mrdead’s BodyBlog

My wife and I were having a conversation the other day. Just going over the things I needed for my show, and what I want to accomplish by my next one. And, I started thinking…

Let’s  see here… I’ve got my Venus razor, my Bikini Zone cream, my nail polish, my pumice stone for my feet, I’ve had to wear pantyhose to keep my thighs from rubbing together during long bouts of cardio. I’ve shaved all of my body, aside from head, eyebrows, and parts unknown… I want my chest to be bigger, I want this "pooch" in my tummy to go away… I’m retaining water… I’m  cramping… Holy Crap! Let’s just get me some feminine hygeine products, while we’re at it (Just in case I start having periods…)

During this treck, I have bought things for myself that I would never ever REMOTELY even thought I’d be buying for myself… (Aside from the nail polish, since I was in a band, and sometimes during faster songs, technique goes out the window, and you can wear a hole in your nail… But, anyhow) But it has been an extemely educational process. I now know what the other half goes through, to look her best. I’ve learned not to ask if I look fat, because I really don’t want to actually hear the answer. I’ve had envy of another person’s chest and waist. I’ve never really had a sweet tooth, but dammit, I want chocolate!!!!

I hit the scale this morning, and it greeted me with a number that I have not seen in a looonnnggg time. The number was 183.0. Talk about a great way to start the day. After I got to work, though, I peeked in at my wife’s Bodyspace, and noticed a comment that kind of ticked me off, at first. Now, with all this contest prep, I’m irritable, grouchy, touchy, not my usual mental self, and all that. So, when I see a message from another guy to my wife, telling her that she has beautiful eyes, and love and kisses, I can get extremely irate. But, I stepped back, and figured I can do one of two things. One, I can leave a childish message on his page, saying not very nice things, or… I can just take it as a complement to her, and my excellent taste, leave it alone and have a nice day. So, I put on my "Big Boy-Grown Up Pants", took it as a complement, and am in a good place. (Yay for me!   )

So, last night was cardio and posing. Nothing exciting to report, there. Had my tilapia for dinner, and went off to sleepy-bye nite-nite land. Tonight is legs and abs and cardio and posing and 10×10’s and… *L* But, anyhow, I’m looking forward to the date of my show, and will do my best to bring my best!

Well, I survived the weekend. Posing class went well, I thought. I finally got the nerve to do it minus the shirt, and wearing shorty-shorts (Sorry, the underoos won’t be worn until the day of the comp. That is to protect people from ruining their corneas). That was a HUGE step for me. And, we did some posedowns with some of our classmates, in front of the rest of the class, and I wasn’t really nervous. It was highly educational. I also got my instructions for "peak week", and an appointment for my polygraph.(Thanks Kevin and Denise James, as well as my very helpful classmates) (To make sure I haven’t been taking naughty stuff.) I also got to meet a couple of other people that have sites on here. Fighting40 and TQsmooth5, pgross147, and rayteresa4. (All very awesome people, especially Kevin and Denise)  I stopped at a Bally’s gym on the way, and nearly threw up from envy. That gym was like paradise compared to the Bally’s I workout at. Tons more room, tons more machines and weights, tanning beds, cardio machines stretched out forever. I’m obviously training in the dungeon.

Sunday was great! My wife (DD2INXS) and I celebrated our 12th anniversary. Nothing too wild, I took her to "Build A Bear Workshop" and we each made a stuffed animal. So, here it is, Monday. I’m going to be hitting my lagging chest and lats, as well as some serious cardio. So, all in all, a busy and fun weekend!

I want to take timeout to thank everyone that has been behind me, on this surprisingly long journey. Thanks for the motivation, the advice, in some cases "brutal honesty", and those that have just listened to me whine. There are several of you out there, that are very near and dear to me, one even lives with me. And, there are those that don’t know me from "Adam", but continue to support me. So, a verrrrrry huuuuugggeeee THANK YOU, to you all!

I’ve started trying to be a lot more conscious about my attitude and irritability as of late. So, hopefully there will be some changes in that regard.

But on to less sappy things *L*. I’m getting extremely excited/nervous as the days pass. I’m taking more time to work on my posing, and trying to bring up my lagging areas (Lats, bis, abs, pecs, tris, quads, hams, delts, calves) The only thing I feel is where it should be is my traps. (I do so love to train them. Especially using the entire stack on the calf machine for shrugs, for reps) I’m kind of concerned about being able to cover up my tank top tan. I really hope the protan can hide it.

I’m still not sure how to best take advantage of the "pump-up room" before the show. Nor, do I know the exact itinerary of the contest, but I sure am looking forward to it.

I’ve got plans of goodies, that I’m going to have in my bag, for after the show, and what I am going to eat the day after. But the time leading up to the show from here on out, I am clueless. But, everyone has to start somewhere, right?

Anyhow, tonight is a night of strictly posing and cardio. So, I hope you all have an awesome day!

Well, here I am, under 3 weeks. and now my body decides to REBEL. I’ve worked hard. VERY hard. And, now all of a sudden, I have one maybe two good rows of abs, and the rest of me is freakin’ flab!!! Geeze!!! What in the Hells happened? I was strolling right along. Busting my butt, eating right, drinking enough water…

Dang, that’s where it hit… Drinking enough water.. Well, when your body is used to "x" amount of water to begin with… And, all of a sudden you add a heck of a lot more…

Well, not all of a sudden. Let’s just say that we up next to nothing to oh, say a GALLON, there’s an increase… So, say we get used to a gallon, and the heat index increases quite a bit, say 20 degrees… Well, being a good boy, I decide, (On my own) to virtually double said water… "Houston… We Have A Problem…"

Now. evidently, I was supposed to increase my salt intake… Guesse What?… I need to start adding a heck of a lot of salt… Because I wa s stupid, and blindly tried to do things MY way… Did I ever mention that this is my first contest?

Well, last night I spent an hour and a half doing nothing but posing. Hitting every pose, holding it, repeating it. Then the "Coach/Torture Master/Dear Sweet Wife" would call out poses, and I would hit them. I would have to continue to do said poses until I got them right, and could hold them for "X" amount of time. Let’s just say that my muscles are feeling it. Posing is also helping me see what muscles need some more, or a TON of work. I also did abs and 10×10’s afterwards. I woke up whimpering like "A little Girly Man" *L*.  I figure I will do this at least 2-3 times per week, from here on out. And holding them for longer and longer. On regular gym days, I will still run through my mandatory poses as normal. As I’ve mentioned in an earlier post, I will be posing to Guns-n-Roses’ "Welcome to the Jungle". Choreography for that is a work in progress, and I won’t be doing anything fancy. Ed Corney, Darrem Charles, Melvin Anthony, and Kai Greene’s jobs are VERY safe. *L*

The question about nutrition has popped up a few times. It’s not anything real fancy. Different variations of packaged chicken breasts, tuna, Iso-pure Zero Carb protein RTDs, Nitro-tech, and if I’m a good boy, a bowl of oatmeal. No carbs after 6 PM, and I make sure to get some protein in me before going to bed, and when I wake up. I take in between 100-150 grams of protein in a day. (Occasionally I will get in 200 grams) Carbs have been between 30 and 50 grams, and fat has been very low, with a limit of 40 grams, that I rarely even get close to.

Supplements have pretty much been whittled down to the protein shakes mentioned above. NaNo-Vapor for a pre-workout jolt. I love that stuff, because it has most everything I need, in one cocktail. And a multi-vitamin, to top things off.

Tonight is legs, happy happy joy joy!  

The tiny town of Yelm, finally got a Wal-Mart. Now I can get groceries a bit cheaper, and it’s a lot closer to the even tinier town of Rainier, that I live in. So, I stocked up on tuna and tilapia. Also, finally, I can get DVD’s and music CD’s, without a half hour drive, just to get to a store. So, that was the BIG local news.

Workout-wise, I did something a little different, and it’s something that I’ll be incorporating at least 2 days out fo the week, until my contest. I’m spending an hour to an hour and a half, just posing. I say "just posing" but it takes a heck of a lot to do that, for that long of time. But like "Arnold" once said, "A guy came up to me once, and asked if I could win a contest with his physique." "I of course said, that I could." "And I could’ve won the contest with his physique, but I didn’t say that he could have won with it." "His posing and presentation were not good, so he didn’t place very well." So, I am still training the muscles, and lifting, but I’m setting aside time to improve my posing and presentation. Not to mention, that I could be up there quite some time, just in comparison, so I don’t want to give an inch, by being poorly conditioned and not being able to hold my poses.

Also, I just got an e-mail last night, and my "Underoos" have shipped, so they will be here in plenty of time. One less thing to worry about.

Wound up having an asthma attack, this morning. Not a fun way to start the day. So, morning cardio was put to the side. However, my intercostals and abs got an incredible workout from coughing, and straining to breathe. Tonight, I’ll be hitting legs, and getting in some cardio.

I stepped onto the scale today, and found that I’ve gained 6 pounds over the past week. Talked with Kevin James, and we have narrowed it down to my doubling my water intake over the past week. I figured that I would keep well hydrated during this stretch of hot days. Note to self: If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. And, you can’t fix stupid! So, hopefully I’ll be on my way back to where I should be.

Last night, I had a great workout. Got a killer pump, but the poundage I was lifting trailed off, towards the end. I did chest, tri’s, and front/side delts. Strength-wise, I was just off. By the weight equivilance of what I normally use for my last/heaviest set. Guess what was missing? My pre-workout shot of nano-vapor, and my pre-workout supplements. In my haste to get to the gym, and get my photos back from being developed, I forgot my pre-workout goodies. (Yes, I am a big dummy). Cardio was killer. I hit the treadmill after lifting, for 30 min. incline of 9, and speed of 4.3 . This was followed by 10×10’s, and posing.

Well, I got my pictures back. And, a flash should have been used. (I’ll shoot my "Photographer/Coach/Torture Master/Dear Sweet Wife" later. I still need her pushing me on, at least until this contest thing is over. *L*  Just kidding, Dear) But, I also posted my most horrible and emberassing pics, from Day one, of starting this journey. Just to give myself and others an idea of how far I’ve come. So, remember, when you give someone a bad rating on their pic, just how much guts it takes to put a pic of themselves up on here. They may have worked their butt off, just to get where they are. That could be the best shape they’ve ever been in. Or, it could be day one of their journey. I’ll get off my soap box for now, on that.

Friday, I ordered my posing trunks. They SHOULD be here in 2 weeks. Saturday, was rather uneventful, aside from the usual work "crap". Sunday, I got in a really good back, bicep, and rear delt workout. Then, went to work. After I got off work, my "Coach/Torture Master/ Dear Sweet Wife" and I went on a nice leisurely 5 mile walk/hike. We saw a deer, a rabbit, some birds, a "smooshed" garter snake, a lizard, some horse droppings. But the nicest thing, was that we didn’t see another human being for the entire 5 miles.

As I’ve been cutting my carbs further and further down, I’ve noticed one glaring detail. I’m getting very cranky with the rest of humanity. Everyone including my wife, the people in line in front of me at the store, the "moron" on the road in front of me, to even people on T.V. . I’m becoming more and more aware of this. So, I’m trying harder to be more careful in my replies to things that irritate the heck out of me. That includes being asked what I want for dinner. I mean, it’s obvious that what I want, and what I will be eating are VERY different things. What I want is spaghetti, pizza, ravioli, oreos, soft buttery rolls, candy bars, french fries, etc. What I will be eating is the obvious… Chicken and tuna… So, don’t ask me what I want… Oops! Sorry for the little rant, there.

I had my wife take some pictures of me at the gym, sunday, and as soon as those are developed and scanned, I will post them. I will also be posting some pics of me from last november. These are fat, lazy, out of shape pics. More as a reminder to myself, than anything, as to how far I’ve come, and where I don’t want to be, again.