BahamaMan’s BodyBlog

            I’m 5 weeks out from my Oct 25 show and 7 weeks out from my Nov 8 show.  Plan is to peak for Nov 8 show by being stage ready on the 25^th and then holding/tweaking that for the 8^th.  Appear to be losing fat, but the weight is not changing much.  Is it possible that I am in that elusive diet/exercise zone where I am losing fat while gaining muscle?  If so, want to be sure to capture my diet for future reference!

            Early Morning Snack (6 AM)   - 1 piece whole grain toast with butter and jelly, 1 cup coffee.

            Breakfast (7:30) - 4 egg whites (1 yolk), chopped onions, salsa, small handful of grated cheese, 32 oz diet Coke on drive to work

            Mid Morning Snack (9:30) - 1 Clif Builder’s Protein Bar, 32 oz water

            Lunch (11:30) - Bowl of lettuce, 1 can tuna, Italian dressing, 100 cal pak Sun Chips

            Mid Afternoon Snack (2PM) - Handful of almonds or 1 stick string cheese, 20 oz diet coke

            Drive home -    32 oz water

            Late afternoon Snack/Pre-workout (5PM) - 1 scoop Whey Protein powder in 6 oz hot water, BCAAs, 1 piece whole grain bread with Natty PB, 1 cup coffee

            Post-workout Snack - 6 oz orange juice, 1 scoop Whey Protein powder in 6 oz hot

water

            Dinner (7:30) - Usually some kind of high quality protein, a good veggie (i.e. fresh green beans, broccoli, or squash (with some butter and brown sugar)), 1 cup coffee

            Late night snack (9PM) - 1 piece string cheese or 1-2 boiled egg whites

            Don’t always do the late night snack and often throw in a couple squares of dark chocolate with either breakfast or lunch.  Needless to say, no post-workout snack on non workout days. 

            I have no idea how many calories this is (or grams of protein, etc.), but what’s cool is that there are several places that I can cut calories pretty easily.  I’m thinking that for the last month, as necessary, I’ll cut the chips and natty PB and probably mostly stay away from the dark chocolate; that’s 300 calories or about a 1 pound loss a week! 

            I’ve done at least a couple of these “Why do I do this?” blogs in the past, at times when I’ve been wondering, well…just “Why do I do this (at my age, no less)?”  To date, I’ve always been able to come up with not just good reasons to stay at it, but things about weightlifting and bodybuilding that I still just love. 

            Yesterday was one of those workouts I will remember for awhile and is a great example, to me, of why I do this. 

            By way of scene setting, you have to know that the power was out at my house all day yesterday.  The light filtering in through the little window under the deck barely lit my basement gym.  However, I was not going to let low light get in the way of my deadlifting.  I deadlifted heavy - squinting to see where to record the big numbers in my training log.  Then it was heavy bent-over rows and heavy shrugs.  When it was over I was dripping with sweat in my almost dark basement.  Priceless!

            Yesterday’s workout was one that hit muscle fibers that I hadn’t reached for years and I’m sure it sent levels of circulating testosterone in my body to levels approaching those of a 15-year-old boy. 

            Today, I’m sore in all the right places and feeling that the pursuit of getting stronger and the process of sculpting my body is something I can’t imagine ever getting tired of, even if I never competed again. 

            It is definitely all good today, my friends.  Very all good.

I’ve been in pre-contest diet mode for about a month now and have that “is it time to eat, yet?” feeling most of the time lately, but the needle on the scale hasn’t moved for a couple of weeks.  At 8 and 10 weeks out from my next two shows I’m not sweating it as I’m within about 10 pounds of where I think I need to be AND I seem to be leaning out (and getting bigger?!) AND I haven’t started doing any cardio yet.

It’s just that I’m so excited to see the latest version of me at 3-4% BF.  I’m thinking I may have added around 6 pounds of muscle since Oct 06 and I think I’ve added it in the right places (shoulders, calves, back).

But being stuck at 196 also has me wondering a bit if I still have what it takes to get into contest shape.  Perhaps I need to be eating fewer calories and doing more cardio than I’m prepared to eat/do at 43.  Maybe I’m getting to old for this…

Then again, nah!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

I’ve got to remember that this is the part of the process I like the most.  This exact challenge of doing what it takes to be ready on contest day.  And that these 8-10 weeks are the reason that lots of guys will never compete.  Because they don’t have what it takes to get contest ready. 

In my opinion, this is the sh#t that keeps a guy young.  Competition.  Pushing yourself and achieving something you didn’t think you could.

Oh baby, I’ve so still got what it takes to get contest ready in 2008!

See you on stage…