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

[soccerdad5]

Alright the weekend is almost over. I tweaked my back a bit on Thursday on back day and then starting flaring up on Friday and Saturday . Been hitting proteolytic enzymes and stretching as much as I can the past 2 days. Just haven't been stretching enough and this caused the back to go out. My right hamstring is super tight. Will start stretching 3-4 times per week the rest of the way through.

Here are my macros for the week:

324 P/337 C/ 65 F = 3,169 calories. Yes, my metabolism is at a very good place 17 weeks out for the contest. I am down to 212 so in a good spot . Will be adding cardio on my rest days this week (Thursdays and Sundays). I am going to start out with LISS and then do HIIT in a few weeks. I have a lot of cards to play and that is good. When you go into a prep you want to start out with calories as high as possible and you want to do little to no cardio. You can always add cardio and take away calories. If you are doing high amounts of cardio and your calories are already low, you have nowhere else to go.

Here were my workouts on Friday and Saturday:

Thursday: Off Recovery

Friday: Shoulders
Barbell Shrugs 4 x 10-15
Dumbbell Shrugs 3 x 12-15
Seated Dumbbell Laterals 5 x 12-15
Military Press 4 x 12
Reverse Dumbbell Fly’s 4 x 12-15
Dumbbell Upright Rows 4 x 12-15

Saturday: Legs
Stiff Leg Deadlifts with Dumbbells 4 x 15-20
Seated Leg Curls 3 x 15
Walking Barbell Lunges 3 x 150 Feet
Abductors 3 x 40
Calves 6 sets 15-20

Sunday: Off Recovery

Remember, I don't do this full time. I am a marketing director for a healthcare company by day with 5 kids and tons of activities. I also do transformation coaching on the weekends. If anyone should have an excuse that I can't do this because "I am too busy" should be me. I set up my weeks before hand and block schedule all of my time. You can do an amazing amount of stuff if you get properly organized.

[garylouiseaton]

YOU ARE AWESOME!!! I follow everything you do.. You are such an inspiration to me. Thanks for doing what you do.

[soccerdad5]

YOU ARE AWESOME!!! I follow everything you do.. You are such an inspiration to me. Thanks for doing what you do.

Thanks Gary!

[soccerdad5]

Updating you on prep. Slow and steady wins the race. My
macros are the same above. I had an awards dinner last night so stuck with grilled fish, chicken, vegetables and potatoes.

I am going to share my competition schedule plan for the rest of the year. It has changed a bit. After talking over with my wife, I am not going to compete in Dallas. I will tell you the reason later. I am going to compete in Pittsburgh though in Spetember. This gives me 2 more weeks.

Here is my workouts the past 2 days:

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

I shared this one yesterday on my pic but wanted to share it here. For #transformationtuesday you don't have to be in the gym 24/7 or be in the "fitness industry" to transform your body. You just have to plan out your days and block schedule. I work 50 hrs a week in my job, have 5 kids and can do this lifestyle because I plan out my months, weeks and days. I teach about this in my transformation coaching on the weekends via Skype or conference call anywhere around the world. If you are interested in 12 week transformation coaching and beyond, email me at chadjacksonfitness@gmail.com for more information. You can do this!

[Pagemaster1]

Hey Chad, Thanks for everything you continue to share; it continues to be inspiring! I know you shared your specific meals and the supplements you take throughout the day about 6 months ago....would you be willing to do that again with an updated version as you are getting into strict contest prep mode? Many thanks in advance!

-jp

[soccerdad5]

Will do!

Hey Chad, Thanks for everything you continue to share; it continues to be inspiring! I know you shared your specific meals and the supplements you take throughout the day about 6 months ago....would you be willing to do that again with an updated version as you are getting into strict contest prep mode? Many thanks in advance!

-jp

[soccerdad5]

Happy Monday everyone! Playing catch up a bit on my journal but will have this updated 4 times per week going forward. I am less than 16 weeks out and it is now time to really focus in and get it done. I have added no cardio yet to my regime which is good. This week will be the week I will be adding cardio. I am down 1 1/2 lbs this week on 3,100 calories. This is very good. Remember, when you are starting out prepping you want to make sure you start out with calories as high as possible. You also don't want to start out with a crazy amount of cardio (your body becomes efficient if you do). You want to add cardio as you go and cut back on calories gradually as you go through your prep.
Some of you wanted to know what I have been eating at 3,100 calories. My philosophy is to "eat clean." It has worked for me. I know others have done well with flexible dieting but I truly believe it is tougher to do this as you get older. I am currently 44 years old and I do this lifestyle for my health. The body does an amazing job of filtering out junk that you put in your body but if you work with your body it is amazing how efficient it becomes. You will also walk around a lot more energized and alive eating mostly whole foods in your diet.

This is what my current diet looks like:

Wake Up 4:30 am and have Labrada SuperCharge Preworkout

Workout at 5:30 and during my workout take in Labrada Power BCAA's and Labrada Power Carb with creatine monohydrate

After workout I have a Labrada Whey Protein, Labrada Power Carb and Labrada GlutaLean (7 am )



For breakfast I will have 8 oz of egg whites mixed with Labrada Pro V 60 and 1/2 cup of oatmeal with 20 g of nuts (8:30 am)

For lunch with have 7 oz of crock pot chicken, 1 cup of rice, 1 cup of green beans and 1 1/2 tbsp of coconut oil (11:30 am)

For mid afternoon feeding 7 oz of lean ground turkey (97% lean), 2 cups of sweet potatoes, 1 cup of green beans and 20 oz of nuts (3 pm)

For dinner 7 oz of chicken, 1 cup of rice, 1 cup of broccoli, 1 1/2 tbsp of coconut oil (6:30 pm)

Late night feeding 1 scoop of Labrada Pro V 60, 1/2 cup of oatmeal, 1 cup of almond milk and 10 g of nuts

Pretty simple. I also cook all my food before the week begins usually on Sunday night. Sometimes I have to cook something mid-week also but usually get it all done on Sunday. This is the key to staying on your diet during prep! I will share some more later.

Here was my workouts finishing up last week.



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

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

Friday (2 a day):

Barbell Shrugs 4 x 10-15
Dumbbell Shrugs 3 x 12-15
Seated Dumbbell Laterals 5 x 12-15
Military Press 4 x 12
Reverse Dumbbell Fly’s 4 x 12-15
Dumbbell Upright Rows 4 x 12-15

Afternoon
Chest
Cable dips 50, 40, 30, 20, 15, 10, 10, 10
Decline bench 40, 30, 20, 15, 10, 10
Machine chest flyes 30, 20, 15, 15, 10

Saturday: Legs
Stiff Leg Deadlifts with Dumbbells 4 x 15-20
Seated Leg Curls 3 x 15
Walking Barbell Lunges 3 x 150 Feet
Abductors 3 x 40
Calves 6 sets 15-20

Sunday: Off Recovery

Had some good Q&A on my fit status on Thursday so will doing some more Q&A today for everyone that has a question. You can ask me here on this thread or in my Fit Status today.

TIP OF THE DAY:

Put your goals in front of you every day and make sure you look at them. It is amazing how the subconscious mind is a magnet to those goals.

[CoachChuckD]

"Remember, when you are starting out prepping you want to make sure you start out with calories as high as possible. You also don't want to start out with a crazy amount of cardio (your body becomes efficient if you do). You want to add cardio as you go and cut back on calories gradually as you go through your prep. "

SOLID ADVICE !! The slower we change the easier we can maintain!

[LyssieDoll88]

I don't know how I possibly could have missed this journal!! SO IN!!!! you are a MACHINE! True real life, in the flesh superman!

[soccerdad5]

That is s real compliment coming from you. You have had an amazing transformation! Well done.

I don't know how I possibly could have missed this journal!! SO IN!!!! you are a MACHINE! True real life, in the flesh superman!

[soccerdad5]

Here we go! Tuesday is on! I got the best night sleep I have gotten in a while and really needed it. I usually get 5 1/2 - 6 hours of sleep but last night got 7 hrs. 7 hrs is what I really need and will really start to concentrate on this in the coming days. Less than 16 weeks out for my next show and down about 10 lbs from my high of 220 early this year. Cardio will start this week. I will be doing 4 days of LISS just to get things going. I started yesterday. I am a big believer in HIIT but wanted to ramp up to HIIT as I go. I will probably do 3-4 weeks of LISS depending on how I am progressing then switch to HIIT. I cooked all of my food on Sunday so I am in really good shape for preparation this week.

Here were my workouts for Monday and Tuesday. Will be switching things up next week. I have been on this phase for 3 weeks.

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:

Get a system down of cooking your food. It will be a struggle at the beginning because you are not used to it but it gets easier along the way. Also have 4-5 "go to meals" and change them up by adding different spices and flavorings. Just stay away from the high calories sauces with lots of fat calories.

I will be doing a FREE conference call tonight talking about tips to successfully transforming your body. The call is at 8 pm CST/9 pm EST/6 pm PST tonight (Tuesday). Here is the link to register for the FREE call: http://visitor.r20.constantcontact.c...eULxZmtkIYI%3D

[soccerdad5]

Checking in today. Weight is up a bit today and did eat a different meal for dinner so don't know if that was it. Day to day weight fluctuations are no big deal. Just want to make improvements week to week. Sometimes that does not happen either.

Here were my workouts for Wednesday and Thursday:

Wednesday: Back/Triceps
15 minutes of warm up on the bike (this is new---gradually adding cardio back in)
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: Cardio (this used to be an off day)
30 min LISS on bike (will start out with LISS and in a few weeks do HIIT)
Ab workout (3 exercises of 4 sets)

Tip of the Day:

If you are transitioning out of your diet phase, make sure you transition out of it very slowly so your metabolism catches up and you don't put on a lot of bodyfat during the transition.

[soccerdad5]

Weight has spiked up a bit this past week so really need to get things on track this next week. I have been fairly strict with my diet but probably not strict enough. I have decided to compete at the North American Pittsburgh Pro Masters first week of September (17 weeks away). I decide this for a couple of reasons. First of all, don't think I will be ready in time to compete in August without doing crazy amounts of cardio and burning up muscle mass along the way. My father passing away a month ago was a difficult time and I thought I could bounce back quicker. Unfortunately, I underestimated the toll it took on me. It was very difficult on me. I am also in the middle of making some career changes. It has been a crazy 2 months.

I have about 20 lbs I still need to shed so this will be a little over 1.3 lbs per week if I want to be ready early which is still quite aggressive. I will then get ready for another contest in California in October. I will only compete 2 times this year. Will continue to improve and then get ready for a contest in summer of 2016.

My macros are the same and will probably be coming down next week. I added a little bit of LISS this week. Definitely have been a bit hungrier.

Here were my workouts for the Friday and Saturday. I will have a new workout setup next week:


Friday (2 a day):

Barbell Shrugs 4 x 10-15
Dumbbell Shrugs 3 x 12-15
Seated Dumbbell Laterals 5 x 12-15
Military Press 4 x 12
Reverse Dumbbell Fly’s 4 x 12-15
Dumbbell Upright Rows 4 x 12-15

Afternoon
Chest
Cable dips 50, 40, 30, 20, 15, 10, 10, 10
Decline bench 40, 30, 20, 15, 10, 10
Machine chest flyes 30, 20, 15, 15, 10

Saturday: Legs
Stiff Leg Deadlifts with Dumbbells 4 x 15-20
Seated Leg Curls 3 x 15
Walking Barbell Lunges 3 x 150 Feet
Abductors 3 x 40
Calves 6 sets 15-20

Sunday: Off Recovery

Tip of the Day:

Everything comes down to preparing and organization. Whether it be your workouts or diet. You have to prepare ahead of time and the people that transform their bodies the best are the ones that do this. If you become reactive during the week, you will "lose" the week.

By the way, I will be doing new 12 week transformation coaching starting on May 9th. If you are interested please email me at chadjacksonfitness@gmail.com for more information.

Here is one of my clients this past 12 weeks. Lost 40 lbs in the 12 weeks and gained lean body mass. He is still going....

[soccerdad5]

Same macros and calories I have been on for 3 weeks. 324 P/337 C/ 65 F = 3,169 calories. Will be doing 2 sessions of cardio instead of 1 this week. I am switching up my workouts this week. Short and intense with big pumps at the end of the workouts. I know some people think the FST-7 workouts are gimmicky but I did them for 6 weeks and got some amazing pumps and made some improvements. That is what I am implementing this week. Short workouts of 40 minutes (my workouts are usually 1 hr and 10 min) and get out. This is about recovering a bit this week after some pretty long workouts the past 3 weeks. Have gotten some great pumps so far.

Here are what the workouts look like:

Monday (Chest):

Incline Barbell Bench Press: 4 Sets Of 7-12 Reps
Incline Dumbbell Flyes: 3-4 Sets Of 8-12 Reps
Flat Dumbbell Bench Press: 3-4 Sets Of 8-12 Reps
Cable Crossovers: 7 Sets with 15-20 second rest 8-12 Reps

Tuesday: Back

Bent-Over Barbell Row: 4 sets of 8-12 reps
Close-Grip Pulldown: 3 sets of 12 reps
Dumbbell Pullover: 3 sets of 12 reps
Seated Row Machine: 7 sets with 15-20 sec rest of 12 reps

Tip of the Day:

There are 3 things you should use to measure your progress. The scale (this doesn't tell the whole story), the measuring tape around your waist (you can also measure other areas) and the mirror (with pictures). This will help give a pretty complete story on how much progress you are making.


I filled up my first coaching class for May 9th and decided to open up one more. If you are interested in coaching please email me at chadjacksonfitness@gmail.com for more information.

[soccerdad5]

Here is some "transparency" on this entry tonight. I haven't been focused on my prep like I should. I am 16 weeks out and weight has fluctuated back and forth for the past 3 weeks. I have had a difficult time since my father passed away and this contest prep is just not holding that much importance right now. I believe I will snap out of it but will have to snap out of it this week. Diet has been pretty consistent but when the family goes out for ice cream, I have been going out with them. Workouts have been consistent and pretty good but when I get a day that is busy, cardio is the day that gets missed. My weight has fluctuated and hasn't really moved the past 3 weeks. Waistline has also been about the same.

IT IS NOW "GO TIME." I will have to really get focused, plan out my weeks (workouts and meal planning) and really visualize and focus on what I want. The good thing is I have done no cardio so as soon as I add that, bodyfat will come off (I will also be hurting pretty bad doing HIIT the first few weeks---but that isn't bad...I want my body to be as "inefficient" as possible up front).

So here we go. Will continue to keep you updated here. I have a lot of great things happening right now and am very excited about the future. Awesome response on the 12 week transformation coaching on May 8th. I am very excited about this group.

Here were my macros and calories but I am sure there were 2 days this week that they were much larger:

324 P/337 C/ 65 F = 3,169 calories

Here were my workouts Wednesday - Saturday:

Wednesday (Shoulders) :

Seated Dumbbell Press: 4 sets of 8-12 reps
Front Plate Raise: 3 sets of 12 reps
Side Lateral Raise: 3 sets of 12 reps
Rear Lateral Cable Flyes: 7 sets of 12 reps
Dumbbell Shrugs: 4 sets of 12 reps
Machine Shrugs: 7 sets of 12 reps

Thursday: Supposed to be HIIT day but took off

Friday (Arms):

EZ Bar Curl: 3 sets of 8-12 reps
Seated Triceps Press: 3 sets of 8-12 reps
Incline Dumbbell Curl: 3 sets of 12 reps
Lying Tricep Extensions Across Face: 3 sets of 12 reps
Overhead Cable Curls: 7 sets of 12 reps
Triceps Pushdowns: 7 sets of 12 reps

Saturday:

Squats: 3 sets of 12 reps
Leg Extension: 3 sets of 12 reps
Leg Press: 3 sets of 12 reps
Hack Squat Machine: 7 sets of 12 reps
Lying Leg Curl: 3 sets of 12 reps
Standing Leg Curl: 3 sets of 12 reps
Stiff Leg Deadlift: 3 sets of 12 reps
Lying Leg Curl: 7 sets of 12 reps
Seated Calf Raise: 3 sets of 12 reps
Calf Raise on Leg Press: 7 sets of 12 reps

TIP OF THE DAY:

You have to find out your WHY and you have to make it BIG. Ever since 2012 when I have been in my transformation stage I have had a BIG WHY. This is gotten me up at 4:30 am. This has gotten me to prepare my meals every week before the week begins. This is what got me my IFBB pro card.

I have kind of lost that WHY lately or at least not focused on it. This has gotten me to lose my way. I will dial it in this week and hope to come in the best shape of my life in 16 weeks.

By the way, here were my supplements for the month. I decided to start doing Labrada HumanoGrowth again and have been getting some amazing deep sleep. Should start seeing the effects in a couple of weeks. I also got the NEW Labrada Greens Superfood. I took this one all last month and love it! I will give more details about it soon. It should be at bodybuilding.com in the next few weeks.

[soccerdad5]

Sorry for the delayed update. Not a whole lot has changed in weight this past week which shows me I am going to have to reduce calories. I added 2 HIIT session in (first time to do these since July of last year). Definitely love to sweat a lot again. Metabolism is starting to fire when doing these. Will have to really crank it up the next 10 weeks. I want to me in the 195 range in 10 weeks and then be able to coast in. I have definitely put on some lean body mass (muscle) this past year just not sure how much until I get down into the 6% range which should be in 10 weeks.

Workouts were the same as last week but increased reps or weight. Still have enough carbs in me where I will see some gains in weight room. Will not be the case in 3-4 weeks.

My macros have been same 324 P/337 C/ 65 F = 3,169 calories. Will be decreasing this week.

Here is my workout this past week. Doing 1 bodypart per week and the FST-7 sets at the end of the workout have been great and love pump. I might be going back to a bodypart 2x per week next week.


Monday- Chest
Incline Barbell Bench Press: 4 Sets Of 7-12 Reps

Incline Dumbbell Flyes: 3-4 Sets Of 8-12 Reps
Flat Dumbbell Bench Press: 3-4 Sets Of 8-12 Reps
Cable Crossovers: 7 Sets Of 8-12 Reps

Tuesday -Back

Bent-Over Barbell Row: 4 sets of 8-12 reps
Close-Grip Pulldown: 3 sets of 12 reps
Dumbbell Pullover: 3 sets of 12 reps
Seated Row Machine: 7 sets of 12 reps

Wednesday- Shoulders & Traps

Seated Dumbbell Press: 4 sets of 8-12 reps
Front Plate Raise: 3 sets of 12 reps
Side Lateral Raise: 3 sets of 12 reps
Rear Lateral Cable Flyes: 7 sets of 12 reps
Dumbbell Shrugs: 4 sets of 12 reps
Machine Shrugs: 7 sets of 12 reps

Friday- Arms
EZ Bar Curl: 3 sets of 8-12 reps
Seated Triceps Press: 3 sets of 8-12 reps
Incline Dumbbell Curl: 3 sets of 12 reps
Lying Tricep Extensions Across Face: 3 sets of 12 reps
Overhead Cable Curls: 7 sets of 12 reps
Triceps Pushdowns: 7 sets of 12 reps

Legs- Saturday

Squats: 3 sets of 12 reps
Leg Extension: 3 sets of 12 reps
Leg Press: 3 sets of 12 reps
Hack Squat Machine: 7 sets of 12 reps
Lying Leg Curl: 3 sets of 12 reps
Standing Leg Curl: 3 sets of 12 reps
Stiff Leg Deadlift: 3 sets of 12 reps
Lying Leg Curl: 7 sets of 12 reps
Seated Calf Raise: 3 sets of 12 reps
Calf Raise on Leg Press: 7 sets of 12 reps

Tip of the Day: Bodyfat measurements aren't great ways to measure your progress. They are all over the map on the readings and can deceive a lot of competitors. I know coaches that tell their clients they are a lot lower than they really are. Use waistline measurements, scale and the mirror (pictures) to judge your progress.

Photo from leg day. Before I went to the gym, my 19 year old approved my "look." He didn't approve of the Chucks. Dad is doing good when he says you look good. I still think I look ridiculous but who cares how you look on leg day. It is about getting it done.

[rimenez]

You are an inspiration Chad, really admire the way you organize yourself even with a full time job and a family to care for. Thanks for taking the time to coach others when it comes to health and fitness. No excuses!

[demonwareltd]

Following your progress here and rooting for you!

I had issues getting properly motivated for my show in 2014 when I had lost my mom just 4 months before I started prep. I thought I could utilize the memory of her to motivate me to do well, but I found myself simply not caring that much for bodybuilding and competing and was just going through the motions.

Fast forward another year and I'm in a better place mentally and the fire has been reignited. Sometimes it just takes time and everyone is different.

[Vytis]

Well I approve of the Chucks if that's any consolation. Lol

[soccerdad5]

Thanks! Glad to be able to "pay it forward." I was there a few years ago.

You are an inspiration Chad, really admire the way you organize yourself even with a full time job and a family to care for. Thanks for taking the time to coach others when it comes to health and fitness. No excuses!

Thanks for that! That is kind of where I am now. I am kind of in that mode of I have a deadline to meet not that "crazy fire in my belly" I had in my other competitions. With time it should heal all wounds. The motivation now is to look my best on a deadline. Hopefully I can inspire a few people along the way to make health changes in their life.

Following your progress here and rooting for you!

I had issues getting properly motivated for my show in 2014 when I had lost my mom just 4 months before I started prep. I thought I could utilize the memory of her to motivate me to do well, but I found myself simply not caring that much for bodybuilding and competing and was just going through the motions.

Fast forward another year and I'm in a better place mentally and the fire has been reignited. Sometimes it just takes time and everyone is different.

Thanks! The Chucks will rock for a few more years. Remembers dads were put here to embarrass their children anyway

Well I approve of the Chucks if that's any consolation. Lol

[soccerdad5]

Keeping it on point this week. Made some good progress this week. Down to 208.5 which I needed to be. Still need to lose about 16 more lbs in 12 weeks. I did 2 days of HIIT last week and 2 days this week which seems to have really sped up the fat burning process. Will reduce calories a bit next week because I have plenty of room. I am at 3,100 cals. Will start really cranking things up in the coming weeks making sure my TDEE is higher.

[soccerdad5]

I pretty much did the same workout I did last week with the FST7 sets at the end which are really awesome (great pumps). I started doing shoulder presses this past 2 weeks and that was a big mistake. My left shoulder has been flaring up again. Will have to pound the proteolytic enzymes. Hope this will help it because I cannot afford this kind of pain for 12 more weeks especially as bodyfat continues to go down. Might take a week off if it gets any worse.

I had a good leg workout on Saturday. My last set I went 6 reps x 405 past parallel. Haven't gone heavy in a while because of lower back. I could have gone heavier and definitely more reps. Surprisingly stronger. It probably won't last long as bodyfat goes down. I might attribute to getting stronger with Labrada Humano Growth. It is the only thing I have changed.

Here was my workout last week. I am doing some drop sets or NOS this week.

Monday- Chest
Incline Barbell Bench Press: 4 Sets Of 7-12 Reps

Incline Dumbbell Flyes: 3-4 Sets Of 8-12 Reps
Flat Dumbbell Bench Press: 3-4 Sets Of 8-12 Reps
Cable Crossovers: 7 Sets Of 8-12 Reps

Tuesday -Back

Bent-Over Barbell Row: 4 sets of 8-12 reps
Close-Grip Pulldown: 3 sets of 12 reps
Dumbbell Pullover: 3 sets of 12 reps
Seated Row Machine: 7 sets of 12 reps

Wednesday- Shoulders & Traps

Seated Dumbbell Press: 4 sets of 8-12 reps
Front Plate Raise: 3 sets of 12 reps
Side Lateral Raise: 3 sets of 12 reps
Rear Lateral Cable Flyes: 7 sets of 12 reps
Dumbbell Shrugs: 4 sets of 12 reps
Machine Shrugs: 7 sets of 12 reps

Friday- Arms
EZ Bar Curl: 3 sets of 8-12 reps
Seated Triceps Press: 3 sets of 8-12 reps
Incline Dumbbell Curl: 3 sets of 12 reps
Lying Tricep Extensions Across Face: 3 sets of 12 reps
Overhead Cable Curls: 7 sets of 12 reps
Triceps Pushdowns: 7 sets of 12 reps

Legs- Saturday

Squats: 3 sets of 12 reps
Leg Extension: 3 sets of 12 reps
Leg Press: 3 sets of 12 reps
Hack Squat Machine: 7 sets of 12 reps
Lying Leg Curl: 3 sets of 12 reps
Standing Leg Curl: 3 sets of 12 reps
Stiff Leg Deadlift: 3 sets of 12 reps
Lying Leg Curl: 7 sets of 12 reps
Seated Calf Raise: 3 sets of 12 reps
Calf Raise on Leg Press: 7 sets of 12 reps

Tip of the day:

When injured don't try to lift through it. It won't get any better. Avoid all lifts that aggravate the injury and make sure you are plenty warmed up.

I will be doing 12 week transformation coaching starting on May 31st. If you are interested go to www.chadjacksonfitness.com or email me at chadjacksonfitness@gmail.com

[soccerdad5]

Okay 12 weeks out and need to lose about 14-16 lbs. Would have liked to be down a bit more because I would like to be ready 2 weeks before. It is possible just have to step on the gas the next 10 weeks. I will give some detail on what I am doing tomorrow. It is all good. Diet has been pretty bad the past 4 days as I went with my wife to LA to celebrate our 20th anniversary. That is okay. Today has been good and I am back in the swing. The only issue I have right now is a left shoulder that is killing me. A bit of impingement in my shoulder. Hitting the proteolytic enzymes hard. Haven't used ibuprofen yet but tempted to do it.

I will be starting to work on posing next week. Will start posting pictures next week from 12 weeks until show. Here we go!

[soccerdad5]

Just got back from San Antonio and will really start to focus this next week for the next 10 weeks (I want to be ahead 2 weeks before my contest--99% of contestants are not and I never have been). My diet needs to be spot on to where I need to be. Living this kind of lifestyle is difficult on your family at times. You are eating different things than them in some instances that can make it challenging.

I will be posting my diet, workouts and issues I am going through the next few weeks. I will also be having my new website www.chadjacksonfitness.com the next week. I will also have my business website up and going in the next month. Lots of stuff going on and I am hoping to help 10,000 people through their own transformations in the next 3 years. This is the goal.

I am continuing to do this competitive path in the IFBB "lifetime drug free" and I will see how far I can go. I never doubt myself at all but when the playing field is a bit different I am not in a "fantasy land" that I can compete with anyone who is on PED's. I did this lifestyle for "health" reasons and will continue to do so. Even though I am a very competitive person, I will not throw away my health taking any PEDs so I can win a trophy. I want to set the trail of a 44 year old guy who was in good shape at one time and let "life happen to him" getting in bad shape and then reshaping my body into who I am today. I want to give people "hope" that it can be done with the right diet and workout. I will be very transparent in the coming days of the "good" and the "bad" of this lifestyle.

I will be posting my macros and workout tomorrow and letting you know the goals I am trying to accomplish in this first contest. I am very happy to be a part of 2 companies right now that sell their products here at bodybuilding.com. Labrada Nutrition that I have been taking for almost 20 months. Their supplements are some of the best out there. Here is the link to their products and here is what I currently take:

http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/lab/lab.htm



Also, I have become an "ambassador" for Fitmark. I have had about 8 different meal bags since I have been doing this and Fitmark is the absolutely the best. Great quality and love how they do their bags. Here is the link: http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/fitmark.html


[/img]http://imagecdn.bodybuilding.com/img/user_images/growable/2015/06/04/50678871/gallerypic/iBAthXVXrjOkgDWkkUqjiztUHfAlEgAuFQBO-610xh.jpg[/img]


Also if any of you are interested in transformation coaching, I am starting a new group on June 28th. I have had over 350 people go through my program and it has been a true blessing to work with people to help them. If you are interested in more information on the program, go to www.chadjacksonfitness.com for more information.

[soccerdad5]

I am cutting back calories a bit because I want to be ready 2 weeks before my competition so I can actually increase calories 2 week before my competition. Playing a bit of catch up so taking my calories down to around 2,700 calories (324 g protein, 216 g carbs and 60 g fat). I am around 207 right now ( a couple of lbs behind) and will continue to monitor on calories I am on. If I drop too much I will add calories back in. Still only doing 2 days of cardio a week (HIIT style 25 minutes) and 5 days of weights.

Workouts have been in the 8 rep range doing about 16 - 20 sets per bodypart. Last week I also did 3 drop sets in most of my exercises to get as much blood as possible to the muscle. This year I have really been focusing on Time Under Tension as well as that muscle/mind connection (focusing on the muscle being worked). My chest has always been a lagging bodypart and it is because I have not focused on the chest doing chest exercises. My shoulders end up taking over. I have good shoulder development because shoulders take over most of the time during chest exercises (especially as my chest gets fatigued).

I have developed a bit of a nagging shoulder injury that flared up last year (shoulder impingement). Hitting the proteolytic enzymes like crazy and this helps but it doesn't seem to go away. I have to get my shoulder good and warmed up before I hit any exercise.

I will be preparing all my food tonight for the week. I will be in Dallas Europa all week working the Labrada booth. If you are at this show, come by and see me at the booth and tell me you know me from bodybuilding.com. We are giving some great samples away and giving away $250 of free product both days in a drawing. The show starts on Friday and ends on Saturday. If you haven't ever gone to Dallas Europa, you need to go. It is an awesome show and you will see a lot of famous bodybuilding people there. It is a big show! Activities for everyone.

The good thing is I am on my last notch on my belt 12 weeks out. I don't think this has happened before. I have a long way to go but I am on the right track.



I was on the road this week with my Fitmark bag. Fitmark now sells their bags here on bodybuilding.com. Make sure you check them out!



Also haven't shared anything about "life" in a while on my journal. I am taking a lot of risks in life right now (Good risks) that are a bit scary at times. When you get out of your comfort zone it is very easy to tell yourself "you got this." When you put yourself in that situation, all you see is the crashing waves around you. When you change you attitude of "I got this" to "God's got this" it is amazing how your perspective changes and how trusting the God of the Universe that he has it under control. He knows exactly what you are going through, just TRUST Him through it.



LIVE LIFE ADVENTUROUSLY! AT THE END OF THIS LIFE IF YOU HAVEN'T, YOU WOULD HAVE WISHED YOU DID!

[soccerdad5]

Hello everyone! It has been a while since I updated this thread. It has been a crazy month. I am still posting pics and updates but have not updated the journal in while. I wanted to let you know where I am at. Life always throws you all kinds of curve balls. The way you react to those curve balls really determines your success going forward.

It was great seeing those of you at the Europa Dallas 2 weeks ago. Record crowds. The crowds were so big, we ran out of samples at the Labrada booth. Loved hearing about many of your stories (where you came from, how you transformed your body etc). It was a lot of fun! A few pics


A promo that Labrada did (if you would have told me I would have had this in 2012 I would have told you, YOU ARE CRAZY!)

BIG CROWDS AT THE LABRADA BOOTH


Met Charles Glass and got a pic with him---a guy I really look up to


My plan was to compete in my first IFBB Pro contest September 3rd in Pittsburgh. This is the IFBB Pittsburgh Pro Masters. It was my dream to be competing against the best master pros including Michael Anderson. Well, I decided this week I am not going to do this contest. I have had a lot going on this past year. My father passed away about 4 months ago and now we had a very critical health situation come up in my family 2 weeks ago. I have also took on my new coaching business. A lot of things have gone all at once and depending on this new health issue with one of my family members, I might need to help out a lot more.

Having said that, my target is to compete in October. This gives me about 15 weeks to get there and helps me coast into the show. Also, I am going to be hiring a coach and starting to work with him next week. I could prepare without a coach (I haven't had a coach in 2 years) but with everything that is going on, I just need to take directions and execute the plan. I don't need to think about it too much. What is good about having a coach is I will be able to really work on the weakness that I have had coming into shows. Being more conditioned and being fuller on show day.

I am in the 2,700 calorie range (which might be a bit low) and at around 203. I probably need to come in around 190-192 on show day. Remember, I am a lifetime drug free guy so even though I have taken off a year, I will not add too much muscle even in a surplus. At the end of contest prep, I will find out how much lean body mass I have put on.

I want to continue to help others in my coaching business (we don't just work on the body transformation but we also work on the mind. It is truly life transformation if you follow the program). Also, the behavioral psychology of transformation is more important then the plan itself. You can have the absolute best plan in the world to transform your body but if you cannot make behavioral changes then the plan is worthless.

When I meet with my coach next week I will post some of my other stuff (workouts, macros/calories and food). Until then remember this. I posted this one earlier in the week:


If you are going through difficulty and you are saying to yourself, "I GOT THIS" you are going to feel the burden of stress, pressure and fear. If you just turn it over to Him today and say, "GOD, YOU GOT THIS" the burden will be lifted and you can trust Him to see you through. "Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you." 1 Peter 5:7

[soccerdad5]

Alright! I am 14 weeks out to my contest. I want to get ready early (in 12 weeks) so here we go. I am in the 203 range probably going to be in the 190-192 range when all is said and done. It has been challenging this year but that is called LIFE. You are either an over comer or a quitter...the choice is yours. I will choose to be an over comer.

My calories are in the 3,000 range the past 2 weeks because I decided to change dates for my contest. I am not getting great pumps in my workouts so might need to a bigger refeed day this week. Also have upped my sodium a bit. Body just looks flat right now. Will continue to monitor and have a good game plan together. Left shoulder is still tweaked and doing close grip bench this week really set it off. I need to get this shoulder worked on for some trigger point therapy. Hope to get in next week to get it worked on.

I will be hiring a coach because I just don't want to have to think about it. I have been my own coach for a while and got my IFBB pro card being my own coach. I feel like spending my energy and time in other areas instead of how I am preparing for this contest. I frankly just want to follow directions from someone else for this prep. I just need some tweaking like I said in my other post. Probably need to be open to a few new things but main goal is just to get conditioned enough as well as fill out enough on contest day. These have been my 2 weaknesses.

I will post my macros later this week but here is my workouts. "Meat and potatoes" workout this week.

Here is a pic after arm day:




Monday (Chest):

Hammer Incline Chest Press: 3 sets of 10 reps with a drop set
Flat Bench Press: 3 sets of 10 reps with a drop set
Dumbbell Flyes: 3 sets of 10 reps w a drop set
Dips: 3 sets of 10 reps
Dumbbell Straight-Arm Pull-Over: 3 sets of 10 reps
Standing Calf Raise: 3 sets of 10 reps with drop set
Seated Calf Raise: 3 sets of 10 reps with drop set

Tuesday (Arms):
Rope Push-Down: 3 sets of 10 reps
Machine Dips: 3 sets of 10 reps
Close-Grip Bench Press: 3 sets of 10 reps
Straight-Bar Push-Down: 3 sets of 10 reps
Barbell Curl: 3 sets of 10 reps
Preacher Curl: 3 sets of 10 reps
Dumbbell Curl: 3 sets of 10 reps
Hammer Curl: 3 sets of 10 reps
Reverse Curl: 3 sets of 10 reps

Wednesday:

HIIT 25 minutes on elliptical machine with calves and abs

Thursday (Back):

Reverse-Grip Pull-Down: 4 sets of 10 reps
One-Arm Dumbbell Row: 4 sets of 10 reps
T-Bar Row: 4 sets of 10 reps
Bent-Over Barbell Row: 3 sets of 10 reps
Seated Cable Row: 3 sets of 10 reps
Back Extensions: 3 sets of 10 reps

So I want to talk to you about a lot of talk I hear about performance enhancing drugs. I know a lot of people don't talk about them (especially on BB.com). I will just say I don't do them and never will do them. Will that be a disadvantage for me in the IFBB? Probably. Will that change mind about using them? No. Of course every competitor wants to be as competitive as they can with whatever competition they are in and most people want to get a competitive advantage over other competitors. Even though I am 44 years old (45 in August), I am past my prime when it comes to natural hormones. I will continue to compete "drug free" no matter what place I come in. I did this transformation for my health. My health was not good before this journey. I did this so I could have a good quality of life with my family and to be able to be at 100% on my job. I also wanted to live life to the fullest. I also wanted to be an example to the many I come in contact and show them that it is not too late to transform your body and you can do this lifestyle without steroids, HGH and other drugs.

This is my philosophy in my coaching and this what I will continue to teach. We have no idea of the impact of the different performance enhancing drugs on the body. I know many will say just make sure you get checked up by your doctor and keep everything in check and everything will be fine. Really? Do you know that for a fact? I think any time you put a foreign chemical in your body, I think you are messing with the body. I know there are certain drugs out there that have helped with life expectancy as well as given some a better quality of life. I am not really talking about those drugs. I am talking about the drugs that make us look better but have side effects. We are seeing the effects of these in the pro bodybuilding world (Rich Piana has a good video on why he quit HGH https://youtu.be/3C79hy2mU10 ).

Will start updating this thread 2-3 times during the week.

[ruthless4me]

Hey Chad,

I appreciate the information you have posted as it helps me see that I can reach my goal. Since we are close to the same age limit, if their was one piece of advice that you could give to help others on their journey, what would it be?

Thanks for sharing your journey with us.

[soccerdad5]

Hey Chad,

I appreciate the information you have posted as it helps me see that I can reach my goal. Since we are close to the same age limit, if their was one piece of advice that you could give to help others on their journey, what would it be?

Thanks for sharing your journey with us.

My pleasure. I think the #1 thing is consistency. Consistency in your diet and workout. This has been the key for me. Unrelenting disciplines around both of these. It hasn't been perfect but it has been consistent. Diet is the one that people struggle with the most and that is the one I concentrate 80% of the time on in my coaching. This will make the biggest difference.

[Deslerond99]

I really like that you actually talked about performance enhancing drugs. I'm very against putting any type of chemical substances unnecessarily into my body. It's good to see others who are aware of the fact that these things can do some serious damage long term.

Good luck with your training. I enjoyed the blog and look forward to reading your updates.