Soccerdad5 Journey to the IFBB Pro Stage in 2015...Fat dad to IFBB Pro

[soccerdad5]

Yep, lots of calories right. Sounds fun but it really isn't.

Here are my macros right now:

Carbs: 540 g
Protein: 243g
Fats: 82 g

Great to be able to start dieting at this high range of calories. It will make it a lot more enjoyable.

Solid plan brother!

Looking forward to seeing your macros!

18 kcal / per body pound per day.... DIG IT!!

[CoachChuckD]

Yep, lots of calories right. Sounds fun but it really isn't.

Here are my macros right now:

Carbs: 540 g
Protein: 243g
Fats: 82 g

Great to be able to start dieting at this high range of calories. It will make it a lot more enjoyable.

Hey Chad

Are you calculating your veggies into your carb total or 540 grams of carbs is coming from simple and complex starchy carbs?

[soccerdad5]

Chuck, I am not. My fiber is coming form oats and rice. I stopped eating veggies because of capacity issues with stomach since I am eating reasonably clean. Not too many pizzas and burgers.

Hey Chad

Are you calculating your veggies into your carb total or 540 grams of carbs is coming from simple and complex starchy carbs?

[soccerdad5]

The weekend is almost over and will be in solid prep mode on March 9th. I am super excited to be starting out in the 3,800 calorie range and working down from there. The prep will be a lot easier. I always tell my clients we want to start as high as possible with calories so we have room to go down. The other great thing is I have done 0 cardio for 7 months. This means I have plenty of room here to. This is what I looked like earlier this week.

Macros averaged this the past few days:

Carbs: 540 g
Protein: 243g
Fats: 82 g



I am at about 219 right now and I am 6'0". The other good thing is people think I am already in prep mode because they think my face has thinned out. This means I haven't put too much bodyfat over the off season. This has come as a result of being very disciplined with my foods, workouts and macros. I haven't been perfect by any means but been very consistent. It is amazing what the body will do at 44 years of age drug free if you treat with the right foods and workouts.

Here were my workouts for the rest of last week (Wednesday, Friday and Saturday)

Wednesday:
Back & Hamstrings
Straight Arm Pulldown 4 x 8 + 3 Drop sets
One-Arm Dumbbell Row 4 x 8 + 3 Drop sets
Underhand Seated Cable Row 4 x 8 + 3 Drop sets
Wide Grip Assisted Pullup 4 x 20

Seated Leg Curl 4 x 8 + 3 Drop sets
One-Leg Press* (intention) 4 x 20
Lying Leg Curl 4 x 8 + 3 Drop sets

Friday
Seated Side Laterals 4 GIANT SETS X 8 + 3 drop sets
Dumbbell Shoulder Press 4 GIANT SETS 8 + 3 drop sets
Two-Arm Dumbbell Front Raise 4 GIANT SETS 8 + 3 drop sets
Machine Shoulder Press 4 GIANT SETS 8 + 3 drop sets
Reverse Pec-Deck 4 GIANT SETS 20
TRICEPS
Overhead Tricep Rope Extension 4 X 15
Lying Barbell Tricep Extension 4 x 8
Two-Arm Dumbbell Kickback 4 X 20

Saturday
Chest and Biceps
Flat Barbell Bench Press 4 x 8 + 3 drop sets
Incline Dumbbell Press* (intention) 4 x 8 + 3 drop sets
Flat Dumbbell Press 4 x 15
Incline Fly 4 8 + 3 drop sets
BICEPS
Two-Arm Cable Curls 4 x 8 + 3 drop sets
Seated Dumbbell Curl 4 x 8 + 3 drop sets
Preacher Barbell Curl 4 x 8 + 3 drop sets

TIP OF THE DAY:

Make sure you take a deload week every 8-12 weeks. It will help you heal your joints and muscles as well as refresh your mind. "No days off" is great way to get hurt and have to be out more than a week.

[CoachChuckD]

The weekend is almost over and will be in solid prep mode on March 9th. I am super excited to be starting out in the 3,800 calorie range and working down from there. The prep will be a lot easier. I always tell my clients we want to start as high as possible with calories so we have room to go down. The other great thing is I have done 0 cardio for 7 months. This means I have plenty of room here to. This is what I looked like earlier this week.

Macros averaged this the past few days:

Carbs: 540 g
Protein: 243g
Fats: 82 g

LOOKING THICK Mr. Chad Jackson. Keep up the hard work!

[soccerdad5]

Actually can't wait to get some of this "thickness" off especially around my waistline. Prep starts next week! It will be slow and consistent. As long as I know what I am taking in, should be an easy prep but a lot of stuff could get in the way to get there.

LOOKING THICK Mr. Chad Jackson. Keep up the hard work!

[CoachChuckD]

Actually can't wait to get some of this "thickness" off especially around my waistline. Prep starts next week! It will be slow and consistent. As long as I know what I am taking in, should be an easy prep but a lot of stuff could get in the way to get there.

Here for you broski!

Keep posting and I am sure the bb.com family will support your efforts.

GO BIG OR GO HOME!!!!

[soccerdad5]

Posting 3 days of workouts. This week I have had a tough time getting down my food. Just not hungry. I actually had to eat dirty 2 times already (Sonic Double cheeseburger yesterday and a Triple Whataburger without cheese). I very rarely eat like this but needed to get calories in when I was not hungry.

I will be starting my prep next week so will not touch anything like this. I am going on a long 23 week prep. I will actually drop 10 - 15 lbs and then take a 2 week diet break and then get back into it. It will make the prep a lot more manageable. I have been putting in a lot of volume for training lately. I am contemplating on taking off a week to kind of rest up before prep. I will definitely take 2-3 days off in about 2 weeks for a brief deload.

I haven't really been doing any ab work in the off season. Will start to get back into this in my prep. Abs are all about the diet. Will also start to do more stretching and posing coming up. I have a good plan going forward. Here was my workouts the past 3 days.


Monday (Back)
Wide Grip Pulldown 4 x 8 + 3 drops sets
Reverse grip Seated Cable Row 4 x 8 + 3 drops sets
Bent Barbell row 4 x 8 + 3 drops sets
One-Arm Dumbbell Row 4 x 8 + 3 drops sets
Hyper Extensions 4 x 20
Lying Leg Curl in Hip Extension 4 x 8
Superset with Lying Leg curl (hip up) 4 x 8 + 3 drops sets
Stiff Leg Deadlift 4 x 20

Tuesday
Incline Barbell Press* (intention) 4 8 + 3 drop sets
60-degree Incline Dumbbell Press 4 GIANT SET 8 reps
Flat Dumbbell Fly 4 GIANT SETS 8 reps
Machine Pec Fly 4 GIANT SETS 10 reps
Pushups 4 GIANTS to failure
Machine Preacher 4 x 8 + 3 drop sets
Seated Dumbbell Curl 3 8 + 3 drops sets
Parallel Rope Cable Curl 3 x 8 + 3 drop sets

Thursday
Quads and Calves
Leg Extension 4 GIANT SETS x 8 reps
Hack Squat 4 GIANT SETS x 8 reps
Barbell Alternate Lunge (weighted) 4 GIANT SET x 12/leg reps
Leg Press 4 GIANT SETS 20 reps 3 min rest

Hack Squat (feet together) 4 GIANT SETS x 10
Leg Press Feet Low 4 GIANT SET x 10
Leg Press Feet Wide 4 GIANT SET x 10
Leg Extension 4 GIANT SET x 15

Here are my lifting shoes on leg day. The "Chucks" are like being barefooted. Great lifting shoes on leg day.





This was a difficult 3 days with lots of volume. Will dial it down a bit next week but body feels pretty good overall. Here is one from last summer. Can't wait to get back into this kind of shape again. Will have added muscle and hope to be able to be more shredded.

[soccerdad5]

I haven't posted my Friday and Saturday workouts from last week so wanted to do that along with Monday and Tuesday. I am actually going to take a "deload" week next week because my body is pretty beat up right now. Left shoulder is tweaked a little bit and some rest will help it. I want to go into this prep with as little injuries as possible. I started gearing my calories down this week. I am around 3700 calories average this week. Will be in slow prep mode. Will really start breaking down the macros and calories as well as my workouts for this prep. My goal is to be ready 2-3 weeks ahead of time. I am going to be trying a new protocol that should fill me out a bit more but I want to test it out 3-4 weeks before my contest. I just have to in really great shape in order to use it.

Here is a pic from last week:



Here are my workouts. Most of the tempo is at 4-0-1-0 really working on time under tension. This has helped me stay pretty injury free as well as get really good pumps with cell swelling. My drop sets are just as many as I can do and sometimes I will do half reps just to keep going.

Friday:

Wide Grip Pullup 6 x 8 + 3 drop sets
Supported Machine Row 4 x 8 + 3 drop sets
Two-Arm Incline Dumbbell Row 4 x 8 + 3 drop sets
Deadlift 4 x 8 + 3 drop sets
HAMSTRINGS
Seated Leg Curl 4 x 8 + 3 drop sets
Leg Press (feet wide and high) 4 x 8
Lying Leg Curl 4 8 + 3 drop sets

Saturday:

Seated Side Laterals 4 8 + 3 drop sets
Bent Over Dumbbell Lateral raise 4 x 15
Cable Side Lateral 4 8 + 3 drop sets
Machine Shoulder Press 4 x 8 + 3 drop sets
TRICEPS
Triceps Cable Pushdown-elbows behind you 4 x 12
Lying Tricep Press 4 x 8 + 3 drop sets

Seated Machine Dip 4 x 8 + 3 drop sets
Two-Arm Cable Kickback 4 x 20

Monday
Incline Barbell Press (intention) 4 x 8 + 3 drops sets
Incline Dumbell Press 4 x 10 + 3 drop sets
Flat Dumbbell “Press Fly” 4 x 8 + 3 drops sets
Dips 4 sets failure
Two-Arm Cable Curls 4 8 + 3 drops sets
Barbell Curl 4 8 40 sec
Incline Dumbbell Curl 4 8 + 3 drops sets

TIP OF THE DAY:

Make sure you take a "deload" week every once in a while when your body just feels beat up. You have to really listen to your body because pushing yourself is important but not to the point you are getting injured. The "no days off" approach will catch up with you sooner or later. Beginners don't need deload weeks for a while.

Here is one of my clients in my 12 week transformation program. She is doing awesome and she has not just transformed her body but she is transforming her mind. More confidence and motivated to become better. If you are interested in my 12 week transformation program email me at chadjacksonfitness@gmail.com for more information.

[Feed2Grow]

Chad, I took the last few night to read through your logs, so inspirational! I appreciate you sharing all this with us! I ordered some proteolytic enzymes the other day, will let you know if they help with my impinged shoulder. You also got me back into reading my Jesus Calling, haven't read it the past few months. So glad I stumbled into your log, will be following. Good luck with the prep!

[soccerdad5]

Awesome on all fronts! Definitely give me some feedback on how your shoulder is doing after taking the proteolytics for about a month. Make sure you take them on an empty stomach.

Chad, I took the last few night to read through your logs, so inspirational! I appreciate you sharing all this with us! I ordered some proteolytic enzymes the other day, will let you know if they help with my impinged shoulder. You also got me back into reading my Jesus Calling, haven't read it the past few months. So glad I stumbled into your log, will be following. Good luck with the prep!

[soccerdad5]

Sorry I have not updated in a while. My father's health took a dramatic turn last week and we had to put him in hospice. He was in really tough shape going in and we were praying God would take him quick. He departed from this earth yesterday. My dad, Don Jackson, passed away yesterday morning and went to see The Lord. He had struggled for a few years but lived life to the fullest until the very end. My dad was one of my best friends and counseled me and gave me wisdom my entire life. He loved me and my family so much. He was an amazing man of God and had an impact on so many people. I will miss him greatly but know I will see him "home" in heaven one day. My dad raised me in a Christian home and showed me Christ's love through his life. I am assured of where he is today and that gives me great peace. I want to thank you all for your prayers and support this past few years as my dad has gone through this. We are planning a memorial service but will be doing it at a future date. It will be a CELEBRATION OF LIFE. Thank you and God bless all of you! Live for TODAY just like my dad did.



I posted 2 messages yesterday on my fit status and the outpouring of prayer and love here has been amazing. Bb.com is truly a special place. I can't thank you enough for the special notes.

My diet has been bad but not worried about it. I actually worked out today just to have an outlet for emotions. I will hopefully get back into prep mode in another 1 1/2 weeks but really not thinking about it right now.

I will be back posting my prep here soon. Just give me some time. God bless everyone! LIVE FOR TODAY!

[soccerdad5]

Sorry for the long delay. It hasn't even been a week since my dad passed away but I am trying to get back into a regular routine again. I make sure I call my mom every day to see how she is doing. The people that miss my dad most are my kids who were very close to him. He went to all of their games and ballet/dance recitals. He was always interested in what they were doing. He will be deeply missed but it made me want to be a better man and to really squeeze everything out of life.

Back to the workouts starting on Friday. I am going pretty high rep workouts right now. This workout is a from Doug Brignole and really love it. Amazing pumps and very easy on the joints. I am going to do this workout for about 3 weeks.

My macros are all over the place right now but hopefully I will have it together by next week. I am still eating clean just not spot on because I am out of town. Will have a better plan next week.

Here is my workouts Monday and Tuesday:

Decline (dip style) Cables 50 reps
40 reps
30 reps
20 reps
15 reps
15 reps



Decline Dumbbell Press 40 reps
(approx. 30 degree angle) 30 reps
20 reps
20 reps with 40 lbs.
15 reps
10 reps
super-setted with......

One-Arm Lat Pull-Ins 40 reps
(45 degree angle pulley) 30 reps
20 reps
20 reps
15 reps

10 reps with 3 drops sets of 10


T-Bar Row 50 reps
40 reps
30 reps
20 reps
15 reps

Reverse BB Wrist Curls 50 reps
(using an EZ Curl Bar, forearms on thighs, 40 reps
.....while seated) 30 reps
25 reps
25 reps
super-setted with......
Regular BB Wrist Curls 50 reps
(straight bar) 40 reps
30 reps
30 reps
30 reps

Tuesday Workout:

Standing Side Cable Raise 50 reps
40 reps
30 reps
20 reps
15 reps
10 reps with 6 drops sets of 10 reps


Rear Butterfly Machine 30 reps
25 reps
20 reps
15 reps
15 reps 3 drops sets of 10
super-setted with......

Incline Front Dumbbell Presses 40 reps
30 reps
25 reps
20 reps
15 reps then 3 drop sets of 10

Cable Shrugs 30 reps
on FreeMotion Machine 25 reps
20 reps
20 reps
15 reps
15 reps

Seated Cable Ab Crunch 30 reps
20 reps
20 reps with
20 reps with
20 reps
super-setted with......

Lower Back Extensions 30 reps
20 reps
20 reps
20 reps

20 reps
10 reps

Here was a pic in hotel gym today:



Supplements for the month:



TIP OF THE DAY:

If you really want to transform your body, you have to pay attention to your diet. You are wasting your time in transformation unless you do this. You have to have resistance training that goes with this but a good diet with at least 1 - 1.5 g of protein is key. Also, if you really want to dial in and achieve your goals you have to prepare your food before the week starts. I have never had a good week eating unless I prepare my food before the week. It is essential.

Will have my macros posted next week. The shed is on!

[Feed2Grow]

Praying for your family right now. You are an inspiration to many!

[soccerdad5]

Praying for your family right now. You are an inspiration to many!

Thank you! Prayers have meant the world to me and my family. They have truly sustained us.

[soccerdad5]

Labrada Nutrition is giving free samples out all week:






TO WIN.....

CLICK HERE AND ENTER YOUR MAILING INFO.... It's that easy...

Ohhhh and... Can you please post a comment in below as well. A simple "I WANT LEAN PRO 8" would be awesome!

http://www.labrada.com/samples


***IF YOU HAVE ALREADY WON SAMPLES OF LEAN PRO 8, PLEASE LET OTHER MEMBERS WIN.



Once you receive your samples, PLEASE leave a review in the bodybuilding.com store. Here's the link:

http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/la...erm=lean%20pro

In order to apply you must meet the following criteria:

- Be a resident of the Continental US - no exceptions
- Have no known or suspected medical conditions
- Be at least 18 years old
- No PO Boxes

[soccerdad5]

My calories and macros are all over the place right now because of my dad's death as well as travel this week. I have been eyeballing most of my food this week. There were some days I hit 3,500 calories and there were other days I probably only hit 2,500 calories this week. I was supposed to be starting prep about 3 weeks ago but a lot has gone on since then. I am aiming for a show in 20 weeks. I am still coming in around 216-217 so there will be a lot of weight to shed. Even though I feel I put quite a bit of muscle on this past off season, you really never know until you start to shed the bodyfat. I might have let myself go a little too much in the offseason. Remember, I was 188-190 when I got my pro card. I want to come in more conditioned this time around so I will probably come in around 190 or even lower this time. This mean I will have to lose 25 lbs in 18 weeks ( I want to be ready 2 weeks ahead of schedule). That is about 1.4 lbs per week. That is the max I want to lose per week without losing muscle. I will really have to thread the needle and not have a "bad" week. I do have a backup plan if I don't get there but in the IFBB, you have to commit to a show and cannot backout without paying a very stiff fine unless you have some kind of "hardship" (injury, death in the family etc).

It should be an interesting prep. I thought I had all this time and now I am up against the clock. Remember, I am a "natural" so I don't have ways to take shortcuts to get there without losing muscle. Looking forward to the focus and prep because the off season has its own challenges. Love the gains I have made and am reasonably pain free (shoulder has flamed up a bit the past 2 weeks). I need a good massage and need to really start stretching more and will start to stretch on my lunch hour.

Here were my workouts the past 3 days:

Wednesday:
Supine Dumbbell Triceps Extensions 50 reps
40 reps
30 reps
20 reps
15 reps
10 reps

Drop sets10 reps, 5, 5, 10
super-setted with......

Dumbbell Curls 50 reps
(some prone on incline....
....and some standing)
(some “hammer style”.... 40 reps
....and some w/ palms up) 30 reps
20 reps

15 reps

10 reps

Drop sets 5 reps, 5, 10, 10, 10 , 10 , 20



Squats 50 reps
40
30
20
20
20
15
15
20


Seated Calf Machine 50
40
30
20
20



super-setted with......

Weightless Calf Pump / Stretches 20
20
20
20
20




Thursday:
Decline (dip style) Cables 50 reps
40 reps
30 reps
20 reps
15 reps
15 reps



Decline Dumbbell Press 40 reps
(approx. 30 degree angle) 30 reps
20 reps
20 reps with 40 lbs.
15 reps
10 reps
super-setted with......

One-Arm Lat Pull-Ins 40 reps
(45 degree angle pulley) 30 reps
20 reps
20 reps
15 reps

10 reps with 3 drops sets of 10


T-Bar Row 50 reps
40 reps
30 reps
20 reps
15 reps

Reverse BB Wrist Curls 50 reps
(using an EZ Curl Bar, forearms on thighs, 40 reps
.....while seated) 30 reps
25 reps
25 reps
super-setted with......
Regular BB Wrist Curls 50 reps
(straight bar) 40 reps
30 reps
30 reps
30 reps

Friday Workout:

Standing Side Cable Raise 50 reps
40 reps
30 reps
20 reps
15 reps
10 reps with 6 drops sets of 10 reps


Rear Butterfly Machine 30 reps
25 reps
20 reps
15 reps
15 reps 3 drops sets of 10
super-setted with......

Incline Front Dumbbell Presses 40 reps
30 reps
25 reps
20 reps
15 reps then 3 drop sets of 10

Cable Shrugs 30 reps
on FreeMotion Machine 25 reps
20 reps
20 reps
15 reps
15 reps

Seated Cable Ab Crunch 30 reps
20 reps
20 reps with
20 reps with
20 reps
super-setted with......

Lower Back Extensions 30 reps
20 reps
20 reps
20 reps

20 reps
10 reps

TIP OF THE DAY:

You have to keep at this. Consistency will get you there. There are so many people who want to get there instantly and are upset when they don't see the results they think they should be getting. They either quit or they do something stupid by taking PED's to take shortcuts. Understand it takes time. Like I said, building muscle is like watching paint dry. It is a very long process. In order to make gains you have to stay with your diet consistently and put consistent work in the gym.

[soccerdad5]

Back at this week. Great seeing the Phil Heath Classic on Saturday. Biggest show in Texas (probably the United States) had 1,100 competitors. Great seeing all the competitors compete. Supposed to be at the George R Brown or Toyota Center next year. The sport is getting bigger and Lee Thompson is a really good promoter.

Will be doing high rep hypertrophy workouts this week. Did some occlusion training for legs today 7 set 15-20 squats, 8 sets of 15-20 calves. Crazy pump!

This is what my macro setup looks like for the week. 20 week prep is now on! Here is my current macros and calories starting tomorrow:

Protein 324 P/324 C/90 F = 3402 Calories. My off days and cardio days will have lower calories. Will not do cardio for a few weeks. We will see how I respond to the lower calories. My calories have been in the 3,800 - 4,000 range. 3,402 is coming off much lower but believe this is a good starting point for me based on where I started in my last contest.

Will be very determined to get on stage with some of the best IFBB pros in August and then do another contest in September. I will also do this "drug free." Why do I tout this? I tout this to show you it can be done. I might not be as big and full as I could be but I want to show you it can be done at 44 years of age with the right diet, workout and determination.

I am excited to have Labrada in my corner during this time so will continue to take their supplements. They got a lot of new stuff coming so should be an exciting year. Looking forward to everyone's feedback and questions during this 20 weeks.



Currently 218 lbs

[soccerdad5]

I am sorry I have not posted in a while but was still in a fog with my father passing away 2 weeks ago. My best friend and the guy I went for wisdom whenever I needed it is gone out of my life. Enjoy your loved ones while you have them because you just never know.

Back into this week. Didn't really lose any weight last week but have not implemented any cardio. Will throw some cardio in this week and will be starting tomorrow. Looking forward to sweating. I am a little over 18 weeks out but need to make consistent progress all the way. I am trying to hold onto as much lean body mass (muscle) as possible for this prep. The last preps I felt like I lost a bit because I was pushing at the end. Hope to be able to go at a steady pace to get there.

Prepared all my food last night (crock pot chicken, lean ground turkey, rice and vegetables. I am going to stick with rice for a few more weeks until I get sick of it then I will put in some sweet potatoes. I am going to be using Coconut oil a lot more during this prep as my fat.

Here is what my workout looked like today:

Wednesday:
Supine Dumbbell Triceps Extensions 50 reps
40 reps
30 reps
20 reps
15 reps
10 reps

Drop sets10 reps, 5, 5, 10
super-setted with......

Dumbbell Curls 50 reps
(some prone on incline....
....and some standing)
(some “hammer style”.... 40 reps
....and some w/ palms up) 30 reps
20 reps

15 reps

10 reps

Drop sets 5 reps, 5, 10, 10, 10 , 10 , 20



Squats 50 reps
40
30
20
20
20
15
15
20


Seated Calf Machine 50
40
30
20
20



super-setted with......

Weightless Calf Pump / Stretches 20
20
20
20
20

I will post what my food looks like tomorrow. Still looking "Beefy." Will look less beefy in the next few weeks.



Tip of the day:

Make sure you don't blow your diet on the weekends. You could have the best 5 days of diet and throw it all away on the weekend. This is why a lot of people don't make much progress. They have a set schedule all week then the weekend comes around and the schedule changes. They go out with friends and eat greasy food and go drink. Don't do this is you have physique goals. Keep a schedule on the weekends and don't put yourself in places you might be tempted to blow it.

[rimenez]

Chad you been a big inspiration to my health and fitness side as well as my spiritual side, it is very much a desire I am pursuing. I just join bodybuildin.com on 2014 and that is how I came across you. I would like to see more on how you balance your macros, actually I been keeping track of them since I started following you. Although I am not there, is an area I would like to master. I want you to know that I owe everything to my heavenly father and for His loving grace for the transformation He has done in my life. My life was not the same 5 years ago due to my abuse to alcohol. Today I have chosen to seek him and acknowledge him in everything that I do. I have chosen to live a better life for me and my children as well as my grandchildren. Fitness and health have been a big part of my life, but as I mention my alcohol abuse did not help. Today I can tell you that I am on my two feet standing strong and want to assist others in reaching their fitness goals but most important to seek the person that created us, our heavenly Father. Just wanted to share a little of me and be transparent, it is one thing I have learned from you. You are a very humble and transparent person and I really enjoy reading your devotions. Thank you for all you do and hope to joint you in a conversation. José

[Rickck48]

I am so glad and inspired by the way you answer to the calling of training and GOD. Both will take you to the top and I say now you deserve it. RTR!

[soccerdad5]

Jose, all I can say is "wow." Very humbled and also glad to be able to help. Thank you for your transparency. You are correct about being connected with God and I am nothing without him. Keep being the "light" in this world that needs to see light.

As for macros are concerned, Hunter Labrada wrote a great article on Fat loss http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/fat-...ight-loss.html and he splits it up as a 40 p/30/c/30f. This is kind of where I am now. I have done other macros like 40/40/20 50/30/20 50/40/10 etc. There is really not a right macro count but I tend to put my clients in their 40s, 50s and 60s on a higher protein diet (40%-45%). It is truly all about calories in calories out. You should concentrate on this more than anything and make sure you get at least 1 g or protein per lb. As you hit plateaus for 2-3 weeks then lower your carbs and fat. I would lower them 100-200 calories in total. YOu can also add cardio to burn more calories but the easiest way to see changes in body is lower calories. This is why it is so important to start as high as possible on calories when you are looking to lose bodyfat. When you start too low there is no room to go and you are miserable in the fat loss phase. Hope that helps. Keep in touch. Chad

Chad you been a big inspiration to my health and fitness side as well as my spiritual side, it is very much a desire I am pursuing. I just join bodybuildin.com on 2014 and that is how I came across you. I would like to see more on how you balance your macros, actually I been keeping track of them since I started following you. Although I am not there, is an area I would like to master. I want you to know that I owe everything to my heavenly father and for His loving grace for the transformation He has done in my life. My life was not the same 5 years ago due to my abuse to alcohol. Today I have chosen to seek him and acknowledge him in everything that I do. I have chosen to live a better life for me and my children as well as my grandchildren. Fitness and health have been a big part of my life, but as I mention my alcohol abuse did not help. Today I can tell you that I am on my two feet standing strong and want to assist others in reaching their fitness goals but most important to seek the person that created us, our heavenly Father. Just wanted to share a little of me and be transparent, it is one thing I have learned from you. You are a very humble and transparent person and I really enjoy reading your devotions. Thank you for all you do and hope to joint you in a conversation. José

[soccerdad5]

Thanks Rick!

I am so glad and inspired by the way you answer to the calling of training and GOD. Both will take you to the top and I say now you deserve it. RTR!

[soccerdad5]

Here we go! I have a little less than 17 weeks to go. Haven't made much weight change lately but my diet hasn't been spot on like it should. Waistline is getting smaller which is key. I really do have a long way to go though. I am going to lose about 24 lbs in 16 weeks. This is about 1.5 lbs per week which is actually the max I want to lose per week. The tough thing is it doesn't really give me any leeway to get there. When my dad passed away a few weeks ago this was a setback for my competing. My mind still isn't quite there but it is getting there.

I haven't added any cardio yet so will start doing it this week. I will start out with LISS for a few weeks then add some HIIT and probably go back to LISS at the end of my prep. I am a so called "ecto" so at the end of contests I ended up burning up a lot of muscle doing HIIT so trying to get there a little different way this time around. I will post my workouts from last week. My calories were around 3,400 last week with a Sunday around 2,800 with no exercise. The rest day was good for me.

This hypertrophy workout I am doing right has really helped my shoulder heal. Shoulder feels a lot better this week.
hursday:
Decline (dip style) Cables 50 reps
40 reps
30 reps
20 reps
15 reps
15 reps



Decline Dumbbell Press 40 reps
(approx. 30 degree angle) 30 reps
20 reps
20 reps with 40 lbs.
15 reps
10 reps
super-setted with......

One-Arm Lat Pull-Ins 40 reps
(45 degree angle pulley) 30 reps
20 reps
20 reps
15 reps

10 reps with 3 drops sets of 10


T-Bar Row 50 reps
40 reps
30 reps
20 reps
15 reps

Reverse BB Wrist Curls 50 reps
(using an EZ Curl Bar, forearms on thighs, 40 reps
.....while seated) 30 reps
25 reps
25 reps
super-setted with......
Regular BB Wrist Curls 50 reps
(straight bar) 40 reps
30 reps
30 reps
30 reps

Friday Workout:

Standing Side Cable Raise 50 reps
40 reps
30 reps
20 reps
15 reps
10 reps with 6 drops sets of 10 reps


Rear Butterfly Machine 30 reps
25 reps
20 reps
15 reps
15 reps 3 drops sets of 10
super-setted with......

Incline Front Dumbbell Presses 40 reps
30 reps
25 reps
20 reps
15 reps then 3 drop sets of 10

Cable Shrugs 30 reps
on FreeMotion Machine 25 reps
20 reps
20 reps
15 reps
15 reps

Seated Cable Ab Crunch 30 reps
20 reps
20 reps with
20 reps with
20 reps
super-setted with......

Lower Back Extensions 30 reps
20 reps
20 reps
20 reps

Saturday - Arms and Legs

20 reps
10 reps

Supine Dumbbell Triceps Extensions 50 reps
40 reps
30 reps
20 reps
15 reps
10 reps

Drop sets10 reps, 5, 5, 10
super-setted with......

Dumbbell Curls 50 reps
(some prone on incline....
....and some standing)
(some “hammer style”.... 40 reps
....and some w/ palms up) 30 reps
20 reps

15 reps

10 reps

Drop sets 5 reps, 5, 10, 10, 10 , 10 , 20



Squats 50 reps
40
30
20
20
20
15
15
20


Seated Calf Machine 50
40
30
20
20



super-setted with......

Weightless Calf Pump / Stretches 20
20
20
20
20

TIP OF THE DAY:

If you decide to compete give yourself plenty of time to get ready. There is nothing more miserable than being behind plan and having to cut lots of calories and do a lot of cardio. A good way to have a miserable experience as well as lose lean body mass. Give yourself plenty of time. In fact, get ready early than you need to so you can "grow" into the show.




These are my supplements for the month. If anyone wants to know how I take them let me know.

[CoachChuckD]

Here we go!




These are my supplements for the month. If anyone wants to know how I take them let me know.

GOOD LOOKING STACK

Looking forward to seeing how cut you become for your next competition. Here for the support!

[soccerdad5]

Here were my workouts the past 2 days. Made some adjustments in macros I will post tomorrow. The Smith Machine incline press is a really great exercise to focus on the upper chest especially when you come up high on the chest. Also, walking barbell lunges are the best HIIT training around (gassed)

Monday: Chest/Biceps
Incline Smith Press 4 x 15, 12, 10, 10
Incline Dumbbell Fly’s 3 x 12-15
Flat Dumbell Bench Press 3 x 12-15
Cable Dips 2 x 12-15
Cable Cross Overs 2 x 12-15
Straight Barbell Curls 4 x 20, 15, 15, 12
Dumbbell Concentration Curls 3 x 12-15
Standing Machine EZ Bar Curls 3 x 12-15

Tuesday: Legs/Side Delts
Leg Extensions 4 x 20-30
Squats 3 x 15-20
Walking Barbell Lunges 3 x 150 Feet
Lying Leg Curls 5 x 20, 20, 20, 15, 12
Seated Dumbbell Side Laterals 5 x 20, 15, 15, 12, 12
Dumbbell Upright Rows 3 x 12-15
Cable Side Laterals 3 x 12-15

Tip of the day:

When you are making adjustments because you have hit plateaus don't change up both your diet and your cardio sessions at the same time. A lot of people start to panic when they don't see weight dropping and they throw the whole arsenal at things all at once. Don't do this. You might lose weight but you might have lost the same amount on just adjusting calories or cardio.



This picture was my 2 year anniversary of my transformation. This month I am coming up on 3 years. You can do this lifestyle drug free. It just takes time. Remember before I got out of shape I was a division 1 soccer player and loved to lift. I had about 12+ years of pretty hard core lifting before I got out of shape. Muscle memory is real.

If you are pressured to do PEDs because you want to cut corners you can do that but you will pay a price down the line. When you mess w the chemistry of the body unnaturally are asking for trouble down the line.

Just be patient and be your BEST SELF. Dot take shortcuts to get there.

[soccerdad5]

In a good cadence with meals right now. My main staples for protein are chicken and lean ground turkey right now. My carbs are mostly rice with sweet potatoes and regular potatoes every once in a while. Last night I got home late and didn't have any carbs in one of my meals so went to the pantry and counted out some tortilla chips and ate those. I eat clean but every once in a while you have to be "flexible" in your diet to hit the numbers. I did some calculations and will have to come down in my calories a bit more than I was at last week. My macros right now are 315 P/70 F/320C about 3,170 calories right now. On low days (cardio days) down in the 2,650 calorie range. I went down in calories this week so not implementing any cardio this week. Will probably add cardio for 2 days next week. Remember, you want your body to be as inefficient as possible when starting a fat loss phase.

Workout looked like this on Wednesday:

Wednesday: Back/Triceps
Pull Ups 3 x 15
T-Bar Rows (with Olympic Bar) 4 x 10-15
Deadlift from Rack 3 x 8-12
Barbell Rows (Palms Up) 4 x 10-15
Seated Cable Row (Rope) 3 x 15
Triangle Bar Press Downs 4 x 12-20
Close Grip Bench 4 x 10-15
Overhead Dumbbell Extensions 4 x 12-15
Dumbbell Kickbacks 3 x 15
Rope Press Downs 3 x 15

Thursday: Off

I am 17 weeks for the contest I am aiming for and a bit behind right now so will catch up the next 2 weeks here. I have to be on the road for a few weeks so will have to prepare well for these trips to get my food and workouts in. For a backup if I am not ready in 17 weeks, I have another contest in 20 weeks I could do. I would prefer to do both contests. We will see how it works out. Conditioning will have to be better than it has ever been before. I have not been a big cardio guy in my preps (only 2 HIITs per week) but might have to increase a bit for this one or just get in a bigger calorie deficit. The good thing is I have a lot of cards to play still. I am at 3,100 calories (in a deficit) right now) and doing no cardio.

Here was the condition I was in a few weeks out before I won my pro card at the NPC Masters Championships in Pittsburgh in July. Can't wait to get back there with a lot of improvements.

[movermanwa]

I just took the time to read this forum string and it's inspiring. Many thanks for sharing your journey, wisdom learned, and for giving me some great ideas.

[soccerdad5]

Glad to help anyone on here. A lot of people helped me when I was going through my transformation. Just paying it forward.

I just took the time to read this forum string and it's inspiring. Many thanks for sharing your journey, wisdom learned, and for giving me some great ideas.

[CoachChuckD]

I just took the time to read this forum string and it's inspiring. Many thanks for sharing your journey, wisdom learned, and for giving me some great ideas.

Would have to agree on this one!