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Mission Grand Prix: 117 Days to Go — Deload Week

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Deload WeekThis week is a deload week for me. This is a very important part of the strategy for contest preparation. It gives my body some time to recover before we put it through the rigorous training that will start on January 1, 2012.

Cardio Training

Today was a cardio only day. While I am not fond of cardio, I am motivated to get it done because I want to be as lean as I possibly can. It is at times like this that I am thankful I have a trainer. Chris has told me not to over do the cardio. He specifically dialed back the amount of time I spend doing cardio. Had I been preparing on my own I am sure I'd have gone in the other direction.

My cardio training is now the high intensity cardio format. I am not doing intervals as much. I will be throwing them in after weight training workouts, but will not use them during dedicated cardio sessions such as the one I did today.

 

Cardio After Weights

One new wrinkle is that Chris has me doing cardio after my weight training. It is a very short (10 minutes) session of intervals, but it is designed to help us maximize my fat burning potential. After all the glycogen has been expended through a tough weight training session, this interval cardio has the potential to burn a tremendous amount of fat. This is another strategy that we are using for contest preparation.

Nutrition

Today was a banner day. I ate nothing but chicken, beef, sweet potato, spinach and water. The focus that was there before is getting even more laser guided. I can feel the difference. The anticipation of the start of 2012 has me bearing down more than before. I can see major changes in the pictures I posted on Saturday and I am looking forward to the pictures to come on this Saturday.

I'd love it if you would share with me your thoughts on getting lean. What has worked for you and what has not that you thought would?

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Mission Grand Prix: 118 Days to Go – Shoulder Training

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Shoulder Training

Shoulder Training

With the show 118 days to go and the mass building program in place, my shoulder workout today was a great one. I was unable to train with my trainer, Chris Albert, so I hit the gym by myself and blasted those shoulders. The feeling was gone in my shoulders in no time. Just a pair of numb shoulders was all I was left with!

DB Overhead Press 35 lbs. x 15; 40 lbs. x 15; 50 lbs. x 15
DB Side Laterals
{ss
DB Front Laterals		 15 lbs. x 15 x 3

10 lbs. x 15 x 3
Upright rows 35 lbs. x 15; 45 lbs. x 15; 55 lbs. x 15
DB Bent Laterals 10 lbs. x 15 x 3
Overhead press with log 165 lbs. x 8; 165 lbs. x 8

This workout hits all angles of the shoulders and aims to build mass and a balanced appearance.

My Impressions

It struck me tonight that I should be journaling this entire experience in addition to blogging about it. Thus, I am going to start journaling my personal thoughts and may share those in some form at some time in the future. My impressions are varied. I see things from so many different angles. I am enjoying the process even though it is hard work. My biggest downfall so far has been not focusing on the cardio enough, but I have fixed that this week. I have even added a very short 10-minute HIIT session after my weight training. I average about 110 calories burned in each of those sessions, so I am burning an additional 440 calories a week at this point. In addition, I am hitting my longer sessions as well using High Intensity Cardio. I’ve become a big believer in varying the cardio training and this fits right in with that mindset.

What are your biggest cardio challenges? Share with us by leaving a comment below.

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Mission Grand Prix: 119 Days to Go – Back Training

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Back Workout

Back Training

With 119 days to go until the NPC Amateur Grand Prix, I spent the morning at Metroflex Long Beach training my back muscles. I completed a nice workout that consisted of the following:

Snatch Grip Deadlifts 115 lbs. x 10; 165 lbs. x 10; 185 lbs. x 10
Wide Grip Pull Downs 90 lbs. x 10; 120 lbs. x 10; 150 lbs. x 10
Bent Over Rows 115 lbs. x 15; 135 lbs. x 15; 155 lbs. x 15
Close Grip Cable Rows 120 lbs. x 15; 150 lbs. x 15; 180 lbs. x 15
T-Bar Rows 90 lbs. x 10 x 5

This workout was designed to build some width in my entire back area.

Family Time

Today was also the day for our annual family Christmas lunch where I get to see my niece and her children as well as my brother. We drove to Santa Monica (1 hour drive). The entire family had a blast. We laughed and told stories. It was over too quickly.

Planning Ahead

In the interest of planning ahead, my trainer sent over my new nutrition plan that will begin January 1, 2012. This is the plan for the first 2 weeks of my contest preparation and will get altered as we assess my progress. He also listed out the supplements he’d like me taking during this time. I spent some time on the True Nutrition website putting together an order. I was amazed at how many combinations I could put together to customize my order. I was able to add Stevia as a sweetener, add flavoring, etc. I highly recommend True Nutrition for your supplement needs. They have a large selection, have an easy to navigate site and allow you to customize your selections. The only downfall was their checkout and payment process. It was very slow because of how they assembled the steps.

Today I’d love for you to tell us about your planning issues and how you deal with planning in general.

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Mission Grand Prix: 120 days to go!

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Mission Grand Prix Is Born

About 5 months ago I came to the owner of the Metroflex Gym in Long Beach to discuss my situation. I explained to him that I had been stuck at the same weight and fat percentage for months and that I was getting frustrated. He talked with me, took a look at my training and examined my nutrition. He agreed to work with me to get me to my goals. About 3 weeks into the program I announced to him that I had always wanted to step on stage for a bodybuilding competition. As a competitive bodybuilder himself, he encouraged me to pick a date and go for it. As I examined the calendar, April 14, 2012 jumped out at me. The NPC Amateur Grand Prix in Culver City, California would be where I would make my entrance into the world of bodybuilding.

Transformation Process

I started out at 32% body fat and 240 lbs. on the scale.

Day1

Day2

Day3

Today I am at 19% body fat and 225 lbs. on the scale. I’ve lost 30 lbs. of fat and gained 15 lbs. of lean body mass.

FrontRelaxed

SideRelaxed

BackRelaxed

FrontLat

RearLat

My Thoughts on This Mission Grand Prix

The idea of doing the work doesn’t scare me at all. Honestly, even the idea of not doing well isn’t on my mind at all. I know I am not only going to get the job done, but I am going to kill it on stage. I have an amazing support system in my family, my trainer and my posing coach. I am working hard at nutrition and training. I am overcoming every obstacle placed in my way. I want to do this for myself, but I also want other 46 year old men to realize that it is never too late to get yourself into shape. If I can do it, anyone can do it!

Posing

As mentioned, I have a posing coach, Ken Turchek, and he is putting me through the paces. We had our first session yesterday. I was very surprised at both the tricks to getting your muscles to pop as well as how difficult posing really is. Ken is going to work with me to perfect my posing techniques. Together we will present the best body at the 2011 Amateur Grand Prix.

Nutrition and Training

My trainer and nutritionist is Chris Albert. He has just finished work on an eBook called Getting to Shredded and having personally utilized the principles in that book, I can highly recommend his methods. The way he works reminds me a lot of everything I was taught by my friend and mentor, Carlos DeJesus. Chris works me hard and feeds me well. He has my metabolism running on high.

The Next 17 Weeks

Today marks 120 days until the show. That means I have 17 weeks to get into ripped shape. I know I am going to get there. My contest dieting begins on January 1, 2012. I am changing up my training a bit at that point as well. I will be pushing hard to win this thing! I appreciate your support.

My Challenge To You

If you are reading this post I have a challenge for you. Tell me (in the comments below) what is the ONE thing that keeps you from getting into the best shape of your life. I look forward to reading your comments. Please help me along this journey towards a successful bodybuilding debut.

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