7 days until gametime!
I’ve been bulking for 18 months now and as everyone on here knows, it is nearly impossible to gain only muscle. For the last month, my weight gain has been very stagnant. I think I do too much cardio for the weight to keep adding.
I have made some huge gains in both strength and appearance. I am by far in the best shape of my life. At my son’s football practice last week, I was timed at 4.9 in the 40. That’s not very good for a back/receiver or for Jamaica’s own, Usain Bolt, but for a 260 lb lineman, like me, that is movin’! (BTW, I saw on Sportscenter that Usain Bolt’s 40 time is 3.53!! That is almost a second faster than Deion Sanders or Michael Vick!). Also, it is kinda weird that Bolt is on Sportscenter again right now talking about his third gold medal….
Transforming my body over the last 2 years has really changed how people act towards me as well as how I feel about myself. I have much more confidence than ever and feel great!
I decided that September 1st I am going to start cutting seriously, but still just for fun. I have no desire to be in any shows (least not yet). I just want to challenge myself.
I spend about $50 a week on eating lunch and sometimes dinner while at work, and it is just a waste. About half of the meals are crap full of fat. They leave me feeling sick to my stomach and too tired to drive. I have found that when I bring 3-4 well balanced good meals/snacks, I feel great!
The only real hurdle here is to have the motivation the night before to prepare my meals. The food is in the house, I just need to put it together.
On the road, it is very difficult to find healthy balanced meals. At truckstops, 99% of them have only typical fast food joints or gas station hot dogs available. If you ever stop at a truckstop to get gas or just travelling, notice how so many truckers have big guts! It is very sad that the vast majority of drivers hardly have access to healthy options. Now before someone comes up with an "end all" plan to help drivers, bite your tongue until you educate yourself. FMCSA and DOT have several safety regulations regarding meds / supps that drivers can take (no thermogenic fat burners for example), pickup and delivery schedules are quite often so tight that drivers don’t even get enough sleep to be healthy and living on a fast food/gas station diet with only a few pieces of fruit at the counter is hardly going to make a dent.
Of course it is possible for every driver to eat right and exercise/workout properly, but it is much more difficult than it is for the general public. Think of all of the options you have regarding where you eat, where you workout, time schedule, etc… THEN imagine finding that in a new town every day. It is nearly impossible!
A few friends of mine and I are quite motivated and the exception to the rule, because we have OCD on <building muscles> (say that in your Arnold voice). We have dumbells and stretch bands in the truck plus we go to the gym 3-4 nights a week (we get home every night). One OTR (over the road) guy I know actually has a bench w/ a squat rack and 500 lbs of olympic weights that he sets up wherever he parks everyday.
Sorry for going off on this tangent, just needed to type it all out to get it out of my head. The negative physical image of truckers needs to change - even if me and a few friends are the only ones doing it!
I actually plan to start my new gameplan this monday, but officially, it starts 9-1-08.
—–Allan
August 23, 2008 at 10:40 pm
I hear the war cry!!! GOOOOO ALLAN!!!!!!!!!!!!
Just think of the leaning out process as opening a Christmas gift a little at a time. Every week you will see changes that will keep you focused and on-task.
All the best
-Carla Hampshire