DJaRiHardstyle's 2nd Contest Prep

[DJaRiHardstyle]

My new article is up: Caloric restriction is just a bridge: Understanding weight loss factors



http://nofluffstrength.com/index.php...d-weight-loss/

Just going to use the same intro I used when sharing to FB:

People commonly ask whether you can lose weight with [this thing] or [that thing], and I think it speaks to a larger misunderstanding of the role of these factors in weight loss. While you've commonly heard it's dependent on "calories in vs. calories out," you've likely heard simultaneously that a whole host of small factors might have some say in it as well.

The idea for an analogy for caloric restriction and weight loss, and the other factors said to have a role in the matter, hit me the other day, and I think this should help put things into perspective and simplify the larger concept of weight loss.

Let me know what you think!

[Kameronn]

Good read. I've always been a little in the dark on the nutrition side of sports, and the bridge analogy was a perfect way to display how these other factors just help optimize the journey, but at the end of the day, you need to be in a caloric deficit. I think the article will help aid clarify the misconception you were trying to beat to whomever reads it. Good job!

Edit: 1337th post teehee

[DJaRiHardstyle]

Good read. I've always been a little in the dark on the nutrition side of sports, and the bridge analogy was a perfect way to display how these other factors just help optimize the journey, but at the end of the day, you need to be in a caloric deficit. I think the article will help aid clarify the misconception you were trying to beat to whomever reads it. Good job!

Edit: 1337th post teehee

Glad the analogy helped... It was a fun article to write! For some reason, I'm 10x more interested in the science behind nutrition than exercise, so I've just been running with that.

[DJaRiHardstyle]

Finishing up the Nutrition Pyramid book and found this quote (which I believe can be found in the free sample as well) by Helms which bears mentioning, and is admittedly an area I could improve upon greatly:

So, when people ask you for help, don’t be surprised when sometimes they express shock that you aren’t doing things that they think are required for success (such as banning certain foods or food groups, having rigid meal timing or frequency, etc). So, when you respond to questions do it in a way that you are not intentionally bashing tradition just for the sake of feeling smart or clever. An example of handling this situation poorly are the common interactions you see when the topic of “if it fits your macros” vs. “clean and dirty” dietary approaches come up. These conversations often lead to shame and bashing rather than education, which simply creates more deeply entrenched divisions. Both groups are trying to get healthy and be in better shape, but by developing two hard lined camps that throw stones at each other, neither learns anything from the other. What many of them don’t know (or choose not to acknowledge) is that there are flawed philosophies on both sides.
You don’t have to tell someone else they’re stupid to answer a question. You don’t need to “myth bust” and attack someone’s idols to get across new concepts, you can just simply tell them what to do and the logical reason why to do it. Don’t approach conversations with a condescending mindset or tone of voice. When people ask you what you’re doing or say, “Hey I thought (insert inaccurate claim here)”, approach them without a shaming or condescending demeanor. If you do bash what they were doing in your explanation, you are more likely to put them on the defensive, embarrass them, and you are more likely to entrench them against the message you want them to learn. Just try to explain to them what you’re doing and why. And if they want more help, direct them to some of the resources that you learned from, and/or share more of what you do at your leisure. What you don’t want to do is give out unsolicited advice or bash the opinions of anyone else who tells them different information than you do

This was a pretty nice wake up call, especially as I'm in contest prep mode and my already short temper has the potential to get the best of me and manifest itself here. It does no one any good to be a cynical douche rather than staying open-minded and hearing others out. Despite the amount of scams and lies in this industry, there is an equal amount of mislabeled misunderstandings and good intentions. It's important to focus more on adding positivity to this world than subtracting negativity.

[NaturalPursuit]

Positivity is what I preach everyday to EVERYONE! I hate how negative the majority of the world is today…lets all just be happy and enjoy life haha

[DJaRiHardstyle]

Positivity is what I preach everyday to EVERYONE! I hate how negative the majority of the world is today…lets all just be happy and enjoy life haha

Amen. As far from liberal as I am, it seems clear that the solution to most of the world's problems boils down to negativity.

[DJaRiHardstyle]

Weekly check-in: May 15 - 21, 2016 (13 weeks out)
Avg. weight: 186.27 (-1 lb.)
This week's macros:
Low-carb (Sun/Mon/Tues): 75c/30f/250p
Carb-load (Pre-workout meal Wed --> Thurs PM): 1245c/40f/200p
Fri: 360c/50f/250p
Sat: 228c/50f/230p

Training/Cardio

SUN - Depletion 1

MON - Depletion 2

TUES - N/A

WED - Tension
+AM 30min fasted MISS (stationary bike)
*It was MISS last week as well, need to be careful about the distinction here, as we just got a treadmill in the mail and so I can now actually implement LISS if need be*

THURS - N/A

FRI - Power

A1. Box squat
(245 x 5) x 3
*Squats are still feel extremely awkward/uncomfortable.. especially since they're box squats. Being very conservative w/how I progress on these*

A2. Standing calf raise
(240 x 6) x 2
240 x 10
*Still feeling this out; I think we'll be going back to our normal gym for power workouts from now on, so no standing calf raise (or donkey calf raise, which I wish we'd taken advantage of) anymore... or a decent hack squat.*

*At this point in the workout, my dad and I decided these supersets were ridiculous. They just made transitions between sets awkward, the sets themselves harder, and the overall attitude of the session low-energy and unmotivating. We're willing to stay in the gym longer if it means the one workout in this program that focuses on progressive overload can thrive. Hence, you will no longer see "B1" and "B2", etc. from this point on, unless of course something changes.

Hack squat - plate-loaded, close-stance + focus on VLOs
(3 plates x 6) x 3

Lying leg curl (Freemotion)
(140 x 6) x 2
150 x 6

Bench press
(205 x 5) x 3
*Yep, these are feeling like straight @$$. Will expand in the "Thoughts" section.*

T-Bar machine - plate-loaded
(3 plates x 4) x 3

Seated DB shoulder press
(60 x 6) x 2

Pull-ups - medium-wide, neutral grip
BW x 8
BW x 7
*Super strict form on these, bring basically my clavicle up to the bar and squeeze hard, control eccentric. Hence the low reps, b/c despite my lack of strength in most exercises, my back strength/size never seems to take a hit.*

Decline DB tricep extensions
(35 x 6) x 2

EZ-Bar curl (assuming 25 lb. bar)
(95 x 6) x 2

Ab wheel - standing w/banded assistance
(6) x 2

SAT - Stubborn Fat Solution (SFS)-type HIIT/LISS hybrid (PreCor Open Stride for HIIT, Open Stride then elliptical for LISS)

Thoughts

Want to quickly comment on the weights I'm moving in the power workout. They're not exactly ideal, and I'm aware of that, this is undoubtedly a consequence of the 1x a week frequency and reduced cals. There isn't much of a way around this, unless we can bring ourselves to incorporate more of these compound lifts on the tension workout without overdoing it and getting injured.

Mood is doing so-so. As I've stated, I'm naturally an irritable person and am coming straight off a very stressful semester, both academically and emotionally. This on top of the injuries I'm accumulating, lack of a steady job/shadowing this semester (which I thought I had locked down), and some other life events, all in combination with the relatively harsh diet has the potential to get messy. This is something I've spoken with my dad about and simply need to get under wrap. MBR, finding a therapist, simply verbalizing minor issues with my dad as we both prep, etc. I kind of need all hands on deck if I want to come out of this a better man. The point of prep cannot and should not be to starve and overtrain yourself to the point of unmanageable mood disorders, leading to unhealthy relationships w/food and other people, and just an unnecessarily chitty life experience. The point, imo, is to take lessons from it, especially that of humility and perseverance that isn't ostentatious. I want to learn to not just drag my feet through life, but march through it, in spite of all the negative consequences of prep. At the end of the day, I'm doing this because I love the sport and the journey it entails.

Changes for next week
So weight loss was almost exactly 1 lb. from last week. My goal is a solid 1.5 lbs. a week, considering how drastic this cut is going to need to be. Therefore, to account for the needed extra deficit of 1750kcal, these are the changes to be implemented for next week:

1. Friday is now 2400kcal (258c/50f/230p) = 300kcal
2. Saturday is now 1830kcal (115c/50f/230p) = 600kcal
3. Thursday's carb-up is now 5515kcal (1100c/35f/200p) = 632kcal
*This was, remember, dependent also on how I looked Fri morning, and I mentioned I felt some spillover*
4. 27 min MISS added to Monday AM = 220kcal

= 1752kcal cut from the week

I also am going to be very careful with how I allot calories for the carb-ups, so that I hit only the protein I have prescribed and no more. Whether the thermic effect of protein means this or that or slight trace protein increases on refeeds are fine, etc. doesn't matter. I just need to get out of my head a bit, figure out the numbers, and hit them. Otherwise, I'll be fixating on all sorts of things that could use tweaking. This is bar none the hardest part of prepping without any assistance from a coach (granted, my "coach" last time was really just helping me w/diet and training for free, not as a service... but this time I'm not only manipulating my diet/training/cardio, but my dad's as well, which is proving to be quite the hefty task).

[TGreggors]

I agree wholeheartedly that contest prep should be a period of learning. The emotional intelligence that can potentially be gained from the experience can be invaluable, in that you learn to do what must be done despite how you're feeling and how to, to a degree, detach youself and your actions from the tumultuous emotional states that typically come with a prep. The virtues of perseverance and self-discipline that are instilled within an individual during this whole process do, in my opinion, carry over to other facets of life. This is a period of growth. These are not at all original thoughts but I do believe that they really do hold true. Builds character in a way that not too many things can. Anyways, I find it awesome that you and your dad are prepping together. and I bet that you two grow a whole lot closer because of it. Should make things a lot smoother than the last time around as well

I find that when self-coaching, implementing and observing a rule that ONLY allows for you to make changes once/week may be ideal. or it has at least been really effective during my prep, and has prevented me from making drastic and rash decisions that I would have otherwise probably made throughout the process due to losing my objectivity when gauging my own progress.


By the way, when transitioning from lower body work to the bench press, do you do a full upper body warmup/bench warmup sets prior to getting started? Since I'm about to transition to a full body split for the first time, this sort of stuff is just a bit foreign to me.

[DJaRiHardstyle]

By the way, when transitioning from lower body work to the bench press, do you do a full upper body warmup/bench warmup sets prior to getting started? Since I'm about to transition to a full body split for the first time, this sort of stuff is just a bit foreign to me.

Yeah, it's pretty tricky now that we're running UD2 and training sessions can drag on like crazy if you dilly dally even a little, but I do try to get in a decent amount of the warm-ups and mobility drills I've been using for years when transitioning to upper body.

I'll be interested to see how the full body split treats you. Definitely a great way to manage the increased volume you'll be accumulating in the offseason.

[IK9]

I'm liking all the specific details

[DJaRiHardstyle]

I'm liking all the specific details

Thanks man, trying to make this prep a learning experience I can look back on.

[DJaRiHardstyle]

Just a quick update before the official weekly update in 2 days.

Can't say I've been feeling too hot about prep recently, but I also do need to get out of my head a bit. Weight loss, so far, is responding as I'd hoped it would, but I'm still pretty unsure of this. Even if I'm able to maintain a weekly weight loss of 1.5 lbs. a week (including those 2 weeks of maintenance during diet break, which will mean it'll have to be cut to one week), that only brings me down to high-160s, and it's going to involve some harsh measures near the end.

I want nothing more than to give this prep my all and step on stage with my dad to show off the best physique I could bring, but I don't want to go through a suboptimal, rushed prep just to prove to myself I could do it and then immediately go back to college where dietary habits become an unnecessary battle. This could be diet brain speaking (although it's currently my 5000+ calorie day), it's just concerning.

It's one thing to be on the fence about whether to casually cut weight or focus on lean gaining (in which case a mindful, "just pick something and go with it" approach makes more sense), but it's another thing entirely to spend the entire 15-16 weeks of my last truly free summer to rush through a crash diet prep I might not even get conditioned for in time, let alone fulfill my goal of coming in as shredded as possible. Ultimately, I wanted a solid 20+ weeks minimum to diet effectively but obviously had to compromise that considering my school schedule.

Would love to have others weigh in on this. Worst comes to worst, as much as I'd dread making the decision (as dieting to stand on stage with my dad means a lot to me), I get really lean off one 5-week cycle of UD2 and then transition into a lean gain phase from a solid starting point.

[IK9]

If I could go back in time, I would tell myself not to cut until I'm 25+ Years old

I wouldn't want to rush a prep & live with regret

[TGreggors]

All in all, I think it really depends on what you're wanting to get from the experience. Yeah, you may have had to begin the prep with less than an ideal amount of time to get into contest shape, but it's not impossible. It's not like you started out of shape. It will be a grinder, and who's to say whether or not you'd be satisfied with your conditioning given the amount of time that you have, but I think that there's something to be said for the experience of being able to stand on that stage with your dad. Keep in mind that only in recent years have such long-term preps become commonplace, and that 12 week diets were the norm in the past. Brian Whitacre only dieted for like seven weeks before his first contest. In my opinion, while circumstances may not be ideal, they're definitely manageable. That being said, if you think that stepping on stage with your dad is worth the potential consequences of having a hard time with food when you go back to school as well as sacrificing the enjoyment of your summer, then I say go for it. I do remember you saying that you didn't have too terribly much going on this summer though/you don't have too many people around to hang out with, so maybe the sacrifice wouldn't be so great. Besides, you said yourself that this is your last truly free summer, and if getting on stage is something that you really want to do, what better time to commit to such an endeavor. I know that prepping with a full time job/schedule isn't going to be any more ideal.

[DJaRiHardstyle]

If I could go back in time, I would tell myself not to cut until I'm 25+ Years old

I wouldn't want to rush a prep & live with regret

I think I'm going to go through with this, making sure to take with it a grain of salt; namely, that this isn't going to be the most optimal prep in history, but going through it with my dad (and just going through it in general while I still have the time and opportunities to do so) makes it worth the while.

All in all, I think it really depends on what you're wanting to get from the experience. Yeah, you may have had to begin the prep with less than an ideal amount of time to get into contest shape, but it's not impossible. It's not like you started out of shape. It will be a grinder, and who's to say whether or not you'd be satisfied with your conditioning given the amount of time that you have, but I think that there's something to be said for the experience of being able to stand on that stage with your dad. Keep in mind that only in recent years have such long-term preps become commonplace, and that 12 week diets were the norm in the past. Brian Whitacre only dieted for like seven weeks before his first contest. In my opinion, while circumstances may not be ideal, they're definitely manageable. That being said, if you think that stepping on stage with your dad is worth the potential consequences of having a hard time with food when you go back to school as well as sacrificing the enjoyment of your summer, then I say go for it. I do remember you saying that you didn't have too terribly much going on this summer though/you don't have too many people around to hang out with, so maybe the sacrifice wouldn't be so great. Besides, you said yourself that this is your last truly free summer, and if getting on stage is something that you really want to do, what better time to commit to such an endeavor. I know that prepping with a full time job/schedule isn't going to be any more ideal.

You crafted that point masterfully. All so true... admittedly, sitting around having little to do (this online course should be starting in a week's time, hanging out w/the few friends still left in this area who aren't dead beats, helping my uncle and aunt move, etc. but not much else) is the perfect environment to allow negative, defeatist thoughts to fester.

It's a little depressing coming from college where, not even being a popular kid by any measure, it's never difficult to find someone to hang with or eat with and there's always stuff to do.. and then coming back home where everything is at a standstill, very few people in this house even leave to do anything, I don't have my own car, most of my high school friends have gone their own way and/or aren't people you'd want to associate with.

But in the end, you're absolutely right and reading that, after talking with my dad, helped assure me this is worth doing. Life is too short to spend letting others' expectations of you dictate whether or not you go after the things you love. Appreciate it man!

[TGreggors]

I think I'm going to go through with this, making sure to take with it a grain of salt; namely, that this isn't going to be the most optimal prep in history, but going through it with my dad (and just going through it in general while I still have the time and opportunities to do so) makes it worth the while.



You crafted that point masterfully. All so true... admittedly, sitting around having little to do (this online course should be starting in a week's time, hanging out w/the few friends still left in this area who aren't dead beats, helping my uncle and aunt move, etc. but not much else) is the perfect environment to allow negative, defeatist thoughts to fester.

It's a little depressing coming from college where, not even being a popular kid by any measure, it's never difficult to find someone to hang with or eat with and there's always stuff to do.. and then coming back home where everything is at a standstill, very few people in this house even leave to do anything, I don't have my own car, most of my high school friends have gone their own way and/or aren't people you'd want to associate with.

But in the end, you're absolutely right and reading that, after talking with my dad, helped assure me this is worth doing. Life is too short to spend letting others' expectations of you dictate whether or not you go after the things you love. Appreciate it man!

I can definitely relate with the free time allowing negative thoughts to fester statement. Know that feel too well. Happy I could help, even if it was even to the smallest degree. No matter what, it's safe to say that you're going to bring a package that's way better than 2013's

[DJaRiHardstyle]

I can definitely relate with the free time allowing negative thoughts to fester statement. Know that feel too well. Happy I could help, even if it was even to the smallest degree. No matter what, it's safe to say that you're going to bring a package that's way better than 2013's

Thanks man, let's hope. Going to try and get thru this prep with the mindset that I can still gain strength and size, up until reality actually hits and muscle retention becomes a challenge.

[DJaRiHardstyle]

Weekly check-in: May 22 - 28, 2016 (12 weeks out)
Avg. weight: 184.34 (-1.93 lb.)
This week's macros:
Low-carb (Sun/Mon/Tues): 75c/30f/250p
Carb-load (Pre-workout meal Wed --> Thurs PM): 1100c/35f/200p
Fri: 258c/50f/230p
Sat: 115c/50f/230p

Training/Cardio

SUN - Depletion 1

MON - Depletion 2
+AM 27min fasted MISS (stationary bike)

TUES - N/A

WED - Tension
+AM 30min fasted MISS (stationary bike)

THURS - N/A

FRI - Power

Box squat
255 x 3, STOPPED
*Entire left glute felt like it tore off on the way up. Extremely disconcerting... I racked the weight and it felt slightly better, but since this my right knee (the left knee was the injured one) has felt like trash and glutes are sore as hell. Will discuss this more below*

Sumo deadlift
(365 x 4) x 3 @8
*Considering I haven't actually deadlifted in around 3 weeks, and haven't pulled anything heavy in 4, on top of the fact that I rarely ever pull sumo, this felt really good. Felt like the difficulty was more a motor pattern thing that'll go away as the weeks progress.*

DB RFESS
(50 x 3) x 3 @6

Seated calf raise
2 plates +35 x 3 @5
(3 plates x 3) x 2 @ 6
*Felt awesome. Loving this low-rep double progression scheme on isolation lifts... was able to focus on exploding and contracting hard thru the calves and controlling the negative.*

A1. Bench press
(210 x 4) x 2 @8.5
210 x 4 @9
*I think the reduced frequency on these lifts might be an issue, especially on bench. I'll try and reinstate the ones I can, appropriately, on tension workouts, replacing their machine/DB counterparts.*

A2. T-Bar machine - plate-loaded
(3 plates x 3) x 3 @7

B1. Seated DB shoulder press
70 x 3 @7.5
(60 x 3) x 2 @6
*Messed up here, was only supposed to do 2 sets.*

B2. Pull-ups - wide, pronated grip
(BW +15 x 3) x 2 @5.5
*The problem w/doing only 2 sets of a given exercise a week is that you get no room to correct things if weights are too light.*

Decline DB tricep extensions
(40 x 3) x 2

EZ-Bar curl (weight on each side)
(25 +15 x 3) x 2

Ab wheel - standing w/banded assistance
*Forgot to do these and didn't realize until I stepped into the locker room shower... lol.*

SAT - Stubborn Fat Solution (SFS)-type HIIT/LISS hybrid (Reverse sled drags for HIIT, spin bike for LISS)

Thoughts

On workouts:
-So, as I've mentioned, squats have felt next level awkward since I started the diet. Think the 1x a week frequency and the harsh caloric deficit make for an awful combination on top of what was already the most uncomfortable lift for me by far, coming out of the quad tendon and then hip flexor injuries. Hate to say it, but I don't see this movement being incorporated much at all until I'm done with prep.

-Some changes in power workout moving forward: I read this section of UD2 over again and Lyle mentions if you're only doing 1 exercise for a bodypart, you can just increase the sets to account for that missed 2nd exercise. This was great news, as I was getting bogged down about not being able to squat. So I'll be pushing the DB RFESS to 1st exercise and increasing sets to 6. I'll also be increasing sets of bench to 6 (b/c I'm not doing incline bench).

-On that note, I will be switching out exercises on the Tension workout for DB RFESS and flat bench, so that frequency can go up on those. Sumo DL I'm not sure about yet, as I want something that really focuses on the hamstrings still, like DB RDL. However, I do have leg curls in there, so this will be something I consider for the week after next.

On weight:
-So a virtually 2 lb. drop is definitely a step in the right direction, as that's probably going to be the weekly weight loss I aim for now, so that I can at least try to go for low-160s with room for error. Therefore, no dietary changes for this week. Bless up.

On health/injuries:
-Saw my NKT on Thurs about the knee-hab. She prescribed this daily warm-up:
1. Sit w/back 2in from wall, contract quad, contract glute, lift leg until heels go above toes of opposite foot. Repeat w/other leg.
*Going to mention to her next time I see her (in 2 weeks) that this aggravates my left hip flexor, the one I pulled almost a year ago. That hip flexor might tell part of the story for why the tendon of that leg sucks so bad and the IT band is so unbelievably tight (like she was literally working on my leg, felt it, and said "ew that's disgusting").*
2. Side banded clam-shells
3. Sumo walks
4. TKEs (was already doing these, just not very structured)

-The left trap is improving the more I ignore it, funny as that sounds. I'm only cuing to suppress that shoulder during lifts and thinking hard about contracting my right trap. The reverse sled drags today did bother it a ton, though. So this will be out of the equation moving forward... no worries, the point of exercise selection for that HIIT session is to constantly rotate to keep lipolysis at maximal rates as is.

Misc:
-Obviously not saying a word of this to my dad, but I truthfully don't know if he's going to even break single digit BF before the show. I hate saying it and want only the best for him, but so far it hasn't seemed like he's going to give it what it takes. He lost 0.7 lbs. from his 1st to 2nd week (and he started off sitting at around 2% higher BF than me, for reference). I told him to change caloric intake thru-out the week so that he's in the 5250 deficit he needs to be in to lose 1.5 lbs. a week (although even that is going to barely be enough)... busy with work, it got to Wednesday night and he still hadn't changed anything. So I had to hurriedly do all the math for him and sent him his new diet, which naturally included changes to days that had already past. In fact, the only changes he could now institute were a calorie reduction Thurs-Sat and the SFS cardio session on Sat. He unfortunately told me today he was too tired from work to do the cardio session.
I don't know what to tell him... I'm thinking I'll just keep quiet, continue to help where I can, and have some intense training sessions together. Whenever I've tried to reiterate how little time we have and how much fat we still need to lose, he's accepted it but more or less shrugs it off. So I don't quite think he comprehends the scale of this, as he's never really carried out a productive cut before, let alone prepped for a contest, let alone prepped with such a rapidly approaching deadline and less-than-desirable starting weight.

Changes for next week
As I mentioned, weight loss for this week looked good. Not going to break out in celebration, because I know it's going to be a tough road ahead if I hope to get as shredded as I'd like. I already know more or less all the extreme measures I'm going to have to take starting at 8 weeks out, but there's no reason to get down on myself about it now. Just going to keep my head down, live the grind, try to enjoy everything I can, and, most importantly, not let my obsessive personality consume me in the process. Will check back in with you guys next week, if not for a quick update midweek!

[IK9]

I hope your glute feels better!

[DJaRiHardstyle]

Aaaaaaaand, even w/everything I said about my dad's following his diet so far, he lost 3 lbs. since last week. :|
inb4 he loosely follows this diet/training and gets freaky shredded while I barely get to 7%.

I hope your glute feels better!

Thanks homie

[Kameronn]

Haha I actually laughed at reading the section about your dad then seeing your reply, but great to hear both you and your dad got a big weight loss this week. I feel you on the ignoring injuries part - sometimes my injuries just go away without being addressed.

Hope the booty cheek heals up okay brah.

[DJaRiHardstyle]

My lengthiest, most in-depth article is now up: A Case Against Veganism


http://nofluffstrength.com/index.php...inst-veganism/

I'd been working on this one for the past week or so, and I'm really happy about the end product. This is my lengthiest, most in-depth article to date. It's more or less a critical look at the various factors of veganism; in trying to leave no stone unturned, I discuss everything from nutrient deficiencies to ethical considerations. The goal was to go above and beyond the relatively surface-level analyses I've seen of it so far, so hopefully that was accomplished. Let me know what you guys think!

[sonnydfrizzy]

Amen. As far from liberal as I am, it seems clear that the solution to most of the world's problems boils down to negativity.

Our political views are soooo dammmn alike lmao
Milo and Ben FTW

Would love to have others weigh in on this. Worst comes to worst, as much as I'd dread making the decision (as dieting to stand on stage with my dad means a lot to me), I get really lean off one 5-week cycle of UD2 and then transition into a lean gain phase from a solid starting point.

This is probably the best thing to do man ^^^

Size, gain, live life to fullest, generate content, get laid, miss training sessions for spontaneity, etc.
We are young dude. Why rush a prep, feel like chit, lose size, miss out on your last free summer, and do something sub-optimally (I know you are a perfectionist brah lol) just for a trophy *potentially* and to get on stage with your pops?

Mybe just lean down a bit, support him 100% in his goals, and be rational and fed while we makes changes to his body comp? Just an idea man. You have way more mental drive than I do when it comes to this, so I am obviously quite biased lol

My lengthiest, most in-depth article is now up: A Case Against Veganism


http://nofluffstrength.com/index.php...inst-veganism/

I'd been working on this one for the past week or so, and I'm really happy about the end product. This is my lengthiest, most in-depth article to date. It's more or less a critical look at the various factors of veganism; in trying to leave no stone unturned, I discuss everything from nutrient deficiencies to ethical considerations. The goal was to go above and beyond the relatively surface-level analyses I've seen of it so far, so hopefully that was accomplished. Let me know what you guys think!

^^^ Nailed it dude. I can smell the passion through your words lol Writing is improving and you are consistently putting shiiit out there. Great stuff man!!

Love,

your biggest fan... Sonny

[DJaRiHardstyle]

Our political views are soooo dammmn alike lmao
Milo and Ben FTW

This is probably the best thing to do man ^^^

Size, gain, live life to fullest, generate content, get laid, miss training sessions for spontaneity, etc.
We are young dude. Why rush a prep, feel like chit, lose size, miss out on your last free summer, and do something sub-optimally (I know you are a perfectionist brah lol) just for a trophy *potentially* and to get on stage with your pops?

Mybe just lean down a bit, support him 100% in his goals, and be rational and fed while we makes changes to his body comp? Just an idea man. You have way more mental drive than I do when it comes to this, so I am obviously quite biased lol



^^^ Nailed it dude. I can smell the passion through your words lol Writing is improving and you are consistently putting shiiit out there. Great stuff man!!

Love,

your biggest fan... Sonny

Milo and Ben's beef is hilarious. I'm hugely alt-right, so I align a ton more w/Milo's stances, although you have to take him with a grain of salt... the guy's just one walking Trump meme. BUUUUT that's enuff politix in here lol. I have extreme views, so I try to keep them as separate from my bodybuilding/nutrition stuff as possible.

As far as not doing the show, again things will be assessed after the end of this 5 week cycle, but I'm almost decided on seeing this prep to the end. Weight loss is finally starting to pick up really nicely, energy hasn't taken too big of a hit at all, and tbh if I weren't doing this prep, I'd be even more bored than I am at home now, in this odd position where my summer's way freer than I had planned or would like. At least this lets me occupy the time w/something productive that I'm passionate about and will hopefully lead to a memorable experience with the pa.

Always good to have you my man. Your motivational snapchat stories are Grade A. You need to write a damn self-help book and become a bestseller, srs.

[NaturalPursuit]

Honesty is key brother

Obviously don't be mean about things but keeping an open form of communication will only help!

[DJaRiHardstyle]

Honesty is key brother

Obviously don't be mean about things but keeping an open form of communication will only help!

Very true. We talked this morning and... well, I'll put it in tonight's log.

[DJaRiHardstyle]

Weekly check-in: May 29 - June 4, 2016 (11 weeks out)
Avg. weight: 183.22 (-0.91 lb.)*
This week's macros:
Low-carb (Sun/Mon/Tues): 75c/30f/250p
Carb-load (Pre-workout meal Wed --> Thurs PM): 1100c/35f/200p
Fri: 258c/50f/230p
Sat: 115c/50f/230p

*Avg weekly weights now exclude Thursday mornings, as Wednesday night's intake is variable and so skews the results

Training/Cardio

SUN - Depletion 1

MON - Depletion 2
+AM 27min fasted MISS (stationary bike)

TUES - N/A

WED - Tension
+AM 30min fasted MISS (stationary bike)

THURS - N/A

FRI - Power

DB RFESS
(50 x 4) x 6

Sumo deadlift
(375 x 4) x 3 @8.5-9
*Sooo, I goofd on the numbers. Was supposed to just hit triples but forgot. Anyhow, that's good b/c it shows me I was capable of a lot more than that. Sucks thinking how light this is compared to what I was lifting before the diet, but the goal now has changed... there will always be time to rebuild strength after the show. Until then, it's just about fighting to keep what I have. Also worth mentioning, I've switched back to BB RDLs, rather than DB, on tension workouts, so practice freq. is up.*

Seated calf raise
(3 plates x 4) x 3

Bench press
(215 x 3) x 3 @9
*Said I was going to do 6 sets, but forgot and moved onto T-Bar machine and by that time I hadn't even told my dad about the switch, so just decided I'd add a set to shoulder press/weighted pull-ups to bring it to 3 each. Regardless, I'm flat benching on tension workouts too now, so at least frequency is up a bit. *

T-Bar machine - plate-loaded
(3 plates x 4) x 3

Seated DB shoulder press
(70 x 3) x 3

Pull-ups - medium, neutral grip
(BW +25 x 4) x 3

Decline DB tricep extensions
(42.5 x 3) x 2

EZ-Bar curl (weight on each side)
25 +15 x 3 --> way too heavy
25 +5 x 3

Ab wheel - standing w/banded assistance
(8) x 2

SAT - Stubborn Fat Solution (SFS)-type HIIT/LISS hybrid (Stationary bike for HIIT and LISS)

Thoughts

On workouts:
-Alright, so I've already stated frequency on bench and DL (although the type varies) is up to 2x a week now. That makes me happy, b/c the reduced frequency on top of severely depleted cals made not for a stronk Ari.

-Didn't do such a great job tracking RPEs this power workout, since my dad and I actually lifted together this time. Will try to be better about that next time.

On weight:
-I am EATING MY WORDS when it comes to weight loss for my dad vs. me. He's been consistently losing ~3 lbs. a week with: Very similar calories to what he started with (we had to make a major adjustment once, but that was it), and poor compliance w/his cardio schedule, due to work, not his fault at all. Unbelievable... meanwhile I'm wondering how much I'm going to have to cut out just to get to 1.5 lbs. a week.

-And on that note, let me just get this out there:
We'll likely be implementing RFL or some PSMF for a short burst (1-2 weeks) at some point before the show. Extreme? Sure. Necessary? Probably. That's all I have to say on that. This is all far from ideal, but you work with the hand you're dealt. My dad and I had a serious convo about this this morning and it was his saying that he's willing to do w/e it takes to come in conditioned at this show that inspired me to not give up just b/c the road ahead looks rocky. But, as I've said, we'll assess things after the diet break and see what measures are going to be necessary.

On health/injuries:
-Left trap still an issue, but as I've said, being conscious of suppressing that shoulder and not letting it overpower way too much during upper body exercises helps a great deal.

-The knee, I think, is more of an issue. Cutting out squatting helps tremendously, and the DB RFESS (which I do on tension workouts as well) feels great for it, as the little piece of equipment we have that's specifically designed for them helps provide a nice counterbalance. Will be going over this with my NKT this upcoming week.

Misc:
-My dad and stepmom are leaving to stay in France this Wednesday, for 1.5 weeks, so I'm the acting "man of the house" during that time. Aaaand diet break starts next week, meaning that entire week will occur while no parents are home. It's gonna take some damn good will power to not abuse that lol. I'll probably look back on this when I'm older and think "Why couldn't I have just been a kid like every other 20 year old and used this rare bit of free time, lowered dietary restrictions, and lack of parental oversight to my advantage?" But then again... I'm trying to leave humanity behind and whatnot #whateverittakes #5%.
Seriously though, I am going to relax a bit. Calories will still be accounted for, and I'll still be in a slight deficit (Lyle's protocol is to go 1kcal per lb of BW lower than maintenance). But I'll use the higher cals to increase fat more, proportionally (b/c lots of hormonal issues have already started hitting me hard) and go out of my way to eat junk food I couldn't fit in before. Will still obviously fit it into my macros, but I'm not at all above eating donuts, ice cream, pizza, etc. if it means a less serious post-contest binge down the line. I mean, I'll probably be running a good bit of RFL/PSMF during prep and I only have a week after my show until I go back to college. Absolute last thing I need to deal with my senior year is a stupid prep-induced ED.

-Spent a good chunk of the day at the zoo with my ex lol. Was extremely fun, but also meant a lot of cardio unaccounted for, and, as such, carbs ended up slightly higher than my new numbers allow. Nothing consequential.

Changes for next week
Alright, so changes actually do have to be made for this week. However, I only made enough changes to almost get me to the predicted 1.5 lb a week weight loss. Reason being: I'm looking a whole lot leaner, I'm already looking at drastic changes, and we have this RFL now as a failsafe. Not going to abuse that and not drop calories appropriately, but if I don't need to be doing cardio everyday, I won't. More to come on how exactly we plan on implementing this protein-sparing fast and when (I still need to read through the Rapid Fat Loss Handbook). Anyways, changes:

Low-carb days are now 40c/30f/250p = 420kcal
Carb loads are now 975c/35f/200p = 500kcal
Saturdays are now 75c/50f/230p = 160kcal
Added 30min MISS Tues AM, and rounded Mon AM up to 30 = 240kcal

The math doesn't seem to work out, but it's due to some weird technicalities and other things that had to be adjusted. ~45 minutes worth of ridiculous math, so don't ask lol.

Stay tuned for more!

[Kameronn]

-And on that note, let me just get this out there:
We'll likely be implementing RFL or some PSMF for a short burst (1-2 weeks) at some point before the show. Extreme? Sure. Necessary? Probably. That's all I have to say on that. This is all far from ideal, but you work with the hand you're dealt. My dad and I had a serious convo about this this morning and it was his saying that he's willing to do w/e it takes to come in conditioned at this show that inspired me to not give up just b/c the road ahead looks rocky. But, as I've said, we'll assess things after the diet break and see what measures are going to be necessary.

But then again... I'm trying to leave humanity behind and whatnot #whateverittakes #5%.

God damnit!

Looking forward to seeing how this RFL goes for you especially with satiety issues. Can't even imagine the level of mental toughness it requires to do something like that.

Browsed through some of your articles and came across one that hit home, "What Flexible Dieting Isn't". Need to start working on some better nutrition strategies, eating crap then scooping 2 scoops of whey at night to hit protein numbers probably isn't the best both health and performance wise... Lol

[TGreggors]

Crazy how some people need much more frequent adjustments in dietary protocol than others. What's even weirder is how such a difference in observed metabolic adaptation can be seen between you and your dad, with such similar genetic makeups and everything. Eleven weeks. Woah. Time is coming and going quickly. at least from my perspective over here :s

[NaturalPursuit]

All I saw was the rich piana pic HAHAH!!!