Shaving body hair for a competition is something all bodybuilders go through. As you know, I am preparing for a show in April 2012. My advisor informed me that he wanted me to begin shaving down so that I could take better care of my skin. The prospect of shaving off my body hair was daunting at best because I have a lot of it!

I began my assignment of shaving body hair by doing some research on Google. I came up with many interesting articles on the topic. They all seemed to suggest using clippers to get off the majority of the hair and then following up later with a razor. Thus, I purchased a set of clippers from Amazon.com for my project.

When the clippers arrived I read all the instructions. I then went to work following the advice of others about shaving body hair. I started by shaving down my legs. It was going to be a four day process all told. I used strictly the clippers and got my leg hair down to a very small length. The next evening I shaved my upper body with the clippers. It felt strange to be without my body hair. On the third night I used the razor and shaved my legs of all the stubble that had developed. Finally, on the fourth night, I shaved my upper body with the razor.

I have now gone an entire week without body hair. It is an odd feeling. I have had to shave just one more time to remove stubble, so it appears that this is going to be a weekly thing for me. That's not bad considering what I expected (multiple times a week).

Shaving body hair is a necessary evil if you want to compete in a show. I have been asked why I did it so early. There are two answers: (1) my advisor said to do it; and (2) it enables me to take better care of my skin. I can now apply skin lotion to my arms and legs without the body hair getting in the way. I am already seeing a difference in my skin as a result. We men tend to not take as good care of our skin as we should and it shows when you remove the body hair.

At this point I am sold on the idea. I am doing whatever it takes to win this competition in April 2012. This was just another step in the process. Be aware of this if you ever consider doing a show.

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Making strategic changes along the way will improve your progress if done correctly. As I move towards my goal of stepping on stage April 14, 2011 my trainer is making small changes to my nutrition plan to maximize the training we are doing. If you are unsure what this means please read on.

Strategic Changes Based Upon Feedback

At one point, as the weight training I was doing progressed to complexes (3 or more exercises performed in a row without rest focusing on one body part), my energy levels were extremely low. In fact, they simply fell off the chart. After giving that feedback to my trainer he made  a small adjustment to my program — eat fruit with the first 3 meals of the day when it is a weight training day.

Strategic Changes Based Upon Results

As I go along on this path towards competing my goal I am producing results each week. Some weeks I have great results and others I produce results that aren't as great. However, I am always producing some kind of results. Based upon these results we make strategic adjustments to my weight training and nutrition plans. For instance, my fat loss is still progressing, but has slowed significantly over the past 2 weeks. As a result, my trainer cut all my starchy carbs by 1/3. This means that if I was taking in 1/2 cup of brown rice at a given meal it is now a little less than 1/3 of a cup. The results produced will then be analyzed again and more adjustments made depending upon those results.

Strategic Changes Improve Progress

By making continual small strategic changes each week we avoid plateaus that cause frustration and delay the ultimate goal. We take pictures weekly and adjust according to the visual results, actual tested numbers and how I feel physically. None of the changes are drastic. In fact, the entire idea of this approach is to avoid drastic changes all at one time. This improves progress, but it also helps me to stay motivated as I avoid long plateau periods.

If you want to see some great progress in your fitness program, use this approach of making small strategic adjustments.

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Have you ever wondered why people do not reach their fitness goals? If you've given this topic any thought at all there's no doubt that you can come up with numerous reasons. I am going to assume that people are doing what they are supposed to–eating right, exercising hard and tracking their progress–and yet still not reaching their fitness goals.

I believe that most people mean well, but they don't have the proper strategy to reach their goals. They do research and find things to do to continually change up their training. They eat 5 to 6 small meals a day. They take their body fat and circumfernce measurements weekly. They keep track of their results over time. They log down all of their training. So what is the problem?

Imagine that a person has decided that eating low-carb is the way to go for them. They set out eating on a low-carb program. They begin to see some immediate results on the scale. This is simply more conformation that they are going in the right direction. After a few weeks the weight loss slows down. They lower the carbs even more. Over time, they just stop losing weight.

How about the situation where the person is in the weight room lifting heavy. They've read that they need 2 to 3 minutes of rest between sets, so they take that time. They work very hard week in and week out, but just don't see the pounds coming off their frame. This causes them to lift even heavier. Still the results just don't seem to be what they'd like.

So what is wrong in both of those examples? If you've missed it, read the examples again. The answer is obvious–there is just no clear strategy for getting the fat off.

When entering into a program where you have goals you'd like to achieve, you have to come up with a strategy for eating and training that will compliment the goals you have. The strategy has to consider all the various angles like gaining muscle mass while burning fat.

A sample strategy for fat loss and muscle gain would involve changes to the weight training program being followed. By tweaking the rest periods and making them shorter there is a cardio component added to the training. Growth hormone release will be increased by increasing the intensity of the training sessions. Mixing up the training and adding in explosiveness will also increase your chances of hitting your goals. Since fat loss is part of the goal, add in cardio training on the days that you are not lifting weights. Be sure to add the cardio slowly, starting with 20 minutes each session at least 3 times a week. Only increase the cardio if your results slow down.

By following a strategy that is customized for your results you are sure to achieve any goal you set for yourself. A strategy will organize your efforts into a battle plan that will be unstoppable. Everyone can achieve goals when they add strategy to their thinking process. So, what's holding you back? Try adding some strategic thinking to your plan and watch your results skyrocket!

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There is something about accountability that helps one achieve the goals they set for themselves. With me it has been an essential element to my program. This is why I want to describe to you a goal I've set for myself and how I came to the conclusion that it needed to be done now.

Positive Pressure

I am a big believer that putting positive pressure on yourself will get you to reach goals you may have fallen short of without the positive pressure. The extra push you get from the positive pressure you gain momentum towards achieving your goals. The problem becomes figuring out what the positive pressure should be for you.

I have often thought about stepping onto a bodybuilding stage. I realized that this was a positive pressure that would help me a lot.

Why now?

The timing of all this was important to my journey. I was making great progress in my body transformation, but I knew I'd need that extra little push. I work best when I have something to work towards. Getting into bodybuilder shape is something I've always strived to do. That's why I decided now was the right time to get this done. I have got to have a tough, but achieveable goal for myself.

What's the date?

I am going to participate in an NPC show in Culver City on Saturday, April 14, 2012. I plan to win. I know it is going to happen because I have a great trainer (Chris Albert) and a strong drive to succeed. Chris and I make a great team. I enjoy giving him feedback and watching as he goes to work utilizing it to improve the program we are on together. I also cannot argue with the results I've been getting. I can see my goal is now within reach. In just a few months I will be given the first place trophy at my very first competition. I will be in the best shape I've ever been in. I hope you join me along the journey.

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