After my cheat meal last week I'm not craving any type of food like I was before I ate the chocolate and potatoes. All I am thinking about now is training hard and smart, practicing my posing and keeping the intensity up in my cardio. This week changed in many areas. My training split changed, diet was modified again and cardio has been increased.
It's been a busy week also with many things other than bodybuilding taking up my time, but as always, when I'm this close to a show, bodybuilding has taken priority. The nerves are starting to kick in. I want everything to be perfect but we will have to wait and see.
Diet
No carbs (excluding veggies which I count as no carbs since they are irrelevant) are being consumed after 8:30 A.M. Practically all carbs are coming from fruit which I have never ever done before but as I have said in the past, my decision making privileges in regards to what and when I eat have been removed and given to Duncan and he is doing a fantastic job. Here's the food plan.
| 4 A.M | ½ Grapefruit, Black Coffee |
| 4:15 A.M | 40 Min walk |
| 5 A.M | Apple, Orange, Kiwi Fruit, Pear (1 of each) |
| 6 A.M | Weights |
| 7:30 A.M | Pear or Apple |
| 8 A.M | 6 e/w, ½ cup brown rice, 2 slices of pineapple |
| 9 A.M | 100g tuna, half a handful of almonds and sunflower seeds |
| 12 P.M | 100g Chicken, Salad |
| 4 P.M | 100g Tuna, Veggies (Capsicum, Carrot, Beans, Zuchini), 2 teaspoons of vinegar |
| 7:30 P.M | 100g Chicken, Veggies (Capsicum, Carrot, Beans, Zuchini) |
Well that's what I was eating for the past week. The vinegar is for the liver so it can clean out all the excess stuff the body doesn't need. I found that due to all the fruit I don't really crave anything, since fruit is sweet, I still get the normal cravings but not like the last couple of weeks.
I was really needing my sleep due to the low carbs and the nature of how my daily food intake was spread out. If I got adequate sleep I found that I got through the day quite well but if I didn't I struggled.
Training
At 2 weeks out I decided I wanted to train everything 3 more times before the show. I restructured my split so this would occur. So for this week and for next week this is what I did/will be doing.
Sunday 29th - Quads, Hams, Calves
Monday 30th - Chest, Shoulders, Traps, Upper/Lower Abs
Tuesday 1st - Back, Arms, Upper Abs
Wednesday 2nd - Off (Lower Abs)
Thursday 3rd - Quads, Hams, Calves
Friday 4th - Chest, Shoulders, Traps, Upper/Lower Abs
Saturday 5th - Back, Upper Abs
Sunday 6th - Arms, Lower Abs
Monday 7th - Quads, Hams, Calves
Tuesday 8th - Chest, Shoulders, Traps, Calves, Upper/Lower Abs
Wednesday 9th - Back, Traps
Thursday 10th - Arms
Friday 11th - Off
Saturday 12th - Off
Sunday 13th - Show Time
That's what I did from the 29th until the 5th of October. I have tried to keep the same reps, sets and style in training that I have the past 2 weeks, just adding a little variation in this week by adding in an additional drop set at the end of each muscle group.
Cardio
I increased cardio by about 10 minutes, keeping the same intensity. So therefore in the morning it is up to 50 minutes with a high intensity and pace. I have also added a 20 minute cardio session at night. This is to burn extra calories so they are not "slept on". I found this works really well to get really shredded once already at a low body fat.
Sunday
Got up with a really full feeling this morning due to my cheat meal last night. I felt a bit cramped and tight in the stomach during cardio but nothing major. I was okay once I got home.
I trained abs as soon as I had finished cardio, doing Upper Abs, Lower Abs and Obliques. I trained legs this morning and have changed it up a bit by removing squats and super setting 2 exercises in the middle of the workout.
Quads, Hams, Calves
Leg Extensions - 5 sets of 30 to 10 reps + drop set
Leg Press + Stiff Legged Deadlift - 3 sets of 15 reps
Leg Curl - 5 sets of 30 to 10 reps + drop set
Leg press Calf Raises - 3 sets of 20 reps
Standing Calf raises - 3 sets of 20 reps
Due to the cheat meal last night cardio has pulled a double shift today, which I didn't mind because I was getting quite hungry between my second to last and my last meal.
Monday
It was a good walk this morning. The way I go is exactly 50 minutes from door to door so that is a bonus. Due to my revised split it was an intense workout this morning, having to fit in shoulders. The muscles were worked for the whole hour and a half.
Chest
Incline Smith Machine Press
Dips
Flat Chest Press
Peck Deck
Shoulders
Machine Press
Upright Cable Row
Side Raise
Reverse Peck Deck
Traps
Rear Smith Machine Shrug
Dumbbell Press
Tuesday
I am starting to get really tired due to the early mornings and lack of total calories. Up to about 10 A.M. I am fine and then fatigue really sets in. Not to worry, the show is getting closer and I am really looking forward to it. I trained Back and Arms this morning and it was a good workout.
Back
Chins
Incline Lying Dumbbell Row
Close Grip Cable Row
Hyper Extensions
Biceps
Seated Alternate Dumbbell Curl
Standing Cable Curl
Triceps
One Arm Extension
Pressdowns
Wednesday
It was all cardio today. In the morning I walked for a little over 50 minutes and at night I went for another 20 minutes about 45 minutes after my last meal.
After feeling really tired the past couple days I sat myself down and thought about what I wanted to achieve, how long was left to go, what I have already put into the show and then told myself to suck it up and go hard for the next 11 days or so. It will be all good after this week as I will have no assignments to do and I can just go to the gym, college and then come home and relax. Can't wait.
Thursday
This morning was the hardest morning to get out of bed. I was so comfortable and tired I just wanted to lie there but I got out of bed and on the road by my usual time of about 4:10 A.M. and it was a good paced cardio session.
In the gym it was a little less intense than usual but this happened last competition and I expected it this competition. As my energy levels deteriorate, I can't keep up the same intensity, so I focus on the contraction, speed of both the negative and positive phases of the rep and overall form.
Quads, Hams, Calves
Leg Extensions - 4 sets of 20 reps + drop set
Close Legged Squats - 3 sets of 15 reps
Stiff Legged Deadlift - 3 sets of 15 reps
Leg Curl - 4 sets of 20 reps + drop set
Leg press Calf Raises - 3 sets of 20 reps
Standing Calf raises - 3 sets of 20 reps
Friday
It was another hard morning to get up but the cardio session was one of the better ones. It was really intense and it went for about 55 minutes. I trained chest and shoulders today, it was a great workout. I will decrease volume as energy reduces now.
Chest
Incline Smith Machine Press - 4 sets of 20 to 7 reps
Flat machine Press - 3 sets of 20 to 8 reps
Dips - 2 sets to failure
Peck Deck - 3 sets of 15 to 5 reps + drop set
Shoulders
Machine Press - 4 sets of 20 to 10 reps
Front Raises - 3 sets of 20 to 10 reps
Side Raises - 3 sets of 20 to 8 reps + drop set
Reverse Peck Deck - 1 set to failure
WOW, a good workout on low carbs! I posed after I trained chest but before I trained shoulders and my chest was full. I have never seen it like that before so close out from a show... and ripped! After shoulders I trained upper abs which was a good workout also. I went and saw Duncan today for details on how the last week is going to pan out and what can I say...
Saturday
Waking up so close to the show I was keen for a good cardio session, as soon as I could open my eyes that was. I was stuffed but I was up and out the door on time.
I killed this cardio session and got home in just over 50 minutes and was feeling good. I think I used all the energy I reserved by sleeping on cardio cause I was rat shit in the gym. I was really tired although I had a good posing session afterwards. I trained Back and traps.
Back
Lat Pulldown - 4 sets of 20 to 5 reps
Bent Over Row - 3 sets of 15 reps
Cable Pulldown with Straight Arms - 2 sets of 20 reps
Close Grip Cable Row - 3 sets of 20 to 10 reps + drop set
Hyperextensions - 3 sets of 20 reps
Traps
Smith Machine Shrugs - 3 sets of 20 to 10 reps
Dumbbell Curls - 3 sets of 20 to 10 reps + drop set
I went and picked all my tanning supplies this afternoon as well as finalizing what I will be doing the final week before the show. All I will say is if I make it to Friday all will be good. I am confident everything will go well and I am happy with what I have achieved so far. Another easy walk was done tonight also for about 20 minutes.
Sunday
You might notice there is an extra day this week, which is because my diet changes tomorrow for the final week and I will do a total run down on each day in the next article.
This morning was a focused cardio session. I concentrated on getting my pace and heart rate to a level that I was satisfied with and then focused on maintaining it for the whole session. I trained arms and lower abs this morning and then posed for about 15 minutes in the gym.
Triceps
Pressdowns - 4 sets of 25 to 6 reps + drop set
One Arm Extensions - 4 sets of 15 to 4 reps + drop set
Biceps
Standing Cable Curl - 4 sets of 25 to 5 reps + drop set
One Arm Preacher Curl - 3 sets of 20 to 10 reps + drop set
Not very much intensity just a lot of flexing, posing and squeezing during my sets.
Well I am less than one week out and I am in the best condition of my life. I hope all my hard work has paid off and I will post my results on the message boards the day after the show. Wish me luck and I will give you my final weeks rundown and Day of the Show article within a couple of weeks.
Until Next Time,