mjtfitness’s BodyBlog

We all think of superheros as characters with superhuman strength that regularly save the world. Many of the people on this site are truly that. We take our gift of fitness that we have discovered within ourselves and set out to share our experiences and our knowledge to help others discover fitness. By doing this we are saving thousands of lives as well as enhancing people with self worth and confidence to make a difference in the friends and family around them. I find that most people who have experienced positive change through fitness cannot wait to share what they know with everyone. Of course there are some who let it selfishly consume them and cannot share because of the fear it may make them weaker but time usually changes that and they then become the most zealous in their persuit to help others.

I compliment all of the superheroes and the ones in the making on this site. May we make our mark on this earth by leaving it with more than we have taken.

Well it will be two weeks out from the Michigan this Saturday. It all seems to be coming together nicely. The keto diet is working awesomely and I have been thoroughly enjoying the refeeds on Friday! Tomorrow will be my last full refeed…like a kid in a candy store…really!!! Next Friday I will only have one refeed meal so that I can completely depleat during the last week. At 42…well almost 43 the last thing I get to see on a diet is my abs which is both a genetic curse and an age related one. I am happy to say they are peaking through and tightening up nicely…I don’t think I could lose change in them but maybe a couple bee-bees. I will post photos  of before and after and hopefully it will be an inspiriation for the men and women over forty to achieve their goals…when it comes to bodybuilding it is all about attitude and commitment which anyone can have if they choose.

It is now six weeks from competing in the Michigan Bodybuilding Championships. I competed a year ago today in the Michigan Novice weighing 141 and taking both the bantam weight and masters divisions. I was hoping to come into this competition as a solid lightweight at around 147 or 148. Right now I am fluctuating between 150 and 153 depending on how much water I happen to be holding at the time. I have been following the Keto diet and have been coached by an IFBB friend I made at the Arnold last year. Up until a week ago I was only doing cardio (120bps or less) three times per week. In the last week I have been doing it everyday either first thing on an empty stomach or immediately following my workout. This has made a huge difference in only one week and I feel at six weeks out I am where I was at at 2 weeks out last year.

Based on the water depletion and the notoriously light NPC scales I feel that I most likely will end up under 143.25 lbs. putting me in the Bantam weight division. This does not upset me because I already know I will look better and fuller than last year if I do the last week right again. What bums me out is that I had hoped to come in showing more weight for the last year of training. However if I weigh in a couple lbs. heavier and am a little leaner I will have progressed and every lb. of muscle I put on this 5′3" frame is noticable.

At this point your brain starts to trick you a little…due to the keto diet you don’t see your pump until at least halfway through your workout. then you’re like cool…I am on track…then about 8 minutes after your workout your pump is gone and you feel like an ethiopian marathon runner! Just to add insult to injury by the time you get home from the gym and sneak a peak at your abs under your sweatshirt your now holding water and your abs are washed out…."oh no! I did something in the past 38 minutes to make me put on 6 lbs. of fat!!!!"….No..it is just water dude mellow out."…."mellow out…how can I mellow out…I am going to be in front of hundreds of people in my skivvies looking like the pilsbury dough boy!!!!

And so the conversation with myself goes on. You may think I am crazy but I bet if you have competed before you know EXACTLY what I am talking about.

For now I will just keep trucking and for most of the day feel quite confident with where I am headed! I play to win but feel that just walking on that stage in shape at almost 43 now I have already won.

I am now setting my sights on gaining size to compete as a lightweight in a national qualifier in the spring. My summer slacking is now at an end. I had good success as a 141 lb. Bantam weight and feel with a well structurered bulking phase and a controlled diet from a relativley lean starting point that I can come in near 148-150 and compete as a light weight. I am currently 162 at about 11% fat. I have increased my protein intake to 275-300 grams per day while keeping the majority of my carbs before and after my morning workout. Also I have started taking digestive enzymes with each meal to help nutrient absorbtion.

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