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 By: Alex Stewart
WOW! 6 weeks out. Crunch time. This is when the pain of dieting really starts to sink in. For the past 2 weeks (8-6 weeks out) dieting has got a little harder. As the red meat was switched up to fish. Also I am eating on time each day and made sure that I only eat 6 meals. In the past I would eat 6-7 meals depending on the day. My body really doesn't like to cut out the red meat but I have to at this point to tighten up. Nothing will tighten you up more than some white fish in replace of red meat. My secret is to have some Wild Salmon every 3 days to trick the body into thinking you are having red meat. The healthy fats in the Wild Salmon help to keep your muscles full. Also the extra fats support healthy testosterone levels. As you start to change the amount of calories your testosterone levels can also be effected.
To maintain testosterone levels, healthy fats from your red meat/ wild salmon and health fats in pill form will go a long way. Wild Salmon is very high in the Omega fats and it is still leaner than the steak so it fits perfectly into this two week stint of no red meat. I don't like it when people go for more than three days without some kind of healthy fat source as I find it will hamper your testosterone level and also make your muscles look flat. Anyways enough with the diet, let get to the training. Yes, without the red meat the muscles didn't look as full but the cuts are coming in and things are starting to pop when I'm in the gym.
  Click To Enlarge. Alex Stewart Six Weeks Out. Although I am not as full, strength has still been maintained. I was able to deadlift from the floor 500 lbs at the 6 weeks out mark. Since my last show I have not performed deadlifts from the floor in the hopes this would shrink my waist and boy has it paid off. I have been able to increase my thickness to my back while shrinking my waist by performing deadlifts from the rack at just above knee height. I changed up my split so I will be hitting my shoulders twice a week and everything will be hit over a seven day span. I really want to see if I can cap my shoulders a little more as I go into my show.
Everyday I eat the same foods.
 Click To Enlarge. Alex Stewart Six Weeks Out. Element is a great simple carb to have post workout. I make sure that I have enough simple carbs to help the muscle recover but not too much because I don't want to interfere with the fat loss process of worse off add fat.
As you can see I take in more simple carbs for the bigger muscle groups and less for the smaller as the bigger muscles need more carbs to recover.
During Lifting:
The added ZMA and TestoJack are there to support normal hormone levels.
 Click To Enlarge. Alex Stewart Six Weeks Out.
Close Grip Bench Press: 4 Sets Of 8 Reps Barbell Curls: 4 Sets Of 8 Reps Lying Triceps Extentions: 3 Sets Of 20, 15, Then 10 Reps Incline Curls: 3 Sets Of 15, 12, Then 10 Reps Reverse Cable Pushdowns: 3 Sets Of 15 Reps High Cable Curls: 3 Sets Of 15 Reps  Click Here For A Printable Log Of The Arms Workout.
This is the first time in a very long time that I have devoted an entire day to just arms and boy does it feel good. In my next off season I will make sure to focus on bringing up my arms and continue to give my arms their own training day. I like supersetting back and forth with the biceps and triceps as the pump is amazing. My arms feel like they are going to explode when performing your workout like this.
Dumbbell Front Raises: 3 Sets Of 12 Reps Cable Front Raises: 3 Sets To Failure Click Here For A Printable Log Of The First Shoulder Workout.
I have actually gotten strong as the prep has come along with all my pressing at about seven weeks out I did a set, with the 90 lbs dumbbells for shoulder presses. The side lateral drop set is humbling. Honestly the thing kicks my @ss every time, but it is so worth it when you are done. Your shoulders are popping like crazy. I don't really do much for my rear delts as they get plenty of stimulation with all my rowing exercises on back day and honestly they are stronger than my side and front heads of my shoulders
Barbell Rows: 3 Sets Of 12 Reps Wide Grip Pulldowns: 3 Sets Of 12 Reps T-Bar Rows: 3 Sets Of 25 Reps Behind the Neck Pulldowns: 3 Sets Of 12 Reps Click Here For A Printable Log Of The Back Workout.
My back workout is very intense. My girlfriend noticed it one day and said to me if you trained the rest of your body like you train your back you would have some Big Muscles! Then laughed. She was joking but seriously told me that I am in a completely different level when I train my back. I use very heavy weight even with supersets and between those sets I take very short rest periods. I guess everyone has that muscle that responds very well and mine is my back.
Click Here For A Printable Log Of The Chest Workout.
As you can see this past couple weeks I focused solely on dumbbell use completely with my chest training. Nothing gives you a better contraction than the complete range of motion as the dumbbells do. I also added the pullover in the mix which is a favorite of mine, it has the added benefit of bringing in the serratus also.
This was the day I got 500 for a single Click Here For A Printable Log Of The Legs Workout.
I had no intention of doing floor deadlifts that day, it was just a spur of the moment thing. Was going to do my regular stiff-legged deadlifts and said h#ll, haven't done them in a while, let's see if we still have it. Boy did it feel good.
Dumbbell Front Raises: 3 Sets Of 12 Reps Cable Front Raises: 3 Sets To Failure Click Here For A Printable Log Of The Second Shoulder Workout.
The second shoulder workout is very similar to the first one just a couple different exercises. The extra frequency, working them out twice a week is something I have been afraid to do in the past because of fear I would overtrain them.
 Click To Enlarge. Alex Stewart Six Weeks Out.
In this sport most of the things you are afraid of, are usually the best things for you. So I tossed fear to the side and drove right into it. And have to say after 2 weeks of doing this. I am glad I did and wish I did this sooner. Overall this has been a great 2 weeks. A little tough here and there with the calorie dip in diet but I gutted it out as always and made the best of it. The Arnold is coming up in a week so that should be a blast. I am working the Bodywell Nutrition Booth. Dieting is never fun at those shows as the desire to cheat is crazy with all the tasty treats at the expo and not to mention the long day on your feet working the show. But h#ll I signed up for this and no one else made me do it. Everything will be worth it when I am the last man stand on the stage. Until next time, "FEAR NOTHING". Recommend this article to a friend by e-mail here!
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