chrisnxd21’s BodyBlog

training today was amazing! wednesday’s leg day has now become my favorite days of the week. back in the gym with a different focus. this time to give my body more room to grow, and gain more muscle mass. i’m lifting heavier with less reps, and i’m looking forward to see how my body will respond to this different approach. its been about 2 weeks since my last comp, and i’ve already gained some great weight. i want to stay 125-130 during off season. next item to invest in is a weight belt..

well we’ve recently gained a new face within our training group, my ’sauna coach,’ as i’d like to call her i’m sure that’ll put a smile on her face. she was there every step of the way when i had to bring in endless hours in the sauna pre-competition, and i give her plenty of credit for getting me through. she is a great addition to the group. she brings in an intense desire to learn and pick our brains about our knowledge of training, diet, and our goals with fitness. we can talk about training and diet for hours at a time and never get bored with the topic. so now it’s the 4 of us, our trainer "the beast," pam "jiu jitsu fighter/power-lifter turned figure competitor," charmain "sauna coach," and myself. they each bring a positive energy. i admire their focus and passion to better themselves. meeting them and going through the motions and the whole process of training, seeing it from start to finish, has been life-changing for me, for the better, in every aspect of my life

its been a little while since i’ve shared my thoughts… as of this moment, i’m one week and 2 days post competition. i have 2 comps under my belt while stationed here in japan, both being on-base military competitions. never did i expect to go as far as i have with fitness, let alone be on stage among fellow competitors. the moments when i was on stage surrounded by others that have put in all the hard work and dedication, have gone through the strict dieting, working out, carb rotating, and the whole contest process, i looked around couldn’t help but take it all in. overwhelmed by emotion of triumph and victory, i take a deep breath and know that this has got to be one of the greatest accomplishments and moments in my life. who would have thought the ‘big kid’ would be on stage at a figure competition? prepping back stage, putting on my suit and getting pumped, the camaraderie among the competitors is unlike anything i’ve ever experience. you have a sense of understanding with one another. they all know what it feels like to be completely depleted but yet be ready and willing to take the challenge head on, finding the strength deep within yourself to push out the last rep or even concentrate at work, toughing out sauna time for 30 minutes, or overcoming the feeling of doubt whether you can make it in time for competition, the early mornings of cardio, prepping all meals and snacks for the next day, sorting out supplements, making sure you have your gym gear packed for training after work. it all requires patience, dedication, a strong will to see the journey until the end and keep the big picture in mind. its you against yourself from start to finish. it’s up to you how far you will walk on the road toward your goals…

wednesday, july 22
time: 2230

i still have 1 liter of water left to equal my total 2 gallon a day intake. for some reason today was a bit of a struggle trying to get the water down. i’ll probably be up a few times tonight. 1 more day to go for my 2 gallon total. i’m a bit excited for water depletion on friday.. 1 gallon, easy day!

tuesday, july 21

wow i can finally count the days on one hand…well, i’ve been getting into a few shows while being out here training and relaxing. i’ve found a liking to cooking shows, but put myself through torture while at it. lol. but i just can’t help it, everything looks sooo good!! i don’t know what i’ll be craving once i get off my diet. pasta, burger, steak?? perhaps some ice cream?? of course i’ll have ice cream, or 2 please! my favorite ‘food’. i’ve been talking about it since i’ve started my diet… but i’ve been so used to this diet, i don’t know what to do with my endless choices. i do know one thing for sure that once i’m off this strict diet, i will still want to eat clean, but will have more choices of course. maybe treat myself once a week. but eating clean and working out is part of my lifestyle now, i don’t think i can ever turn back to my old ways of endulging, or going home to visit my parents and having everything in sight. mom and dad always makes the best home cooked filipino food! yummy!! you can guarantee there’s always something on the table to munch on…

there is this show that’s grasp my attention. the travel channel’s "man vs. food." now that guy has an appetite. i get full watching this dude eat. kudos to him, someones gotta do it!

monday, july 20th

6 days and counting. woke up this morning feeling pretty tight, and i discovered new vascularity in my core. i miss my morning protein shakes to jump start my day. with its absence,  i’ve started my days with a cup off coffee, right before my cardio session. not normally a coffee drinker, and i’m glad that i’m not addicted to it. a great tip that i’ve learned is to bring it in right before cardio to help get rid of excess water. and trust me, i’ve never sweat as much as i have been when i bring in the good ‘ol cup of joe, straight up black coffee is the way to go.
today is a pretty easy day at the gym. no weight training, except for a few weighted ab exercises. brought in my 30 min of cardio and 30 of sauna, morning and afternoon. in the afternoon, i scoped out the weight room to see how crazy it got at ‘rush hour’, which is around 1600 when the majority of the gym-goers hit the gym. i’m glad that it wasn’t a weight training day. it was packed! but that’s a norm around that time. so it was in and out of the gym for me. been resting a lot, sometime involuntarily. i’d be watching tv in the afternoon, one of my favorite channels, "the fit channel," and next thing i know i’ve been asleep for 2 hours hours. i guess its my body’s way of telling me to enjoy the moments when i do rest. i’ve been putting it through a lot this past week, and its not over yet. i’m loving every moment of it though. watching my body slowly go through its different changes. i can now see all the hard work, all the crazy ‘giant sets’ and ‘drop set’s that ‘the beast’ had me pushin out in the gym is now paying off…

(i had to back track the dates. no wireless in my room, so i’m playing catch up with my blogs…)

friday, july 17th…

today was quite an adventure…

on my way to yokota air force base, located way up north japan, and sasebo is way down south. there’s a free ‘blue bus’ that travels from base to the airport. i don’t know how i over looked the details, i didnt realize that my flight was for a different airport that the shuttle bus didn’t travel to. i tried to negotiate in possibly paying the difference for a flight that left from the airport that i ended up going to, but unfortunately they didnt offer that option. so i had to figure out the easiest way, without getting ‘lost in japan.’ mind you, this is the first time i’ve travelled/flew out of sasebo since arriving here last year. this was all new to me… the young man that helped me out in the beginning, the one that broke the news to me that i was at the wrong airport, was kind enough to find the easiest possible route for me to take to get to the right airport, without missing my flight… i then arrive at the correct airport, with plenty of time to spare. i had about an hour and a half to check in my luggage, chat with a few friends, and most importantly have something to eat. i brought my lunch, snacks, and dinner with me. i knew with all this traveling, i wouldnt have time to stop for anything to eat, let alone get something healthy within my diet..

i finally board the plane, on my way to tokyo. i sat by an older gentleman, and was graced by his stories of his travels around the world. after 2 hours of chatting away, it was time for me to catch another shuttle bus to take me to another airport. the older gentleman made sure i boarded the right bus, he then went off to his final destination. i was wishing this were my last stop, but i had 2 more stops to go before i reached that comfortable bed awaiting my arrival in my hotel room..

i reached Narita Int’l airport in tokyo. i had to board my final shuttle bus to Yokota Air Force base by 8pm at the absolute latest. it was now 715 and i had no clue where to catch this shuttle bus. i think i asked about 5 different people, and i finally got pointed to the right direction. i reached the counter where i find a huge sign that read "trying to go to Yokota? board the shuttle bus located in parking lot P1," with a map underneath it. by now it was already 745, and i was no where near where i needed to be. i start truckin along with my backpack, lunch box, and huge rolling luggage. those wheels came handy   i board my final bus, and the driver needed exact change for me to catch this ride. i made sure i read the shuttle bus instructions, and i read clearly that they accepted dollars and yen. all i had with me was yen, and apparently this was a ’special case’ and he didnt accept yen. and i thought by this time, all i had to do was sit back, kick my feet up, and relax for the next 3 hours.. i had to find someone to exchange my yen. just my luck…

i think i’ve rambled enough about my interesting day of travel. i arrive at my hotel, and there’s no more room in the main building. i was given a choice of 2 rooms. one which was smaller but had an elevator, or another one that was bigger, had a kitchen and living room area, but no elevator. so with the thought of being here for about 10 days, i chose the later. this room was adjacent to the main hotel. at this point, i was tired and run down, and just wanted to hit the bed and rejuvenate myself. i did muster up enough strength to carry my huge suitcase up 3 flights of stairs. unfortunately the wheels didn’t help out much  

after shuttle bus and airport hoppin, i finally reach my destination!!   i didn’t have luck with my travels, but was lucky enough to meet people along the way willing to lend a complete stranger a helping hand. so lesson learned for next time, to make sure i depart from the right airport…

tomorrow i plan on finding my way around base. first place of interest, the gym. gonna hit up 2 a day cardio session and sauna. and of course buy food to stock up my fridge

happy 4th of july!

unfortunately i can’t partake in the festivities today. duty calls, and i answer. despite being stuck at the clinic all day and night, while i had some down time, i was still able to bring a mini workout in. brought my handy resistant bands, and was able to do 3 sets of various exercises. they’re compact and work wonders, especially when you’re crunched for time or in my case, on duty and can’t get to the gym. i recommend investing in a pair. there’s absolutely no excuse to not get some kind of workout in. my muscles r pumped and i’m ready for more. hope tomorrow brings a gorgeous morning. its the weekend and time for cardio interval training outdoors…

have a happy and safe 4th of july!

24 days till competition!..trying to keep focused and stay motivated. i have a really great group of peers that support me, every bit of encouragement helps. i started my intake of 2 gallons of water a day as of last week. i never knew taking in that much water would be a task in itself, but its gotten much easier each day. cardio is up to 2 a day, 30-45 min, and i’ve started hitting up the sauna as well, to try to get rid of the excess water weight. any tips out there?..the weather out here in japan is pretty unpredictable in the summer, in the midst of tropical rainy season, but on a nice day i’ve incorporated interval/cross training on the weekends. i look forward to weekend training, fresh air and sprints up and down a set of stairs that lies between a park and a river in this small humble town of sasebo. its the simple things in life that make it all worth it..

i started school again a few weeks ago. working on my bachelors in health sciences with a concentration in nutrition. it’s been interesting trying to figure out my schedule and what works. with work, school, the gym, and finding time for myself. it can be hard at times, trying to find time and make the most of the day. i think i’ve found that middle ground and i’m not settling for a compromise, and let go of one aspect to excel in another. it’s possible to excel in all areas. if you want something, you go after it head on.

first blog entry, and i’m feeling amazing! today was heavy leg day with my trainer, akaiya "the beast" miller. i’ve made a great deal of improvement since i started working out with him late last year. everything is starting to come together now. the diet, tweeking up the intake of protein and carbs, the amount of cardio we incoorporate into our workouts, the importance of keeping up a log of everything u eat and how you feel that day.. since i got into working out a few years ago, i’ve always felt that there was something missing. i would be working out as hard, if not harder, than i am now, but wasn’t progressing the way i wanted to. pieces of the puzzle are now coming together and it’s all starting to make sense. this is the best shape i’ve ever been in, and am excited to see where this lifestyle change will take me..i do owe credit to my best friend sal who brought and still continues to bring inspiration in my life, and my trainer for seeing the potential in me and for kicking my ass in the gym! i love it!!! until next time, keep pressing forward…