaknesses control me. I want this dark depressing phase in my life to be as forgettable and short-lived as possible, so I threw away ALL the junk in my possession and figured out a sustainable meal plan for the rest of this week. Starting tomorrow (today will be finished by eating dinner, no meal 6) this will be my DEFINITE diet, no cheating, no extra meals, etc (with the exclusion of this Saturday, where I have an accepted student's event, where eating clean will be virtually impossible.... it's an all day event where all I can really eat is what they offer):

Meal 1
1/2 scoop Cellucor Whey
3 Omega 3 Eggs
1/2 cup quick oats
1 cup skim milk

Meal 2
1 scoop Trutein Cinnabun
6 oz FF GY
splash of skim milk (approx .2 cups)

Meal 3
6 oz cooked ground chicken breast
1/4 cup kasmati rice, measured dry

Meal 4
4 oz 92/8 lean ground beef
1 whole wheat wrap

Meal 5 (Post-Workout)
Whatever's for Dinner **relatively clean dinners**

Meal 6 (Pre-Bed)
1 scoop ON 100% Casein
2 tbsp natural peanut butter
splash of milk (approx .2 cups)

Estimating for dinner, this would amount to approximately:

2200kcal
171c/65f/238p

It's a bit high, yes, but it's sustainable and as long as I don't cheat and stay consistent with cardio and training, as well as get tons of water in daily, on top of the fact that I'll be using my Glycobol, it should feel much better to be on this diet, and I won't be reversing for a while, since calories are a bit higher.

I'm just so sick of watching myself throw away all my hard work for some stupid cravings.

I will update you guys tomorrow, hopefully soon all of this silly stuff will be behind me!

come on man...dont throw away everything just because the show is over... im not even craving sht (maybe just a box of cinnamon toast crunch)...i think going so extreme in the diet in that period of time may have destabilized u mentally...hhaaha

[DJaRiHardstyle]

come on man...dont throw away everything just because the show is over... im not even craving sht (maybe just a box of cinnamon toast crunch)...i think going so extreme in the diet in that period of time may have destabilized u mentally...hhaaha

i know man i know! It's like the same vicious cycle day after day....

the day starts well, no cravings.. as it progresses, i start really wanting food.. by afternoon, I'm RAVENOUS and there is (or was, muahahahaha!) a huge stash of junk in my closet, by late afternoon, there's no stopping my hunger, i just attack everything in site, then an hour or two later i'm depressed and hopeless because i look at my body and i look nothing like i did at the show.. shoot i feel like a girl with an eating disorder. then i start getting all pumped up that night to start dieting the next day and it doesn't happen!

i feel like today's different, like today i REALLY want to make a change.. want to take this more seriously.. as far as dinner, I'll make sure to go as low carb as possible.. i.e. if we go to Chipotle, I'll get the bowl instead of the burrito.

Ultimately, I really want to be back on stage this August. I know I've been talking about how I want to gain some size back, but I love the competitive atmosphere of bodybuilding, and I think if I keep my off season clean, I can start cutting at 10 weeks out, giving me 9 weeks of off season.. both my off season and contest prep will be more moderate than before. My off season macros will basically stay around the amounts I just gave, just a bit higher, then will be gradually decreased in contest prep, with much less intense dieting, so i don't kill my metabolism like i did last time around.

It'll be the last time I have the full support of my parents, as after that, I'll be in college, plus it'll be summer break while I prep, so I won't have to worry about school!

[BiggerWeighter]

i know man i know! It's like the same vicious cycle day after day....

the day starts well, no cravings.. as it progresses, i start really wanting food.. by afternoon, I'm RAVENOUS and there is (or was, muahahahaha!) a huge stash of junk in my closet, by late afternoon, there's no stopping my hunger, i just attack everything in site, then an hour or two later i'm depressed and hopeless because i look at my body and i look nothing like i did at the show.. shoot i feel like a girl with an eating disorder. then i start getting all pumped up that night to start dieting the next day and it doesn't happen!

i feel like today's different, like today i REALLY want to make a change.. want to take this more seriously.. as far as dinner, I'll make sure to go as low carb as possible.. i.e. if we go to Chipotle, I'll get the bowl instead of the burrito.

Ultimately, I really want to be back on stage this August. I know I've been talking about how I want to gain some size back, but I love the competitive atmosphere of bodybuilding, and I think if I keep my off season clean, I can start cutting at 10 weeks out, giving me 9 weeks of off season.. both my off season and contest prep will be more moderate than before. My off season macros will basically stay around the amounts I just gave, just a bit higher, then will be gradually decreased in contest prep, with much less intense dieting, so i don't kill my metabolism like i did last time around.

It'll be the last time I have the full support of my parents, as after that, I'll be in college, plus it'll be summer break while I prep, so I won't have to worry about school!

i suggest taking longer than 9 weeks to build up those wheels....they're honestly the easiest muscle to develop (gain size)...9 weeks is nothing. My last show was in october, and i took november, december, january and mid-feb to bulk up (lean bulk/recomp), and i barely gained sht. I'll be like 2-3 pounds heavier this time (although considerably more conditioned)

but the point is, not to rush...take some well deserved time off, eat big, lift big and make some gains...natty 9 weeks gains should be nonexistant tbh

[DJaRiHardstyle]

i suggest taking longer than 9 weeks to build up those wheels....they're honestly the easiest muscle to develop (gain size)...9 weeks is nothing. My last show was in october, and i took november, december, january and mid-feb to bulk up (lean bulk/recomp), and i barely gained sht. I'll be like 2-3 pounds heavier this time (although considerably more conditioned)

but the point is, not to rush...take some well deserved time off, eat big, lift big and make some gains...natty 9 weeks gains should be nonexistant tbh

that's good advice man.. how long do you think i should spend gaining size before dieting down for next comp? aka when should i aim for another competition?

[PuRpLeRaiiDeR]

that's good advice man.. how long do you think i should spend gaining size before dieting down for next comp? aka when should i aim for another competition?

Going with what Weighter said, you are at your peak in test levels and GH currently, USE IT. You got your first one under your belt now take some time and get bigger. Dont worry about your chocolate and sugar and blah blah for a bit.. I get that you want to look good and be lean and blah blah again however.. enjoy your last year of high school, enjoy college, dont let this sport run your life young'n.

[DJaRiHardstyle]

Going with what Weighter said, you are at your peak in test levels and GH currently, USE IT. You got your first one under your belt now take some time and get bigger. Dont worry about your chocolate and sugar and blah blah for a bit.. I get that you want to look good and be lean and blah blah again however.. enjoy your last year of high school, enjoy college, dont let this sport run your life young'n.

No, you're def right about that.. and I can feel the spike in test levels. Strength in the gym has gone up, although you can't tell based off my last lifting session.. I was so bloated and gassy and sore and cramped that it wasn't very representative of my strength. Plus it's my first time running 5/3/1, so come tomorrow, I'm hitting my bench day hard as FUARK!

And also, don't get to thinking I'm one of those guys who is obsessed with being lean and is scared of fat gains haha.. I love getting bigger, bro, it's just that I don't want my next contest prep to be so drastic of a caloric defecit because my bodyfat's so high. Moderate off-season, moderate contest prep, that's the key

[Whatmate]

No, you're def right about that.. and I can feel the spike in test levels. Strength in the gym has gone up, although you can't tell based off my last lifting session.. I was so bloated and gassy and sore and cramped that it wasn't very representative of my strength. Plus it's my first time running 5/3/1, so come tomorrow, I'm hitting my bench day hard as FUARK!

And also, don't get to thinking I'm one of those guys who is obsessed with being lean and is scared of fat gains haha.. I love getting bigger, bro, it's just that I don't want my next contest prep to be so drastic of a caloric defecit because my bodyfat's so high. Moderate off-season, moderate contest prep, that's the key

It's a cycle, you binge on junk then decide to eat "100% clean chicken breast and broccoli" which is boring as **** any then you just fall back into binging.

This is all a mental issue, it's not your body craving this sort of foods, it's just a lack of discipline. Get your macro's right and look at the scale, if your staying the same weight or gaining a little slowly while still enjoying some treats then so be it. Eating clean food wont keep you leaner if the calories are higher, body composition will be more or less the same based on the speed of your weight gain.

At this point I would forget about competing and weighing/counting macro's. You should already have a rough idea on how much you eat each day, just get in the gym, lift heavy and watch the scale. If you're gaining weight each time you step on there, you're eating too much. If less then eat a little more that day, A LITTLE MORE.

So start progressing, keep doing cardio (intense cardio) and forget about getting up on stage until you are 19 and 6 months old, THEN pick a teenage division to go into. If you compete again in anything under 2 years I feel it will be counter productive. Good luck, stay strong!

[DJaRiHardstyle]

It's a cycle, you binge on junk then decide to eat "100% clean chicken breast and broccoli" which is boring as **** any then you just fall back into binging.

This is all a mental issue, it's not your body craving this sort of foods, it's just a lack of discipline. Get your macro's right and look at the scale, if your staying the same weight or gaining a little slowly while still enjoying some treats then so be it. Eating clean food wont keep you leaner if the calories are higher, body composition will be more or less the same based on the speed of your weight gain.

At this point I would forget about competing and weighing/counting macro's. You should already have a rough idea on how much you eat each day, just get in the gym, lift heavy and watch the scale. If you're gaining weight each time you step on there, you're eating too much. If less then eat a little more that day, A LITTLE MORE.

So start progressing, keep doing cardio (intense cardio) and forget about getting up on stage until you are 19 and 6 months old, THEN pick a teenage division to go into. If you compete again in anything under 2 years I feel it will be counter productive. Good luck, stay strong!

I realize it's mental.... that's why I threw away the junk I'm so likely to binge on.
And when I say clean, I'm not talking chicken breast and broccoli.... read the meal plan I posted on here, I try keeping it interesting with things like eggs (so many different ways to cook them, I never get bored of em), proats, sludge, etc etc.

Also, the issue is that I'm still holding a lot of sodium. My body's still pretty bloated from post contest eating, where after weeks and weeks of low carb intake and then those last few days of sodium depletion/water depletion, it's willing to hold onto every bit of water it gets.
I'm also not saying I'm going to binge on clean food.... it's just that if I have all this junk food around, I'm more likely to binge on that then I would with, say, a bowl of oatmeal. If I limit myself to cleaner carbs, I can fulfill my appetite without going crazy and eating everything in sight.

Why do you say to wait until 19 and a half? I'm definitely sold on taking a long but serious off season to improve weak areas, such as my quads, but 2 years seems a bit excessive. I love the sport of bodybuilding because I love the idea of competing, I don't know how comfortable I am with not competing at all for 2 years straight.

I'm definitely past measuring everything I eat, although I was still eye'ing some things as the contest came closer.

[Whatmate]

I realize it's mental.... that's why I threw away the junk I'm so likely to binge on.
And when I say clean, I'm not talking chicken breast and broccoli.... read the meal plan I posted on here, I try keeping it interesting with things like eggs (so many different ways to cook them, I never get bored of em), proats, sludge, etc etc.

Also, the issue is that I'm still holding a lot of sodium. My body's still pretty bloated from post contest eating, where after weeks and weeks of low carb intake and then those last few days of sodium depletion/water depletion, it's willing to hold onto every bit of water it gets.
I'm also not saying I'm going to binge on clean food.... it's just that if I have all this junk food around, I'm more likely to binge on that then I would with, say, a bowl of oatmeal. If I limit myself to cleaner carbs, I can fulfill my appetite without going crazy and eating everything in sight.

Why do you say to wait until 19 and a half? I'm definitely sold on taking a long but serious off season to improve weak areas, such as my quads, but 2 years seems a bit excessive. I love the sport of bodybuilding because I love the idea of competing, I don't know how comfortable I am with not competing at all for 2 years straight.

I'm definitely past measuring everything I eat, although I was still eye'ing some things as the contest came closer.

you're staying natural right? are you expecting an extra 10-15 lbs in contest shape after a long offseason? you'll need the time mate.

Doing 6-8 months offseasons then needing 3 months to diet down, you will lose gains you built

Also, as a natural competitor, you're not just a walking bag of water. The lbs you put on since competition are most likely fat and increased food in your digestive tract. So try to cut down on the binging, it will hurt you later on.

With the diet, I would consider eggs, pb, oats, chicken, rice and whey to be very dogmatic "clean". It's the offseason now, you're 17, eat grow enjoy yourself. You will progress over time and work.

[DJaRiHardstyle]

you're staying natural right? are you expecting an extra 10-15 lbs in contest shape after a long offseason? you'll need the time mate.

Doing 6-8 months offseasons then needing 3 months to diet down, you will lose gains you built

Also, as a natural competitor, you're not just a walking bag of water. The lbs you put on since competition are most likely fat and increased food in your digestive tract. So try to cut down on the binging, it will hurt you later on.

With the diet, I would consider eggs, pb, oats, chicken, rice and whey to be very dogmatic "clean". It's the offseason now, you're 17, eat grow enjoy yourself. You will progress over time and work.

Of course I'm staying natural bro. I'm not "expecting" anything but to do the absolute best I can and come in much better shape next competition.. my goals on the other hand are to bulk up to a lean 190, so I can cut down very minimal weight to make middleweight my next comp.

My goal is to keep this a pretty clean off season; I've been down the "dirty bulking" path and as you can see in the 1st pic in this thread, it ruined my body.. it made it extremely hard to diet as well. If I keep it semi-clean, 6-8 months off season then 3 months cutting seems very realistic.

And I realize I put on some fat, no question, but science rules out the possibility of putting on 15 pounds of FAT in one day.. it's impossible. And since then, I've only gained 2 more pounds, so it's not even a question that a good bit is water. I've cut down on the binging, in fact, I've stopped doing it completely, as of now, and I don't plan on letting that weakness get to me again.

As I said before, when I stick to the "cleaner" foods (call them what you want), I'm less likely to binge, yet I can still get satiety from my foods, which is the ultimate goal.

[DJaRiHardstyle]

Today's training:

Bench Press
95 x 5
145 x 5
170 x 5
185 x 3

Incline Dumbbell Press
45s x 14
55s x 10
60s x 9 (last rep assisted)
70s x 6 (last rep assisted)

Dumbbell Fly's
30s x 12
40s x 12
50s x 12
55s x 10

Weighted Dips
Bodyweight x 10
20 x 10
25 x 9
25 x 8

Rope Pushdowns
60 x 14
80 x 14
85 x 12
100 x 14

**Notes**
-Took the C4 again today, could DEFINITELY feel the energy and that idea of being able to push extra reps out, hell yeah
-Also noticed the Glycobol is giving me a nice, sustained "food pump".. hard to explain, but I feel much bigger and a bit more vascular, not as vascular as pre-contest, but vascular nonetheless
-Really had to get a feel for this workout, pushed it a little too much, couldn't even get 5 reps for my last set, so my 1RM must be lower than I thought for bench.. I'll decrease it from 250 to 225
-Struggled with proper increments, and ended up doing low reps, because I'm not used to being this weak.. back when I was actually doing strength exercises like this with higher intensity/lower volume, I was lifting much more
-Felt some pain in my right outer pec during dumbbell fly's.. my dad helped me with my form though and it felt a bit better
-Again, increments were a little strange and next time, I'll know what to do for assistance a little more
-Weighted dips really killed my tri's.. they started to cramp near the end, like calves did Monday
-So hard to find the right weight for rope pushdowns, 100 x 14 felt just as hard as 60 x 14.... very strange

Eats
Definitely didn't eat in any defecit today haha, but no more candy binging, completely done with that

Breakfast was 3 scrambled eggs in a Mission Life Balance WW tortilla w/ mild salsa, and a bowl of proats (1/2 cup oats, 3/4 cup skim milk, 1 scoop cellucor whey)
Snack was 1 scoop Trutein Cinnabun w/ 6 oz FF GY (my hnnnng staple:P )
Lunch was 6 oz ground chicken breast and 1/4 cup kasmati rice, measured dry, with sweet baby rays bbq sauce
Afternoon eats were 4 oz 92/8 ground beef with just a dash of cheddar cheese, on 2 slices low sodium ezekiel bread, with 5 or 6 petite asparagus spears and sweet baby rays and honey mustard, then later a WW tortilla w/ pb & co. dcd and reduced sugar strawberry jelly (mmmm) and before working out, proats w/ less milk and 1 scoop universal ultra whey pro
After working out, I had 3 scoops Universal Torrent
Dinner was.... drumroll please lol.... 6 slices chicken pizza with extra chicken from our local pizza place (soooo freakin good)
Pre-bed meal will be 1 scoop ON casein with 2 tbsp natural peanut butter, 1/2 cup or so skim milk, and honey.... let's go make this

Tomorrow's my cardio day, and I'll post up a pic tomorrow.. and I'll keep posting every Thursday.

I was gonna post pics of two of my meals today, but the darn phone won't connect to 4G, so maybe tomorrow! Night, guys!

[DJaRiHardstyle]

I was gonna post pics of two of my meals today, but the darn phone won't connect to 4G, so maybe tomorrow! Night, guys!

....

3 scrambled eggs in a Mission Life Balance WW tortilla w/ mild salsa, and a bowl of proats (1/2 cup oats, 3/4 cup skim milk, 1 scoop cellucor whey)


4 oz 92/8 ground beef with just a dash of cheddar cheese, on 2 slices low sodium ezekiel bread, with 5 or 6 petite asparagus spears and sweet baby rays and honey mustard

[Devils]

ok food, program looks good

physique pics?

[DJaRiHardstyle]

ok food, program looks good

physique pics?

Weekly Thursday pic goes up today!!

And also, weight will be posted every Saturday..

[DJaRiHardstyle]

Today was pretty bad.

Despite the comments I get on my bigger arms and bigger shoulders and whatnot from kids at school, I can't get over how little discipline I have and how unimpressive my body has become. Yes, I'm bigger, but that really doesn't matter when you compare it to the physique I came into the contest with.
I was looking through pictures during pre contest, and realized it's not only the physique I miss, but the discipline and dedication and structure in my life. I ate the same things, at the same time, performed the same cardio, same training, and didn't ever cave in, like I do now. I know it's my fault for obsessing over food during contest prep and having the mentality that once off season comes around, I could "eat whatever", but nonetheless, it's hard to face.

I keep telling myself I'll get back on a diet and all it takes is a comment from one or two kids on how much bigger I've gotten, and I've already built up enough mental justification to binge later that day. Then afterwards I feel absolutely awful; vicious cycle.

It's too late to reverse now, I've just got to cut out the binge eating. At least I'm no longer eating candy and cookies and stuff. Still, after the day is out, I'll have consumed over 4000 calories today and that's not what I want. I don't want a repeat of last summer.

So, starting Sunday, and I know you guys are getting tired of hearing me make empty promises, but this time I mean it, I'll get back on A diet. I emphasize the word A, because I think I just need to be on a structured diet. That way I won't start finding excuses to add in meals and snacks.

I'll log whenever I get serious cravings, because I think if I log it, I'll realize how ridiculous and unimportant those cravings are.

Anyways, no cardio today, because my step mom was working in the back room all day, on constant conference calls, so I had no access to the stationary bike, besides I was tired as hell, and had a headache a good portion of the day.

I haven't had all of my meals yet, dinner is yet to come, but I've definitely eaten too much.

Oh yeah and here's a pic of my fatass self, 20 pounds over stage weight.



I'll post more tomorrow, my OHP/ biceps assistance work day. Tomorrow night I'll be staying in a hotel, because I have an accepted student's event at one of the colleges I was accepted to, on Saturday, basically all day.

[Devils]

You're 17, you're going to make the mistakes first before learning from them, It's all part of the process. It's not like you didn't have multiple people telling you this would happen, but you're finding out the hard way. But it will all be better for you in the end, makes your stronger.

You think you're getting bigger? I wouldn't care about that, you can be bigger every week if you want to be fat. You need to get STRONGER, if you're not stronger then there is NO POINT putting on 5-10-20 pounds.

It's never too late to reverse, it's easy just to give up and quit, a lot of people do. You have to work for it if you really want it. Start controlling yourself and either eat at maintenance then slowly bring it up over the course of MONTHS, do you have the discipline? 4000 calories is to much, and you know it is, you just need to control it. 2400 would be fine starting your reverse. Cardio included.

Don't go back on a diet, go back on your macro's. When you're macro's are hit, NO MORE FOOD, simple as that, you've reached your target for the day, stop.

The thing about post contest cravings, is that they stay around for a good while, you can consume 5000 calories and physically cant eat anymore, but you will feel ravenous. Accept this and realize hey, I've just eaten 5000 calories so I don't need food, bye bye hunger.

Don't have dinner, fasting is fine, start again at breakfast.

Good luck at college and workouts. You don't have to listen to any of my points, I just like to imagine talking to a younger self and what advice I would give in the situation.

[DJaRiHardstyle]

You're 17, you're going to make the mistakes first before learning from them, It's all part of the process. It's not like you didn't have multiple people telling you this would happen, but you're finding out the hard way. But it will all be better for you in the end, makes your stronger.

Yeah that's true, and you say that as if I did this just not caring about what others told me.. like I said before, it was like I had no control over myself. I really wanted to stop, yet lacked the discipline it took to do so. I'm not claiming it wasn't my fault or anything, it was completely my fault and it's an extremely individual sport, where your results are completely on you and i get that.. it was just so tough to bring myself to not fulfill those hunger cravings

You think you're getting bigger? I wouldn't care about that, you can be bigger every week if you want to be fat. You need to get STRONGER, if you're not stronger then there is NO POINT putting on 5-10-20 pounds.

I wasn't trying to make a point out of the fact that I'm "getting bigger".. as mentioned before, the majority of weight I gained was fat/water.. I think it helped that I started using creatine and GDAs again post contest, so all those carbs and water being reintroduced weren't ALL accumulating as fat.. on the other hand, I WAS trying to make a point of the fact that that's where my mind is when I binge.. it's like even the smallest thing, such as a comment from a friend that I'm "getting bigger" is enough for me to immediately justify the junk I'm about to stuff down my mouth.. as i said before, I'm really lacking the necessary discipline. But I love this sport so much, and I'm willing to work on that, because I really want to step on stage again, with a massively improved body.

On another note, I am training to get stronger, and I'm measuring it. That's why I'm doing 5/3/1, as opposed to a more hypertrophy-centered bodybuilding routine

It's never too late to reverse, it's easy just to give up and quit, a lot of people do. You have to work for it if you really want it. Start controlling yourself and either eat at maintenance then slowly bring it up over the course of MONTHS, do you have the discipline? 4000 calories is to much, and you know it is, you just need to control it. 2400 would be fine starting your reverse. Cardio included.

I'm only doing cardio on off days, which is 3 days a week. What would you reccomend I reverse TOWARDS? How much of a caloric surplus should be my ultimate goal, and how long should I spend getting there? Because I was thinking of just adding in 40g or so carbs a week, until I'm a good 500kcal over maintenance.

Don't go back on a diet, go back on your macro's. When you're macro's are hit, NO MORE FOOD, simple as that, you've reached your target for the day, stop.

The thing about post contest cravings, is that they stay around for a good while, you can consume 5000 calories and physically cant eat anymore, but you will feel ravenous. Accept this and realize hey, I've just eaten 5000 calories so I don't need food, bye bye hunger.

while i respect your advice, i couldn't do IIFYM. it's just not something i'm very comfortable with.. I'm open to a semi-IIFYM diet, but I've always felt that eating clean helps me feel better and train better and look better.. i love eating junk food, but i feel like and look like **** when i do. we could go back and forth on this all day, i'm not trying to preach anything to you, i realize you have more experience and results speak for themselves, but it's just personal preference for me.

Don't have dinner, fasting is fine, start again at breakfast.

Good luck at college and workouts. You don't have to listen to any of my points, I just like to imagine talking to a younger self and what advice I would give in the situation.

^^regarding last comment, thank you! very excited for college, it's going to obviously be a new experience for me, but I want to make this worth it. Looking forward to majoring in biochemistry or biology, having a more flexible schedule, meeting new people, and creating a new chapter in my life
I listen to all the advice I get, of course taking it all with a grain of salt. I'm still young and in many ways, naive, when it comes to this sport, so I look at taking advice as something I'm LUCKY to have the opportunity to do. I'm grateful for all the advice offered to me and soak it up like a sponge! Always learning = always growing

[TGreggors]

You're being too hard on yourself.