By: Dino Pierce

This Is Week #2. Click here for Week #1.

Hello everyone! Welcome to my weekly goals and objectives page/journal. This is week #2. It is sort of a "Dino's path to the 2003 competitive season" page. I have decided to post my weekly plans to the world in attempt to "show you the way." I want to show you that natural bodybuilding can be done if you have the drive to do so.

WEEK #2

Topic of the Week: Posting Your Goals. It Is The Little Things That Add Up!

I have set a goal for myself. I want to compete in the 2003 NPC Team Universe. I qualified for the event this past year when I won the Bantam Division at the Southern Classic in Jackson Mississippi. Every day I try to think about what I need to do to be my best at that show. I am preparing to make my National debut and I want to make a long lasting, eye opening, where in the hell did this kid come from impression. The challenge is coming in better than ever, which is always the true goal of a bodybuilding competition. The reward would be placing in the top 5 and getting to pose in from of the huge audience at the evening show. As I mentioned before I think about what needs to be done to end up where I want to be next year at the Team Universe. Well, I started thinking and as you would have imagined I pushed the envelope even more.

At first I was merely thinking about how I wanted to look on stage during my morning cardio sessions and weekly training sessions. That was great, but I knew that I had to do more than that and I managed to take it a step further. I began to go to bed every night visualizing how I was going to go through prejudging. I would see myself on stage going through the mandatory poses gliding from pose to pose like a true champion enjoying his form of art. I envisioned my muscles appearing bone dry, full, striated, round, and vascular. The envision that I was being conducted for a reason. The mind is very powerful, and much stronger than we think. By seeing these events on a regular basis and making them happen in my mind, the subconscious portion of my mind becomes passively active. By that I mean that your mind actually has the ability to believe what you are envisioning is going to happen or is happening. The mind then begins to attempt to accomplish the envision, it is like a self-programming mechanism.

That is cool huh? Think it and you shall become! Wait, I think that that is similar to a quote that I have heard before. The quote reads, "what man believes man shall become." I began preparing over a year out from my 2003 contest, which is usually held in early August. By the time the Team Universe comes around my mind will have seen the prejudging and evening show so many times that it will be like second nature to me when I actually go through the series of events that I have been visualizing.

I knew that I was on the right path but there had to be a way that I could bump up the mental preparation even more. I began to ask myself "how can I program myself to work harder, how can I constantly keep my ultimate goal in my mind and life 24-7, and what if I were to print it out and read it every day? Would printing a phrase pertaining to my goal be helpful in accomplishing my goals? I knew the answer to the question... YES!

If I were to print out a mental message to myself and post it in plain view it would be a constant reminder. Reminder, why in the heck do you have to remind your self of your own goals? The answer to this question is simple, we are all human. Humans are bound to make mistakes and give in to weakness. The good news is that as humans we are also very intelligent and we can over come even the strongest of desires.

Here is an example. I print out a piece of paper that states:

I take this paper and make several copies of it. I post one in my apartment in a place that it is very visible so that I can see it every day. I post one on my refrigerator as a reminder to myself of my goals every time I go looking for nourishment. When I see this sign it will not only bring me to that mental image that I have of me being on stage, it will also remind me to eat to produce that mental image. I post one in the bathroom so I can use visualization drills as I brush my teeth, shower, get dressed, etc. I post one in my vehicle assuring that it is plain view allowing me to visualize while driving. I post one over my computer so that I can be reminded of my ultimate goal frequently, because I use my computer often being a writer.

I think that you get the point here and it may sound like small petty drills to you but think about this. Posting your goals can be related to a goal post. WHAT? Yeah a place kicker is seldom seen as a "main man" to the football team, but how many times is a game won by one point? What about the field goal kicker that we (The New Orleans Saints) had for years, Morten Anderson? He was, on several occasions, the backbone to the team. Some games were won by his kicks alone. It is the little things that add up. Three points here and one point there ends up winning a game.

The same concept goes with bodybuilding the little things that you have been doing for years are the reason why you are at your level of training today. The little things that you do today will be the result of where you will be next year. The little things that I am doing now are the reasons why I will be on stage at the 2003 NPC Team Universe. Try doing this mind programming exercise you have nothing to lose and everything to gain. Stay positive, believe in yourself, and live out your dreams. We only live once so live the way that you want to because we never get a second chance. Until next week... remember and live by the old phrase that I used last year while preparing for my contests... you gotta be a TANK!

Note: Some of the information below has not changed since last week.

Training

I have switched my training regimen from training 5 days a week to training 3 days a week. This was a recommendation that Maris Lee (long time nutritional/bodybuilding guru) made to me. I respect his input and decided to try it for 6 weeks. I am really busy and training 3 days a week allows me to lose some stress by not having to be thinking about when the heck am I going to train today, allowing me to recuperate adequately, and stay hungry for the gym.

I train each body part once a week. The routine is broken down as follows:

Day #1: Quads, Hamstrings, & Calves
Day #2: Chest, Triceps, & Shoulders
Day #3: Back, Biceps, Traps, & Forearms

I train when it is the most convenient time for me. I never train on the same three days of each week since my schedule does not allow for that much of a set schedule. I also schedule my training days to happen when I feel the most up to it. After being secured at 5:30 pm and being on my feet all day I do not feel like I can attack a full tilt workout like I would be able to first thing in the morning after a meal or two.

Cardio

A goal of mine this year is to stay in shape year round. This means that performing cardio in the off-season is a necessity. Therefore I am committed to following my cardiovascular program all year long. I start my day off by doing 15 minutes of Max-OT style cardio on my treadmill at home every morning! I wake up extra early sacrificing a little sleep, but I never miss remember I just do what I am supposed to do. The intensity level is considerably lower than it would be during the competition season but I am still burning kilocalories and cranking up the old metabolism.

Weekly Cardio Program:

Machine: Treadmill
Time: 15 minutes + 5 warm up minutes
Miles Per Hour (Increase speed every five minutes): 1.8 - 2.5 - 3.0 - 3.4

Weekly Goals & Objectives

I love setting short-term daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly goals. Goal setting is a great habit. Once you set and accomplish your smaller daily goals your larger scale goals have moved that much closer to being accomplished. Great days compiled over a consistent time period equal results in the end. To improve my performance every day of the week, I outline my goals and objectives. These are things that I must accomplish during the week in order for it to be considered a successful one. Each week I will review how well I did in attempting to accomplish them.

My goals for the week were:

1. Maintain consistent protein intake throughout the week and follow my nutritional plan 100%. I will eat high quality protein and supplement with soy and whey protein drinks. I will eat lots of fibrous vegetables. I will only consume liquid high glycemic carbohydrates during and after training. I managed to follow this goal religiously. I mix up a gallon of protein mix containing 100 grams of protein every day. I carried it around with me and kept the amino acids flowing in all day long. On top of this I ate clean bodybuilding protein foods all week long. I used Carboplex, Ultra Fuel, Honey, Syrup, and black strap molasses to reload my glycogen stores following training.

2. I must follow my supplementation plans 100% every day of the week. I will pack my supplements for the next day before turning in each night so I can have them ready to go in the morning. This means loading my film containers with creatine and L- glutamine and filing my pill case. Another sacrifice, but the results are worth it. I managed this goal as well. I even went out of town fully prepared and had all of my supplements filled for the next day so that when I wok up the next morning I was all set to begin the supplementation program.

3. I must use an intelligent weight selection when training. I need to concentrate on working and building the muscle utilizing great execution during training. I must get inside the muscle mentally to understand what I am doing during each exercise. I must attempt to go as heavy as possible while maintaining perfect form and execution during the movements. I need to work on this harder. I use great form but at times a sacrifice a little to get a few more repetitions in. Cheats are good but not when you use them on every other set.

4. I must complete my cardio sessions, which are scheduled every morning. They will be done according to the prescribed intensity or with an increased level of intensity. I am great about this but I missed one morning because I stayed out late entertaining guests and I had to wake up early the next day. I rationalized that because I was up for a long time I had burned some kilocalories. This was wrong, wrong, wrong! I need to make more sacrifices and I should have come in earlier or stayed up late doing cardio.

My goals for the week are:

1. Maintain my consistent protein intake throughout the week and follow my nutritional plan 100%.

2. I must follow my supplementation plans 100% every day of the week.

3. I must use an intelligent weight selection when training. I need to concentrate on working and building the muscle utilizing great execution during training. I must get inside the muscle mentally to understand what I am doing during each exercise. I must attempt to go as heavy as possible while maintaining perfect form and execution during the movements.

4. I must complete my cardio sessions, which are scheduled every morning. They will be done according to the prescribed intensity or with an increased level of intensity.

5. I must constantly remember what my goal for the 2003 competitive year is (NPC Team Universe)! I must present myself as a National level bodybuilder. I need to be assertive, proud, maintain eye contact, realize who I am becoming and live it out. I need to do this to be where I want to be next year and to represent my sponsors (Bodybuilding.com) with honor.

6. I must begin to consume an nocturnal meal. I will set an alarm and wakeup during the night to down a protein drink. This will keep me anabolic at all times, which is critical during the off-season. It is all about being anabolic and growing muscle right now.

Current Supplementation Plan

Daily Supplement Regimen:

3000 mg Vitamin C
Multivitamin
Vitamin E
Vitamin A
30 grams L-Glutamine (spread through day)
15 grams of Creatine Monohydrate (post cardio/workout)
Nighttime ZMA
Glucosamine
EFAs
Calcium
Ripped Fuel** (Progressed to two capsules before training with weights and sometimes in the morning)

At this point I am not too concerned about being as precise concerning my exact nutrient totals. All I am worried about is getting in at least 300 grams of protein a day. Additionally, I take all of the supplements listed above but the times vary depending on when I can down a meal to take my supplements with. I do not keep a food log anymore. This is the first time in about 4 years that I have stopped doing this but I feel that I know how to eat now. I am really busy and I do not want too much added pressure and stress because it is bad enough as is. I know that when I began to prepare for the 2003 contest season I will maintain a log once again and eat according to a strict meticulous schedule for 25 - 30 weeks so I need this mental break during the off season.

Dino Paul Pierce, CFT (III)
B.S. Dietetics
Natural Bodybuilder

littlekahuna69@hotmail.com

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