DJaRiHardstyle's 2nd Contest Prep

[sonnydfrizzy]

I am still lurking dude. I love this chit. You just put your nose to the grindstone and WORK.

I have some ideas for the site. Why don't you just do TL;DR vids on the white board or articles taking us through your journey of learning and applying nutrition?

Give cliffs on what you learn, what was difficult to understand, etc.

I think it would be really helpful for a lot of people and you could accumulate a lot of condensed information over time. Plus, it can be a studying technique for you.

[DJaRiHardstyle]

I am still lurking dude. I love this chit. You just put your nose to the grindstone and WORK.

I have some ideas for the site. Why don't you just do TL;DR vids on the white board or articles taking us through your journey of learning and applying nutrition?

Give cliffs on what you learn, what was difficult to understand, etc.

I think it would be really helpful for a lot of people and you could accumulate a lot of condensed information over time. Plus, it can be a studying technique for you.

Very interesting, I'll talk w/you privately to clarify what you mean. Thanks hugely tho, I've been looking desperately for ideas, as I'm finding myself stuck in the cycle of trying to find the "perfect" topic to write about, rather than just getting content out and gaining experience.

[sonnydfrizzy]

Great talk brah! Keep killing it with the content

[TGreggors]

Really enjoyed the read, Ari. Good content. Awesome to hear that about your dad being under 200 as well.

[TGreggors]

Also enjoyed the Lyle McDonald interview! Was awesome that you got to talk to him.

[DJaRiHardstyle]

Hey much appreciated, guys. And yeah Sonny good talk indeed, you got the workings of a legit life coach srs.

Sorry I haven't updated too much. Here's the sitch (only children of the 90s shall recall): Today is Day 11 of RFL, the last day of this run. I get to start the UD2 refeed up tonight, following the tension workout, and will then be diving right back into RFL on Sunday, for a 2nd run of the same length. Once that's done, I'll be 4 weeks out and will make the necessary changes from there.

I'm going to have a talk w/my dad over the weekend, once the carb coma subsides, about changes we need to make moving forward. We need to seriously assess where we're at, physique-wise, and come to a consensus on what exactly needs to be done:

-Whether more cardio needs to be added in (my dad's managed to go this far w/only 1 session a week so he has lots of wiggle room), as early as this next RFL run or afterwards

-What our diets will look like after the 2nd run of RFL. Plan is to go back into UD2, but adjustments to macros may need to be made to make absolutely sure we're conditioned at 2+ weeks out and don't have to do any weird stuff peak week that could screw up all the hard work. The most extreme measure I'm comfortable with taking, right now, is Lyle's idea for those peaking w/UD2 to basically just extend the low carb days to 1.5 weeks, refeeding right before the show more conservatively (so basically what we've been doing w/RFL, except the UD2 low carb days actually include some carbs and fat, so we don't have to do the ridiculous 2x week training or anything).

-Posing practice; this should start basically this weekend. I want to actually have my individual semi-choreographed, rather than winging it like I did last time.

-Start thinking about post show diet; I've made it very clear to him that, even though he hasn't been nearly as hungry as I've been, we NEED to have a plan set in stone ahead of time. B/c post show, your brain isn't exactly thinking about how it can return hormones to normal levels without blowing up.

Okay, final thing to that end: As I've mentioned a few times, I'll be doing a full write-up on my experience using RFL, once I'm done w/the 2nd run. I'll put it on my site and hopefully that'll help drive some traffic to it, as there's very little info out there on ppl's experiences doing it Cat 1. (Although Izzy did an amazing job reviewing it as a Cat 2)

My articles!

Anyways, I got two articles up since last time that are worth checking out. Just gonna use the descriptions I used on the No Fluff Strength FB page (like it to stay up to date w/my articles, if you fancy them at all). Sorry there's so much promoting my articles on here now... I can promise you it's only b/c I love doing this, and it feels good to get some feedback and viewership on the work I put into it. They also all concern matters I feel everyone following this log would find interesting/could learn something from. Lmk if it's getting annoying though!

1st
Interview with Lyle McDonald – Society’s Eating Problems

http://nofluffstrength.com/index.php...ting-problems/

In my newest piece, distinguished guest Lyle McDonald has agreed to speak on the issue of weight and weight management trends as a result of society's eating problems.
I think you'll all find this an eye-opening look at why it is people can't seem to stick to diets and lose weight.

2nd
TWIN #5 (6/29/16) – Perdue to Treat Chickens Better, New Study on Omega 3s, and Milk Chocolate Electrocution?

http://nofluffstrength.com/index.php.../twin-5-62916/

This Week In Nutrition #5 (June 29, 2016)

In this edition:
-Perdue Farms announces groundbreaking changes in their treatment of chicken
-A large, new study looks at Omega 3 intake and fatal heart disease
-Scientists electrocuting milk chocolate to make it lower in fat?

And of course:
What all of these mean for YOU

[DJaRiHardstyle]

Saturday, July 2, 2016 - Feeling like chit. Contest prep mode is engaged.

Quick little update before the weekly update tomorrow where I finally put up my results from the 1st run of RFL + the refeed. Tomorrow is also when we start RFL round 2.

I’m going to start making more of these, now that prep is getting to the point where I’m entering that “zombie mode” pretty hard. I think the severity of RFL plopped right into the middle of prep was what sped the process up so much… great for fat loss, also great if you’re getting antsy and want to start feeling like chit soon as possible, and I mean.. who doesn’t?

Anyways, just got back from the movies with a friend… it’s pretty late on a Saturday night and I’ve gotta get up early tomorrow to get my log, studying, cardio (because that’s getting added Sundays and Fridays now; I’ll expand in the weekly update), and meals in before going to this get-together to watch the Iceland game… gotta always remember my heritage lol. And so, point being, I’m going to make this as concise as I can.

I feel pretty crappy; there’s no other way to put it. Trying to keep meditation up, so I get 20min a day on good days; I’m trying to get myself out of the house and do stuff… Honestly, the last thing I want to do is sit in here all day, writing these articles and staring at my textbook and then making my meals all day. Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely love nutrition and will continue to do these things gladly… where it becomes tiresome is when there’s little else I actually do. I hate even writing this, because I feel like I’m portraying the image that I’m just this socially inept hermit. And while I’m anything but a social butterfly, that’s not really how it is.

But then it’s tough, because I’m very introverted naturally, so I’m happiest when I’m kept to myself, with some close friends and family there who I care about and don’t feel like I need to impress 24/7… and yet I want so badly to just go out there and do these social things that ignite my anxiety. Of course I can and I should, within reason, but it feels like every time I do, I spend the whole time analyzing myself and feeling anxious and depressed. But then on the outside, I don’t feel like this complete loser with no social skills that my brain keeps telling me I am.

I have this voice in the back of my head that continually tells me if I were just in a different circumstance, with different friends who have like-minded goals and a more supportive environment (my family and close friends are SUPER supportive; it’s more my acquaintances at college who I feel a little disconnected with), then things would be fine. Of course, that’s not how things work and people don’t succeed by giving up on things whenever they get hard and then finding a more comfortable situation; they succeed by actually overcoming the adversity they’re faced with. And yet, I sometimes feel like this adversity borders on counterproductive.

These were late night ramblings, and I’m sure I’ll wake up tomorrow, read them, and have no idea where I was going with this. It’s just nice to get it out somehow, and what would a contest prep log of mine be without the occasional whining?

Night guys!

[Kameronn]

I have this voice in the back of my head that continually tells me if I were just in a different circumstance, with different friends who have like-minded goals and a more supportive environment (my family and close friends are SUPER supportive; it’s more my acquaintances at college who I feel a little disconnected with), then things would be fine. Of course, that’s not how things work and people don’t succeed by giving up on things whenever they get hard and then finding a more comfortable situation; they succeed by actually overcoming the adversity they’re faced with. And yet, I sometimes feel like this adversity borders on counterproductive.

Love these bits of instropection you have going on in this log man, I can completely relate and sometimes wonder if other's feel the same way.

Keep pressing on that grind button, I'm mirin the commitment to your goals you have been displaying all of this prep!

[DJaRiHardstyle]

Weekly check-in: June 26 – July 2, 2016 (6 weeks out)
Avg. weight: Stabilized at 176.6 for the past 3 days (-5.8 lb.)
This week's macros:
Sun-Tues: Normal RFL
Wed (up until pre-workout meal): 75% of RFL macros
Carb-load (Wed’s pre-workout meal – Thurs PM): 950c/35f/220p
Fri: 258c/50f/230p
Sat: 105c/50f/230p

RFL Round 1 Review (Cat 1 dieter) (Article in its entirety up after I finish Round 2)

So I ended up spending today cooking/eating meals, doing some quick household chores, grocery shopping twice, tanning, doing my 30min cardio, watching the Iceland game at a family friend’s get-together (large portion of the day spent here), then getting my studying done, so it’s 9:30 now that I can finally crank this log out. Needless to say, I’m pretty wiped so it may not be the most in-depth review, but I’ll do my best.

Diet
-My protein intake was right at 300g throughout (2x LBM). Carbs and fats were kept to absolute minimums (no direct sources, other than spinach and sweet relish and Shirataki noodles). Diet lasted 10.5 days.
-Basically ate the same thing day-in and day-out: 20 or so egg whites, 2 tins of light tuna, 12-16 oz. baked chicken breast, 2 scoops whey protein, 2 servings spinach, maybe a serving Shirataki noodles (obviously not in that order).
-I actually went too high on sodium throughout, as I took Lyle’s suggestion to “salt everything” a little too much to heart. Fortunately, I used Lite Salt, so electrolyte imbalances weren’t as big of a concern as they could’ve been, but still: the amount of sodium from egg whites, tuna, whey protein, and various spices alone was decent as was; the added salt was too much, and my blood pressure is on the higher side anyway. Whoops. Lesson learned.
-In essence, meals were unfathomably boring, but once you get in the swing of it, it just becomes mindless and it’s par for the course.

Supplementation
-Took the prescribed 10g Omega 3 fish oil a day
-Took ~650mg calcium a day
-Took some amount of magnesium, potassium, Vit C, multi, Vit D, biotin, etc.
-We’d take 4g of glucose from glucose tablets prior to lifting, and I’d have 11g of carbs’ worth of Gatorade intra-workout.

Training
-Trained 2x a week the 1st week (M/F), then the next week we did the normal Mon workout, then the UD2 Tension workout Wed, and UD2 Power workout Fri.
-Full body splits, super similar to the basic template Lyle provides but we tried to factor in the minimal amount of programming we’ve been doing prior to this, so that we could at least have some objective measure by which to ensure we’re not losing too much strength.
-I cramped pretty hard a few times while lifting, but it was never anything a few minutes of active recovery couldn’t get sorted out. Intensity definitely dipped, but by using caffeine liberally as I have been, it was always manageable. The pumps were basically nonexistent. Oh, and strength dropped a little bit, but I think the fact that we kept in mind e1RMs and the contextual programming leading up to this helped us stave off as much as we could, for the most part.

Weight loss
-I started RFL at an average morning weight of 182.4 and ended (refeed included) at a weight of 176.6 (weighed that exact same amount the past 3 mornings). So that’s a 5.8 lb. weight loss in 2 weeks. Obviously, water weight should be factored in, but keep in mind the end weight was what I stabilized at after 3 days of overfeeding (well, 2 really), and sodium intake was way too high throughout. So I feel pretty confident saying a decent chunk of that was fat.

Overall – Thoughts
-If you’re a Cat 1 dieter, go into this diet with humble respect for the fact that it’s not going to be the most fun diet ever. You can get slightly creative with meals, using fat free cheeses and salsa and whatnot, but because of our being super behind schedule with this show, that wasn’t really possible. Oh well.
-It’s pretty cool, from a nutrition science standpoint, to experience ketosis, even if it is at a lower level than diets like Atkins will take you into. While the regular protein boluses, large fluid and moderate fiber intake definitely helped, I’d be willing to bet some of the hunger-sparing effects I felt were from ketosis. Energy honestly wasn’t that terrible either, although it almost felt like an artificial energy… in the sense that I had the baseline energy to get my responsibilities for the day, cardio, training, etc. done without much fuss, but whenever I found myself talking to others or trying to stay focused for prolonged periods, people routinely commented on how I looked like I was about to pass out. I’d also get these regular intense winds of exhaustion and/or nausea.
-The weight loss was impressive, and so I think this is great if you want to kickstart a diet that might take a while, but it definitely shouldn’t be your go-to if you’re lean to begin with and aren’t working on a very tight time constraint, like I am.
-I’ll put up a much more in-depth review, along with pictures, after my 2nd run.

Training/Cardio

SUN - N/A

MON - Full Body 1
+30min LISS (stationary bike)

Leg press
(5 plates +25 x 8) x 3

RDL
(280 x 7) x 3

Seated calf raise
(2 plates+15 x 10) x 3

Bench press
185 x 8 @8.5
185 x 8 @9
185 x 7 @9.5

Plate-loaded row
(1 plate+15 x 9) x 3

Lateral raise machine
(158 x 12) x 2

EZ-bar curl - weights on each side
(22.5 x 8) x 2

Unilateral rope pressdown
22 x 5 -> 27 x 9
22 x 12

Ab machine
140 x 12
150 x 10

TUES
30min LISS (stationary bike)

WED – Tension workout
+30min LISS (stationary bike)

THURS - N/A
+Mobility work/stretching

FRI - Power

Sumo DL
(385 x 4) x 3 @9

DB RFESS
(50 x 5) x 6

Seated calf raise
(3 plates x 6) x 2
3 plates+15 x 6

Bench press
205 x 4 @8.5
(205 x 4) x 2 @9

T-Bar machine – plate-loaded
(3 plates x 5) x 3

DB shoulder press
(65 x 4) x 2
*These were super easy, but that 2nd set screwed my left trap*

Pull-ups – neutral, outwards
BW x 8
(BW x 7) x 2

Decline DB tricep extensions
35 x 10
35 x 7

EZ-bar curl – plates on each side
(25 x 7) x 2

Standing ab wheel – banded
(8) x 2

SAT – SFS-type HIIT/LISS hybrid (Elliptical for HIIT, Stationary bike for LISS)
+Mobility work/stretching
+Posing practice

Thoughts

On mood:
-As you can deduct from the last post, it’s really not great. Anxiety is pretty darn bad, depression is getting worse, and I’m finding it’s harder and harder to challenge those negative thoughts that keep popping up. Trying to keep meditation up, although it’s not really plausible on days like today. Idk, I’m doing my best, but I’d be lying if I said I’m in a good place right now.
On weight:
-This weight is far off from where I’d like to be @ 6 weeks out. But my dad and I were actually just discussing this, as he’s even further off his ideal weight. We both know more or less that we’re not going to show up absolutely shredded. I hate saying that, because I know BB contests aren’t for patting yourself on the back for making a cute little fat loss transformation.
But after speaking with the promoter, who said he’d be more than happy to organize a posing routine for my dad and I together, I just can’t bring myself to give up. We’ve put SO much really hard work into this, we both want it badly, and I know that regardless of the result, it’s going to be an unforgettable experience. Not to mention, I am willing to put in the work to shed as much fat as I can from here until then, and I know that means drastic measures are going to have to be taken.
Like I told my dad, years from now, when I’m out of college, I’m absolutely going to go for this again. Next time around, I’m going to make sure I’m no fatter than 12% bf to start and will give myself at least 20 weeks so that gradual changes can be made and I can actually get down to the super low levels I have yet to reach. I know it’s possible with just a little more time.

On health/injuries:
-The trap, as I mentioned, is starting to act up again. Going to definitely cut the DB shoulder presses out for now… Not sure what I’ll replace them with. Left knee hasn’t bothered me much at all lately. Sciatic nerve or SI joint is infrequently making some uncomfortable appearances; I’m wondering if form tweaks on the sumo DL could quell this a bit.

-Saw the ophthalmologist and once again was told “nope, nothing wrong here.” So now I’m being referred to an ENT and then maybe a neurologist. This is just getting out of control, and it’s all over some little 5 second dizzy spell I get once a day. Maybe when things clear up, I’ll keep looking.
Oh and that was my first ever eye exam… I didn’t realize you’re basically blind for like 2 hours afterwards, so driving home was tough haha.

Misc:
-I have the week’s video footage on the camcorder; I just need to get around to uploading them and then I’ll put that up.

Changes for next week
Straight back to RFL. As I’ve mentioned, I’ll be doing this run mostly liquid, just as an experiment and a way to reduce the amount of “calorie-free” spray I use. So 8 scoops of zero-carb, zero-fat whey isolate a day, 2 servings Optifiber, 17 egg whites, 2 tins of light tuna, and 1 cup spinach a day. Let’s gooooooo.

[DJaRiHardstyle]

Love these bits of instropection you have going on in this log man, I can completely relate and sometimes wonder if other's feel the same way.

Keep pressing on that grind button, I'm mirin the commitment to your goals you have been displaying all of this prep!

Thanks man, it's nice knowing others are going thru it as well. It's not entirely prep-induced, but prep definitely exacerbates issues you deal with going into it.

And I'm equally impressed by the dedication in your training homie

[DJaRiHardstyle]

Quick little update. I'm a little more than halfway thru Day 3 of this 2nd stint of RFL. The diet sucks in general (not in terms of efficacy but enjoyment and mood/energy/etc.), but it sucks even more if you're a Cat 1 dieter. And it sucks even more if you're doing it in the middle of contest prep (in that it's preceded and followed by weeks of dieting). Then it sucks even MORE if you're dumb like me and do it twice in a row.

I still have 8 days left to grind through.. although the carb load I should count too, as that's almost harder than the diet days for me. At least during the diet, you've got ketosis and tons of protein to keep your hunger and sanity (to some extent) at bay. But the carb load effectively knocks you out of ketosis (this + carb coma + not taking my Concerta b/c Lyle says no thermos, since they promote insulin resistance = zero energy) AND it feels like an "incomplete binge" of sorts. By that, I mean it's awesome finally getting to stuff your face after such intense dieting, but you're mainly eating very low fat foods (so not quite the things you've been craving) and anyone who has binged knows just south of 1000g carbs is not enough... so I end up finishing off the carb load at like 6pm, no matter how hard I try and build up the will power to pace myself, and then I'm starving (10x more than during RFL) for the rest of the day.

Stomach issues are one of the most noticeable effects while on the diet. It's probably the result of insufficient digestive enzymes and signals to secrete digestive hormones + hunger pangs, but it's like you constantly have the need to vom. Just feel super queasy.

Blah blah enough whining.

Next order of business is tanning.... got my 2nd tan done on Sunday and, since I noticed NOTHING from 5 minutes, decided I'd stay in for 9 minutes this time. Yeah, big mistake... 24h later half my body was red, and just lying down in bed hurts. The most annoying part is the huge amount of water retention that comes with sunburns. They're still only starting to wear off, so I've been loading up on water to help lose some of that bloating pronto. I'll learn my lesson for next time.

On the happier side of things, my nutrition studying has been going really well... it feels awesome to have this goal each day that takes me a good 2 hours of intense brain activity to accomplish. I feel like it's really helping round me out on some of the basic info that you forget over time. Finally finished w/both CHO and fat digestion/absorption, among other things.

Also, yesterday's workout went from terrible to pretty decent. Started it off with absolutely NO energy, and it was the most uncomfortable feeling... everything agitated my sunburns, every weight felt heavy, I was super depressed, but then my dad gave me a bit of tough love and I told myself to suck it up and just grind thru the session. Ended up increasing weight from last Monday's workout on quite a few exercises, intensity and focus were on point, altogether great session.

Oh, one FINAL thing...

We've officially registered for the show!
I'll be competing in the Bodybuilding Jr division (23 & under); my dad will be competing in the Masters 40+ division (he turns 50 this November, so he missed that by just 3 months lol). I talked to the promoter and........ my dad and I will get to have our own evening routine, separate from our individuals, as a "father and son" thing. I could not be more pumped. This is all going to be so worth it; I have no doubts I'm actively working towards right now what could be the greatest day of my life. NOTHING else holds a candle to this, and that's what keeps me going when everything/everyone else tells me not to (and trust me, tons of people have been telling me not to lol).

Love you guys and appreciate the continual support you've thrown towards this crazy, crazy dream of mine! Keep living the grind

[IK9]

Officially registered... No turning back now!

Time flies.. 6 weeks out.. Keep grinding!

[TGreggors]

Getting to some of the hardest days in the gym now, IMO. 4-6 weeks out were where the training was the hardest for me. Don't worry about whining. Prep log should be a way for you to document your emotions as well as your training and nutrition leading up to this thing.

[DJaRiHardstyle]

Officially registered... No turning back now!

Time flies.. 6 weeks out.. Keep grinding!

Exactly! So many thoughts of uncertainty and "is this really worth it?" starting to hit me hard.

Not a very big fan of Jerry Ward at all (dude's a punk; talks as if he actually understands nutrition and laughs at ppl with different views, took the time to go through my videos and make fun of my appearance just b/c we disagreed on Furious Pete's dog situation, etc etc.), but this video at least does a decent job of capturing that element of questioning yourself and believing in yourself.

Getting to some of the hardest days in the gym now, IMO. 4-6 weeks out were where the training was the hardest for me. Don't worry about whining. Prep log should be a way for you to document your emotions as well as your training and nutrition leading up to this thing.

Thx man, and yes haha definitely starting to feel that. RFL speeds that process up too. Haven't entered the gym feeling as depressed as I did Monday in a VERY long time.

[DJaRiHardstyle]

Video: Contest prep training (@7 weeks out)
This was all from the 3 sessions last week (so the last one was really closer to 6 weeks out). Just a bunch of short clips. Skip around a bit, let me know what you think, should I add anything to future videos? I can add music or my dad and I can both do some commentary of some sort.

Some thoughts today (July 7, 2016 - 5.5 weeks out)
Just finished up our last training session of the week (not what was filmed in the video.. but we did film some for today, which I'll put in next week's vid I think). This was bar none the hardest session to get through yet. Everything/everyone irritated me, I was constantly out of breath and fatigued, etc. Just 2 more training sessions in RFL until we're done with this madness. Although I don't exactly foresee the weeks to come being much easier.

But I'm staying positive. Thoughts on physique: If I keep beating myself up over where my dad and I are, in terms of leanness and readiness, then I'll just come into this show stressed out (which will take a hit on how I look), tired, and unhappy despite all the hard work we've put in. So I'm deciding to stay optimistic despite the circumstances. This sanction is small, I'm not predicting way too much competition (I'll probably be the only one in my class again), and the biggest thing for me is getting to come out there with my dad and have a great time. We'll be mad lean come show day... whether we're "next level" lean is still up in the air... so it's not like we're just winging it and treating BB like it's a charity event.

We've put in so much hard work leading up to this, we've bonded over it (had a really great talk in the car today after the gym about how awesome it is to go thru this with someone who's going thru the same thing, constantly pushing each other to better ourselves, etc.), and in the end, we're gonna hopefully have a bunch of family and friends (couple friends of mine mentioned they might come thru) cheer us on and be there for support, and we'll all grab something to eat, laugh, and move on with our lives, ideally transferring the lessons of work ethic and perseverance we've gathered from prep towards the other important aspects of our lives.

I love this sport, I love pushing myself beyond what I thought I could, etc. My last show, this was all fueled by my obsessive drive to only focus on bodybuilding and talk to basically no one else and isolate myself.. and that worked great for culminating the most depressing 4 weeks of my life post-show and looking back and realizing all I did was cut other ppl out of my life. This show, this is fueled much more by hard work, the desire for self-betterment and finding my "Why," and doing the things I don't always want to do. It was, in some ways, easy to wake up at 4:30am every weekday morning before school last prep to do my 45min cardio, simply b/c all I cared about was "becoming a bodybuilder." This time around, my knowledge (while still far from expertise) and maturity have forced me to take on these tasks from a different angle: One of basically just doing the damn thing. This time around, these cardio sessions and even workouts are sometimes the absolute last thing I want to do, but doing them anyway and proving to myself there's still more in the tank has paid off in demonstrable ways.

That's really all. Check in with you guys later.

[TGreggors]

I know I keep saying that I can relate and that it's probably getting old, but I feel you on the workouts/cardio sessions being the last thing that you want to do. There was a good period during my prep where I was questioning whether I was just losing my passion for bodybuilding/training mid prep and began to think that I no longer cared for it at all anymore. I know that you have your own ways of pushing through the hard times but quotes that I used heavily/began to repeat to myself over and over and over while going through those days where I felt like absolute death were "don't trust any thought" and "keep the goal the goal". Pretty insane what caloric restriction can do to the psyche aside from the obvious hunger. Turned me into a walking train wreck. You've got this, man. Even when you think that you can't dig for another hour, much less another day.

[IK9]

Your top middle back muscles be looking insane!

[DJaRiHardstyle]

I know I keep saying that I can relate and that it's probably getting old, but I feel you on the workouts/cardio sessions being the last thing that you want to do. There was a good period during my prep where I was questioning whether I was just losing my passion for bodybuilding/training mid prep and began to think that I no longer cared for it at all anymore. I know that you have your own ways of pushing through the hard times but quotes that I used heavily/began to repeat to myself over and over and over while going through those days where I felt like absolute death were "don't trust any thought" and "keep the goal the goal". Pretty insane what caloric restriction can do to the psyche aside from the obvious hunger. Turned me into a walking train wreck. You've got this, man. Even when you think that you can't dig for another hour, much less another day.

Right?? The hunger cravings are real, but I've stopped myself from obsessing over them, drooling over/daydreaming about/talking about food like I did last prep... My mentality is: Post-show, we're going to have a nice dinner and enjoy each other's company, then the next day we'll relax (not binge), then the day after we'll be back to the newly adjusted maintenance kcals and start working on rapidly decreasing cardio so that I'm not doing it 6x a week when I'm back on campus.

But yea, I totally feel you on the doubt. It's like this part of me keeps saying, "This is unhealthy/obsessive" or "This isn't worth it" or "You're not lean enough" whenever I'm starting to feel good about things. I'll keep those affirmations in mind!

Your top middle back muscles be looking insane!

Thanks man, my back is my strong point for one reason or another. Not complaining lol

[DJaRiHardstyle]

Weekly check-in: July 3 - 9, 2016 (5 weeks out)
Avg. weight: Temporarily omitted*
This week's macros:
Rest days (5): ~11c (completely from fibrous sources)/~12f (10g from fish oil... rest from trace fats in the Zero Carb Protein)/300p
Training days (M/F): Same macros + 4g glucose tablet PWO and 11g Gatorade IWO

*As per usual, omitting weight loss until this round of RFL and subsequent refeed is complete.

Training/Cardio
-All LISS done on stationary bike, unless otherwise noted

SUN - 30min LISS

MON - Full Body 1
+30min LISS

Leg press
(6 plates x 6) x 3

RDL
(275 x 6) x 2
245 x 6
*Dropped weight b/c my left trap was tightening up hard*
None of these were belted either

Seated calf raise
2 plates+35 x 9
2 plates+35 x 10
2 plates+35 x 9

Bench press
(195 x 6) x 3

Plate-loaded row
(1 plate+25 x 7) x 2
1+10 x 10

Lateral raise machine
(178 x 12) x 2

EZ-bar curl - weights on each side
25 x 8
25 x 7

Unilateral rope pressdown - w/back support
(27.5 x 10) x 2

TUES - 30min LISS

WED – 30min LISS
+Mobility work/stretching

THURS - N/A

FRI - Full body 2
+30min LISS

Sumo DL
(355 x 7) x 3

DB RFESS
(50 x 8) x 3

Calf press
3 plates x 12
(4 plates x 10) x 2

Incline DB press
65 x 9
65 x 10
65 x 9

Pull-ups - medium, neutral grip
BW x 8
BW x 7
*Left trap hurting... stopped 1 set short*

Unilateral face pulls
(10 x 10) x 2

DB curls - seated
(30 x 8) x 2

Decline DB tricep extensions
(32.5 x 10) x 2

SAT – 30min LISS (Elliptical)
+Mobility work/stretching
+Posing practice

Thoughts

On mood:
-Mood swings setting in pretty hard. One second I'll have the energy to get my responsibilities done, talk w/friends, etc. Next moment I want everyone to leave me alone and feel like I'm going crazy. Granted, the latter is the extreme of how I feel when not feeling 100%. But on days like Wednesday this week, it felt damn near a panic attack.. and I've only gotten a legit panic attack maybe twice in my life.
-I'll admit, MBR consistency is crap. It's very hard to prioritize that, when it feels like it's just 20min I could be spending cranking out an article or something. I need to keep it up though, because it's so instrumental in controlling how I react to things, especially in a state like this.

On health/injuries:
-Saw the chiro on Thurs.. he worked a good deal on my left trap and it's feeling better than it was lifting on Monday. Going to be very careful with any DL movements and I'm cutting DB shoulder presses out completely, for now at least.
-Seeing a therapist on Monday, which I'm very much looking forward to. Need to just vent out loud... it's something I'm too nervous will be perceived as whiny/selfish in any other setting.

Misc:
-Tanned for the 2nd time on Sunday, but the jump from 5min to 9min proved way too much. Burned all over for quite a while. And now that the burns have dissipated, I look no tanner at all. Pale skin af. I'll probably head back on Monday for just 7min.
-Going to my brother's college orientation trip on Tuesday, so my dad and I are rooming together overnight. We're gonna have to figure out how we'll get our meals in and if there's time on Wed to do the tension workout --> start carb load, but I'm not going to let any of that stop me from going to this or make me grumpy. That's just plain unhealthy and not what prep is about.

-Posing is slowly coming together; my dad and I have been watching videos to pick up tips. I have my individual pose song decided and now I just need to start choreographing the pose.

Oh and:
Hotel reservations - booked
Dream Tan - ordered
Shaving - I've started
Posing song - picked
Registration - done

Not sure what more we have left to solidify. Feels good mang.

Changes for next week
Nada, we're just finishing RFL up for good on Wed or Thurs (again, depends on when we get back), then into the UD2 carb load. From there, I'm thinking 2 weeks of UD2 on reduced kcals (to accommodate rate of fat loss I need), then the 2 week UD2 peak week protocol, then compete. Let's do disss....

[IK9]

Bro, ditch the therapy session.. That's what friends are for.. Vent to them instead & save money

Strong deadlifts brah!

[DJaRiHardstyle]

Bro, ditch the therapy session.. That's what friends are for.. Vent to them instead & save money

Strong deadlifts brah!

It may be a while before I touch my 515 max again haha. Goal was to hit 545 before starting prep, but as it turns out, trying to bump your max 30 lbs. in 20 weeks when you've been on reduced calories and pulling near-all nighters for finals is not a recipe for success.

Idk... You're right, a lot of therapists do the typical "Uh-huh, yeah, tell me more about that" while periodically checking the clock, but there are some good ones out there too. I figure, I'm still covered under my parents' insurance and they're offering, and tbh most of my friends aren't the kind of ppl who would really understand where I'm coming from. It's not a judgment call; it's just that this bodybuilding thing is very different from what most of my friends are into.

[IK9]

Man, 500 deadlift is my ultimate goal. Best I ever did was 380 lmaoooo

Yeah, if you can find a good therapist & have insurance for it.. By all means.. Go for it. I graduated w/ a bachelor's in psychology lol

Anything that helps you improve yourself is all good in my book!

[DJaRiHardstyle]

Video: Contest prep training (@5 - 4.5 weeks out)
Some footage of us training Thursday of last week up until Thursday of this week (so yes technically, 5.5 - 4.5 weeks out). This was a royal pain to upload... literally took 4 separate uploads to finally get it up. Each one had some major mistake I managed to overlook, one of which was copyrighted music, sooo looks like the videos will just be music-less from now on haha. I'll try to find a way to keep them slightly more entertaining.

As I post this, I'm just 4 weeks +1 day out of the show. Things are going alright... stayed at a hotel Tues night as we went to my brother's college orientation. Diet is getting grueling, but we're just chugging along. Full update to come on Sunday, as per usual.

Man, 500 deadlift is my ultimate goal. Best I ever did was 380 lmaoooo

Yeah, if you can find a good therapist & have insurance for it.. By all means.. Go for it. I graduated w/ a bachelor's in psychology lol

Anything that helps you improve yourself is all good in my book!

And I'd kill for vascular wheels like yours.... we want what we can't have

[DJaRiHardstyle]

Real talk: Binging and apathy

There's no organized structure to this. It's not "some new series I plan on keeping up!" or anything like that. I'm just going to type some stuff up about where my mind's been at so far in this prep.

First order of business is symptoms of binge eating starting to pop up. I hate even having to say it, because it's just not something I want to believe is going on I guess. But I haven't been very real with many people about how I'm actually feeling (bar my therapist and dad, on occasion), so I'm just gonna go. It's not that I'm actually binging or cheating on my diet at this point. It's just the carb load days are so scary because the feeling of starving yourself on ~1500kcal a day from essentially only protein for 11 days and then purposefully putting north of 5000kcal in my mouth over the span of a day and a half is so eerily similar to the post-show binge eating that ate me alive my last competition.
As the weeks have progressed, I've ended up finishing my carb load macros earlier and earlier in the day on Thursdays, to the point that I literally finished them by 2:30pm this week (granted, our power workout was pushed forward a day so I had to end the meals earlier so I could train). And between those meals and even during those meals... constantly being scared of the feeling that the meal is over and you now have to sit around for hours waiting for the next one, it's just not a place I want to go back to mentally. And even the feeling that I may actually have no control over how bad the hunger is and just need to stuff my face and end this madness. It's getting pretty overwhelming, but I'm doing everything I can to keep going and persevering.

Beyond that, some other things have started to become thematic problems in this prep. Having to routinely oust myself as the "weird one who isn't eating" while everyone else orders something at the restaurant... my dad and I had to do that tonight at my step sister's birthday dinner. It was my first time meeting her boyfriend's parents and the immediate subject was the fact that my dad and I weren't eating anything. Obviously, it's natural for others to be put off by that; if I was in their place, I'd respond the exact same way. But it's the feelings of self-doubt and "is this really worth it?" and just wanting to be a part of normal social happenings that really get to me. My dad and I talked in private about how old it's getting having to always make a joke out of this. Cuz you can't just respond when they ask "So you're just going to drink Diet Coke and not eat?" with "Yeah, but I'm hungry enough to eat everyone's meals right now and then get dessert. And I have no energy and just politely smiling is getting tiring." You have to strike that fine balance where you don't let your misery become contagious and ruin what should be a fun, relaxed get-together.

The final thing I can really think of is the absolute apathy. My motivation to keep up my studying (which has sucked this week), my site (didn't even get one post up this week), relationships with friends, my own self-care, etc. is at an all-time low. It's basically just eating, training, cardio, and then feeling bad for myself in between those things. That's not the way I want to live or conduct myself. I want badly to be energetic and brighten other people's days and love life. I want to enjoy food in moderation and tackle all these things and just get all these experiences under my belt.

So the obvious question then is "Is it really worth it?" I'm young, this could be my last free summer for a very long time, and I'll only have a 2 week break to transition into college life afterwards. And even still, the answer is totally "yes." I'm fully aware this isn't healthy, and I'm not too sure I'll be competing again in the near future (I at least want to have my house in order, so to speak). But, as I've said, this is a once in a lifetime opportunity to do something with my dad that has us waking up every day with this sense of purpose and drive I haven't felt in a long, long time. My diet and my training have turned from casually fun aspects of my lifestyle to extremely purposeful and precise measures to reach this awesome end goal that gets my palms sweating just imagining.

Full update comes Sunday. Keep it real guys.

[TGreggors]

Shouldn't be so much shame associated with binging, IMO. Your body is reaching body fat levels where it really REALLY does not want to go. Of course it's going to be fighting back. hard. literally starving at this point, I would imagine. Don't do anything rash, but man, you're so close. The pieces can be picked up after the contest. and it doesn't sound like anything SUPER urgent is on the line although it does suck to hear about the problems. It's going to feel glorious when you pull this off. and while I would have a plan in place for post-contest, I would try to not dwell on it until show day. You entered this prep for a reason. You knew what it would take. You pulled yourself together afterwards last time, and, even though it was unfathomably difficult, you made it through. You're stronger this time around. Four weeks. Not much time at all although I know it feels like a mountain at the moment. Will be checking in very regularly from this point onward.

and I agree with what Inna said up there ^^^ if you could find some friends with like minded goals around you who know the pain and could just listen, I feel like that would do a lot of good. Outsiders can know that yeah, that contest prep thing is hard and your diet is strict, but they don't know how it really feels. Like hell.

[DJaRiHardstyle]

Shouldn't be so much shame associated with binging, IMO. Your body is reaching body fat levels where it really REALLY does not want to go. Of course it's going to be fighting back. hard. literally starving at this point, I would imagine. Don't do anything rash, but man, you're so close. The pieces can be picked up after the contest. and it doesn't sound like anything SUPER urgent is on the line although it does suck to hear about the problems. It's going to feel glorious when you pull this off. and while I would have a plan in place for post-contest, I would try to not dwell on it until show day. You entered this prep for a reason. You knew what it would take. You pulled yourself together afterwards last time, and, even though it was unfathomably difficult, you made it through. You're stronger this time around. Four weeks. Not much time at all although I know it feels like a mountain at the moment. Will be checking in very regularly from this point onward.

and I agree with what Inna said up there ^^^ if you could find some friends with like minded goals around you who know the pain and could just listen, I feel like that would do a lot of good. Outsiders can know that yeah, that contest prep thing is hard and your diet is strict, but they don't know how it really feels. Like hell.

Some really good points you made. My goal is, ideally, to begin focusing immediately on "normalizing" my dietary habits post-show. It might mean I have to make a conscientious effort not to just eat everything in sight, but it won't mean "reverse dieting" or only allowing 1 singular day to eat good foods haha. You're absolutely right about not obsessing over being perfect afterwards... end goal is to just get back to feeling normal while hopefully not ballooning up, and then heading back to college with a mentally sound head on my shoulders.

And yea, I've wanted badly to find some friends, especially back at my hometown, w/similar interests. But I'm pretty reserved and introverted; have to really go out of my way to do that. Life would certainly be a lot smoother with good friends who share a passion for this sport. I'm blessed that my roommate and best friend at college is really into lifting (we competed in PL together) and I was even able to get him sort of into his diet but it's not quite on the level most people on these forums are on.

[DJaRiHardstyle]

Weekly check-in: July 10 - 16, 2016 (4 weeks out)
Avg. weight: 173.2 (-0.6 lb.)
This week's macros:
Sun-Tues: Normal RFL
Wed (up until pre-workout meal): 75% of RFL macros
Carb-load (Wed’s pre-workout meal – Thurs PM): 950c/35f/220p
Fri: 258c/50f/230p
Sat: 85c/50f/230p

FULL RFL Review, for both cycles (Cat 1 dieter) will be up sometime early tomorrow

Training/Cardio

SUN - N/A

MON - Full Body 1
+30min LISS (stationary bike)

Leg press
(6 plates x 7) x 3

RDL
(275 x 6) x 3

Seated calf raise
3 plates x 8
3 plates x 9
3 plates x 8

Bench press
175 x 8 @9
175 x 8 @9.5
175 x 8 @10

Plate-loaded row
(1 plate+10 x 10) x 2
1 plate+10 x 9

Lateral raise machine
198 x 12
198 x 10

EZ-bar curl - weights on each side
(20 x 8) x 2

Unilateral rope pressdown – w/back support
22 x 12
22 x 10

Ab machine
(140 x 12) x 2

TUES
30min LISS (stationary bike)

WED – Tension workout
+20min LISS (crappy hotel elliptical) and probably like an hour of walking… will explain

THURS – Power (had to move it here b/c of my step-sister’s birthday dinner Friday)
Sumo DL
(365 x 6) x 2 @9
365 x 6 @9.5

DB RFESS
(60 x 4) x 6

Seated calf raise
(3 plates+20 x 5) x 3

Bench press
(215 x 3) x 2 @9
215 x 3 @9.5

T-Bar machine – plate-loaded
(3 plates+10 x 4) x 3

DB steep incline press – substitute for shoulder press
(60 x 6) x 3

Weighted pull-ups – neutral, medium grip
(BW+15 x 5) x 3

Decline DB tricep extensions
37.5 x 6
37.5 x 5

EZ-bar curl – plates on each side
(27.5 x 5) x 2

Standing ab wheel – banded
(9) x 2

FRI
30min LISS (stationary bike)

SAT – SFS-type HIIT/LISS hybrid (Stationary bike for HIIT and LISS)
+Mobility work/stretching
(Didn’t have time for posing practice… we’re planning to step up frequency of this moving forward though)

Thoughts

On mood:
-I’ve been much better about getting my 20min MBR in daily, which is helping tremendously w/my mood, augmented w/therapy sessions. I’m also on a new anti-depressant, the effects of which have not yet kicked in and I’m a little nervous to see.
-Things still feel very manageable. I’m not down to the levels of leanness most competitors are at 4 weeks out, unfortunately, so that means my hormonal system hasn’t taken quite as big of a hit as it probably had around this time last prep. However, the shear severity and rapid nature of this diet offsets that a bit. I’m far from at my best state, mentally, but I’m not dragging my feet everywhere or anything.
-However, we went down to my brother’s college orientation Tuesday and stayed overnight into Wednesday. We were constantly walking places, constantly around all sorts of junk food and goodies, and spent an unhealthy amount of time feeling crappy about it. The two of us being that hungry and moody was a little much, but things all but normalized after that.
On weight:
-While I’m only down 0.6 lbs. on average from last week, I’m down about 3.4 lbs. from the average of 2 weeks ago, so this was the true 2 week RFL weight loss number I saw. I’m sounding like a broken record at this point with my complaints about not being lean enough, but I’m at least at a place where I’ve come to terms w/my circumstances, have a harsh (but probably necessary) plan laid out for the next 4 weeks to deal with it, and I’m not going to let this eat me alive. We live and we learn.

On health/injuries:
-Haven’t actually had any NKT or chiro appointments recently, as money is getting tight. Well, guess what else is getting tight? My stinkin’ left trap, of course!

Changes for next week
We’re now going back to UD2, but using RFL macros for the low carb days (something I’ve seen suggested on Lyle’s forums as a means of lowering calories further). Carbs on carb load will drop slightly as well, as I’m still seeing slight amounts of spillover on the current macros. Aaaand I’m doing 1 hour of LISS 6x a week now. Brutal, I know, but I figure I might as well fire on all cylinders and look as good as I can come show day. Just did my first one this morning… listened to some Sigma Nutrition podcasts, it really wasn’t as bad as it sounds. WE GETTIN’ CLOSE NOW.

[DJaRiHardstyle]

Behold, a video of awkward old me talking into a camera in the gym parking lot after my hour-long cardio session about prep stuff things:



As my laptop has been dying on me, I figured I wanted to get something of substance out in case I don't have access to it for a while (turning it over to Geek Squad in T-minus 2 hours). I'm also frantically working on this RFL review, so hopefully that'll be out shortly as well.

[Kameronn]

Great talk. I liked the end where you spoke on embracing the grind, enjoying it, and manning up to whatever is on the plate regardless of how you feel. I really need to apply that mentality outside of lifting into real life endeavors.

4 weeks out for both of us, we're gonna make it brah

[DJaRiHardstyle]

Great talk. I liked the end where you spoke on embracing the grind, enjoying it, and manning up to whatever is on the plate regardless of how you feel. I really need to apply that mentality outside of lifting into real life endeavors.

4 weeks out for both of us, we're gonna make it brah

Appreciate it man, it's so much easier said than done. Just trying to be transparent in the fact that I'm still a complete neophyte in most facets of personal development.

Hope you get back on your feet from w/e illness you're dealing with so you can still compete!