gcblystone’s BodyBlog

Ever since my shows in July, I have been eating like a pig and making excuses for not working out.  True, i have been working at GNC 5-6 days per week, training clients 2-3 days per week, and throwing a few massage clients in here and there -not enough yet to cover my rent though

Messing around the other day while helping a friend and coworker in the gym, I jumped in on his warmup sets on the flat bench and felt really strong.  I had slept like crap the night previous, actually its the exception that i get a good night’s rest but this night was worse than usual.  Seems however, that i am consistently and strangely strong on such days - must be excess adrenaline kicking in.  Anyhow, i set a PR on the flat bench at 30 reps.  These reps were actually more complete in range of motion than how i typically train chest.

My triceps were sore for 3 days  LOL

I’m making a commitment to myself right now to stop missing workouts and get on an eating schedule.  I’m going to have to with school being 7 days away.

I’m just now able to write about my experience from July 19.  I’ve worked 7 days per week since I got back, and twice on Thursdays!  After the first of the year I will be a Certified Rolfer, and with some luck and good word I hope to get my business up and profitable, highly profitable!  In the meantime I will still be working for GNC, for sure, and possibly still personal training (though making my way out, never to return!).  The biggest lesson learned from this year’s shows is: Stay LEANER in the off season!!

As for Nationals….

I know I could have been more conditioned and I hope to be able to have a coach to work with me throughout my next contest prep and especially the last week. Things went better for this show than the one previous, and my legs looked their all time best - I was very happy with that. However, I have yet to achieve the hardness I want and even with the perfect formula, I don’t believe I’ll reach my peak conditioning for at least 4 more years.

At worst, I deserved 2nd place in this show. I got 3rd.  Immediately after Prejudging, several strangers said they thought i was going to win my class, and when my wife showed me the pics she had just taken, I believed them.  I clearly lost by conditioning, but not nearly enough to overpower the obvious strengths I had over the competition.

Four main criteria form the basis for judging in the NPC. 1.Development (Size and Mass) 2.Muscularity (Definition and Separation), 3.Symmetry (Proportion, Shape, and Balance), and 4.Presentation (Posing in a way that is smooth, confident, professional, and shows strength while hiding flaws). I brought a)the most mass, b)the best "X" frame, c)at least 2nd place quality "separation", and d)confident, experienced posing.

I am not bitching or moaning or crying about my placing. The judges made their call and that’s that. Had this lineup been in front of any one of the judging panels with which i have previous experience, i say its 50/50 that i’m 1st or 2nd. All i can say from here is that it will not happen again, i promise. I will only bring a winning, complete package, in the future.

Today I finally weighed less than 200 lbs.  My body has really been wanting to stay above 200 as i have been 210-215 for the last 18 months.

I got calipered yesterday at 12.9% BF.   I’ve lost about 4 inches off of my waist, which is where it all comes off first.   I’m going to tan up a bit over the next week and shave, then i will post my 12weeks out pics!

Still strong - benched 315 real smooth and clean for 6 reps this morning at 630AM, with only 25 grams of whey in my stomach, crappy sleep and low carbs for the last 3 days.

A client of mine mixed two of my favorite songs into a 60 sec and 90 sec mix for the CO State and Collegiate Nationals.  Animal I Have Become and Psycho.  I’m going to try to post it on here somehow - prolly with pictures and upload to youtube

I haven’t had a real back workout in a long, long time before yesterday.  For the fist time in months i got out of bed with sore low back and not from being stiff and sleeping crappy but from reawakened muscles!  I did Cable Rows, Machine Rows, TBar Rows, and Hammer Rows.  It was the Tbar that got to me - i’m loving it!

Monday officially kicked off the contest diet for me.  I’ve been cleaning up the diet for the last week or so but now it is time to get serious.  Started cardio at 30 minutes a day- it will be a mix of AM and PM sessions throughout the week.

I have gotten so unconditioned to the weights while in school that i get sore easily and dont have a lot of muscular endurance.  That’ll change fast.

I have to tinker with my training split to see what will work the best and it will probably get changed again as soon as i can find a job Rolfing at a massage center.  Wish me luck (more so on the job part than the training, i got that part down) !!

So i did three, low to moderate intensity sets of donkey calf raise on Sunday and I am still sore 3 days later.  What is up with that?  I did a full body workout and only calves are sore now.

Well, I cant say too much about my training lately cuz there simply has not been much of it.   However, school is going very well, and I just got into a Massage program in which I am going to learn a lot of really cool stuff and be getting a certification in Massage for Healthy Pregnancies!  By the end of the year I will be a Certified Rolfer with a ton of continuing ed already under my belt.

I am definitely doing the CO State show and Collegiate Nationals - I just sent in my entry forms so it is a done deal!  March 1st kicks off hardcore training 101 and i plan to ready by the end of June, 2 weeks early, with never-before-seen (on me) glute separations. I also got out a portable dvd player to help me with cardio

Went back to school last week.  I have clients Mon Wed Fri and Sat mornings ( 5am on weekdays )  and night clients on Tue Thur Fri.  Class is from 9-6 and moves very quickly.  I fell asleep in class this morning, I’m exhausted and it feels like Friday already.  I’ve been squeaking in workouts at lunch and they are going so-so.  As far as class itself, i am really enjoying it and my skills are going to be so much more advanced in 2 months, when i start taking on Rolfing clients.

So far so good.  LOW Carbs, HIGH Fat, HIGH Protein.  I’m following the Metabolic Diet for the next 12-15 weeks, depending on how fast i lean up on it.  Its only two days now with virtually no carbs, and i feel great, day 5 will be the hardest and then after that i’ll be sailing.  I’ll check myself for Ketosis tonight.  My first carb up wont be until Sunday the 13th, and as it has been in the past, i probably wont even be wanting it when it gets here.

I really like Layne Norton’s contest prep guidelines, however, i have gotten to heavy i feel like to start there.  I am seriously considering  a Dave Palumbo/Metabolic Diet/NHE program.  I’ll be in class 40 hours per week starting Mon Jan 7.  It is going to be hard to the cardio and higher volume workouts i believe are necessary when on a higher carb diet while i am in class so much, on top of 5am clients and so forth.  It would be easier i think to go low carb/mod fat, with HIT workouts, and brief cardio.  The major downside will be that my brain doesnt work as well on lower carbs even though i have more physical energy.  I guess Glucuronolactone and PS can help me mentally.  I plan on alternating DREN and CYTOLEAN.