Moving forward

This is split into two 13 week sections…..

Today is the first step…… got my diet sorted and hitting the gym tonight!

Mens Health Cover??? Bring it on!

Hi,

After 4 weeks of difficult and taxing contest prep I was looking forward to my 6 weeks to go progress pics (titled 6 weeks out). The scales were saying the right thing, down from 217lbs to 203lbs in 4 weeks. However the results were somewhat disappointing. Maybe I was hoping for too much too soon.

Sure, my body shape has changed. My waist in narrow, arms more defined etc etc. However I guess I had got into my mind that my abs would be out by now and I would start ‘fine tuning’ things. As it stands, I still have a mountain to climb.

So over the past weeknd I was quite down about it all. I took some time out on Monday as it was a public holiday just to relax. The sun was out, the air warm, the smell of BBQ’s in the air. After doing 2 late night shifts at a particulary rough bar (£1 a drink all night) with the fun and games that involves, I decided to kick back on my garden hammock and soak up the rays. After a day of relaxing, thinking and enjoying 3 separate BBQs in one day, the disappointment of fridays photos turned into extra fuel to keep me going.

I am now writing this with around 5 weeks to go. I’m half way there and know looking at the positives to take into the home run. I still think my target of being in the same condition as last year at 190lbs is possible (compared to 180lb last year).

Next photos are 3 weeks out. Adding GABA to the supplement mix, so now taking the following daily….

LA Muscle ZMAX

House of Muscle Anti E

LA Muscle Natrex

Animal M Stak

Animal Cuts

Multi vits

Diet is clean and currently 175g Carb, 350g protein and 45g fat.

I am feeling good, strong and ready. Abs are starting to show! Roll on July 3rd!

N

It’s just 8 weeks to go until my photoshoot and 8weeks 2 days until my holiday. 2 weeks down in the prep and I’m feeling great! I am permanently tired but my diet is bang on and training is on the money. Really starting to notice changes now as my hip fat is starting to disappear.

My weight is down to 210lbs, a drop of 3lbs this week.

Diet is being taken up a level from today. I have been consuming around 240g carbs per day, but now I’m reducing that down to 170g as I feel I have coped well and can push myself a little more in this area.

Just completed a back workout this morning and have an arm workout tonight before work. Hopefully work should be easier this week than last and manage to get some better sleep in also. Saturday is a Leg day w cardio followed by a rest up on Sunday.

So, diet great, training hard, energy low but manageable, results coming along.

N

so, 12 days in and I have started to notice a few changes: Cardio is easier, my waist is slimmer and some weight has definately gone from my face.

Today is the Tuesday after a public holiday here in England, so a 3 day weekend is always going to be littered with potential pitfalls. This one proved to be no different, but I have come through it largely unscathed: Evening work was testing, not only because of the extended shifts this weekend but also due to the people that frequented the establishments I worked at. It is very difficult even on a quiet weekend shift to get quality meals in as your body clock is all over the place (my Fridays normal involve getting up at 5am and not getting to bed until 4am the following day) but I’m limited to having protein shakes and bars due to the nature of the work. I make the best of the bad situation, but I slightly injured my right tricep and calf in an altercation on Friday night. He came off worse than me though so all was good in the end. Sunday came around and I somehow managed to overcook it on the sunbed! So all Sunday and Monday I was feeling very weak, sleepy and pathetic. Sun stroke from a sunbed! Ha!!!

Never mind, I managed to get 2 solid wokouts completed on Saturday and Sunday (Back/bicep and Legs) with a rest day on Monday. This morning was a big chest session. Started to up the rep range I’m doing to 8 - 12 and throw in a few supersets. Got a good pump and could barely manage a few pressups at the end. Tonight is an arm workout, supersetting biceps and triceps all the way through. Tomorrow is a cardio morning followed by Shoulders in the evening. My current training split currently reads as follows:

Day 1: Chest AM / Arms PM

Day 2: Cardio AM / Shoulders PM

Day 3: Rest

Day 4: Back AM / Arms PM

Day 5: Quads AM / Hams, Calves & Abs PM

Day 6: Cardio

Then back to day 1.

Diet is on track. In the off season I usually take on anywhere between 350g to 600g carbs, 300g protein and 70g to 150g fat, dependent on how clean that particular days diet has been. Protein however is always a constant for me. I’m a really snack fan so the total elimination of all junk foods is the thing that hurts the most! I’m currently adhering to the following macro nutrients:

Carbs: 210g to 250g

Protein: 300g to 400g

Fat: 45g to 55g

This sounds alot but I’m constantly hungry. I get through around 1.5 gallons of mineral water daily. Each week I will slowly reduce the carbs down as I have now got over the intial hit from the reduction in carbs, probably dropping 20g carbs per week from now on.

So, to conclude….

Sunstroke, Bar Brawls and Lack of Sleep have all tried to derail me! But I’m still going and taking things to the next level! Bring on those next progress pics!

N 

Last summer I set myself the goal of being 195lbs ripped for a photoshoot and vacation. Being 180lbs at the time and 10% BF this seemed like a big ask ,but over the winter months, with hard training and eating, I have managed to pack on size, finishing my off season at 217lbs.

Although I am feeling heavy and doughy in the mirror, my strength and size is immense to what it once was. I have left myself with 10 weeks of super strict dieting, couple with an intense training programme.

Week one is complete and I can already notice subtle changes (waist is reduced, hint of abs etc) and a 4lb weight loss (mainly food I’m sure!!!).

My thinking is that I am currently 13% BF. If I lose 2lbs a week, at a ratio of 1:4 fat to muscle, that would leave me at 195lbs and 6.7% BF! This would be a tremendous result and best of all I will have professional photos plus awesome holiday snaps to capture it with.

Training is going well and I will go into more detail in future updates. The diet was incredibly tough to start with but I think I am adapting nicely. Now that the first week is over and there is 9 weeks to go, I will look to turn the screw with the diet a little more each week as it gets closer.