4 weeks out pics!!!!

[Uconish]

took a bunch of pics, but the lighting is bad on some of them but some look good.....Let me know whats up!

[Iron freak]

you should look damb good in four weeks.plenty of size.

[PROTEINSHAKE]

great job bro!!! Keep up the great work...ck your pm

[Random]

Uconish

Looking good man! whats your cardio at? and have you gotten BF tested?

your keepin the size but i think you should up your cardio...dont get me wrong, your lookin decent but i think it looks more like 6-7 wks out vs 4 wks out...im sure you just holdin some water...Honestly though i think you could place very well if you dial it in right...

CD

[spound]

You've improved again, but the progress between these pics and the last is not as great as the ones b4. Please outline what you are doing as far as carbs, cardio and training; please also list any recent changes you have made to any of the above three areas listed and explain when the changes were made, and we can go from there.

[gio86]

great size bro..your looking good. by 4 weeks you should be even tighter.

[Random]

great size bro..your looking good. by 4 weeks you should be even tighter.

By 4 wks out??? he IS 4 wks out.

[Uconish]

hey guys.....As far as cardio, from week 6 to week 5 i was doing 7 one hour sessions in the mornings, 4 30 min sessions afetr i lifted....From weeks 5 -4 i upped it to 7 one hour sessions in the mornings, and 5 35 min sessions after i trained....Starting today, weeks 4-3, i upped my cardio to 75 min in the mornings, 7 sessions, and 5 30min sessions afetr i lift.......Does this look good? I lift 5 days a week for an hour, plus the extra cardio sessions ive been doing after i train...My carbs were at 150grams at weeks 6-5, but i dropped them to 120 last week, and so far ive stuck with 120grams for this week, but should i alter it to maybe 100 grams on training days? Also, i use rice cakes for after i train, but am considering switching to sweet potatoes, was planning on doing this at 3 weeks out, but will start sooner if it sounds like a good idea?

My diet is 120 carbs on training days (5 days a week)...and 60 on nontraining days....On nontraining days i take in some more EFA's... Sample diet below

Meal 1) Immediately after i finish cardio, 1 scoop of whey and BCAA's (this is done so i have time to shower and get ready for school)

Meal 2) 10 eggs whites
1 cup of oats

Meal 3) 5oz chicken breast(cooked weight)
Broccolli
15 grams of fat from Flax Seed Oil

Meal 4) 5oz chicken breast
Broccolli
15 grams of fat from Natural PB

Meal 5) Post workout 2 scoops of whey and 6 rice cakes

Meal 6) 6oz cod (cooked weight)
Salad
20 grams fat from olive oil

Meal 7) 8 egg whites
2 whole eggs

[Uconish]

Uconish

Looking good man! whats your cardio at? and have you gotten BF tested?

your keepin the size but i think you should up your cardio...dont get me wrong, your lookin decent but i think it looks more like 6-7 wks out vs 4 wks out...im sure you just holdin some water...Honestly though i think you could place very well if you dial it in right...

CD

Am i really 3 weeks behind......im sooooooo confused now because i new i was alittle behind, but not a whole 3 weeks....this prep has been the most frustrating thing ive ever done in my llfe, because no matter how you look, you are always going to think you look like shit....I dont know what im doing wrong, and i can hinestly say ive put more effort into getting ready for this show than anything ive ever done in my life......sorry, just really frustrated

[Random]

Uconish

no worries man, youll do fine...i wouldnt say youre necessarily 3 wks behind...however it does look like youre holding more water than usual which isnt really a bad thing because it can keep strength levels high and keep your fullness, i would consider just gradually dropping your sodium levels just to get a better idea where you really stand..and upping the cardio is a very good thing, i would start posing after workouts too, or later in the day to burn extra cals.....and lastly i would not switch carb source or add new ones, stick to what youve been using...dont worry man, youll do fine stay on track man!! best of luck

CD

[Random]

I would also get BF tested as you can not always tell just from pics alone...and 60g of carbs on non training days might be a bit low, id go around 80-90g....

[Uconish]

Uconish

no worries man, youll do fine...i wouldnt say youre necessarily 3 wks behind...however it does look like youre holding more water than usual which isnt really a bad thing because it can keep strength levels high and keep your fullness, i would consider just gradually dropping your sodium levels just to get a better idea where you really stand..and upping the cardio is a very good thing, i would start posing after workouts too, or later in the day to burn extra cals.....and lastly i would not switch carb source or add new ones, stick to what youve been using...dont worry man, youll do fine stay on track man!! best of luck

CD

Would taking a diuretic lets say this sunday to see how much water is excreted and how i would look be a bad idea? Kind of a test to assess where im at as far as water retention.......

[Random]

Hmm..na i wouldnt do it, cuz then it would be harder to peak for the show in my opinion....

[GGallin]

Wear a trash bag into the sauna. Works every time. Just dont go too long and drink some damne water.

[spound]

Am i really 3 weeks behind......im sooooooo confused now because i new i was alittle behind, but not a whole 3 weeks....this prep has been the most frustrating thing ive ever done in my llfe, because no matter how you look, you are always going to think you look like shit....I dont know what im doing wrong, and i can hinestly say ive put more effort into getting ready for this show than anything ive ever done in my life......sorry, just really frustrated

No...don't get caught up in all that, it varies from person to person. Some people don't even look like they are dieting until the week before a show, other people are peeled and ready to go at 3 weeks out...it depends a lot on the individual. I have seen guys further behind than you before (myself) and come in shreaded, so it can still be done. Plus, whos to say what 3 weeks out is or should be?, or 5 weeks out? It's very relative. Don't worry about getting your bodyfat tested, it's BS anyways b/c it will probably be inaccurate, and just mess with your head. Shit, in my picture I was calipered at 6%, but everyone looking at me guessed I was 3-4%. DOn't even worry about it, it only matters waht you look like, not what the calipers say. If they read you at a low bodyfat, then you get a false sense of security and lsoe motivation, if they read high, then you get upset and it will mess with you psyche.

DO NOT TAKE ANY DIURETICS YET. And DEFIANTELY do not go in a sauna with a ****in trash bag on OR lower your sodium.....I am sorry people, but please don't offer any advice if you do not knwo what yoru tlaking about. If you lower sodium you will feel liek shit, and have a harder time staying full or lifting heavier or getting a pump=muscle loss. Doing any of the above things could host a huge list of problems b/c they will all mess with your electrolytes which it is wayyyy too early to be doing that! THis could cause cramping, inefficiency of nutrient transportation etc...YOu still have a freakin MONTH left!! That's a long time, and huge changes can still be made.

Don't worry bro. I would up the cardio to an hour in the morning on empty and an hour in the evening (that includes on non-training days as well). I have your carbs lower on non-training days as well...you are not burning as many calories on days that you don't train, therefore, you can get by with less cals as well. I would lower carbs to 60 or so grams on non-training days and stick with 100-120 on training days. This was my outline with carbs and I am heavier than you I believe (210 on stage). Your fats look good. Also I would cut out the whey after your morning cardio and do BCAA's ONLY. The whey may blunt the post-cardio fat-burning effects, while the bcaa's will not.

DOn't be mistaken, you can't tell shit about how much water you are holding right now, you are still carrying fat, people always say "ohh, that's water" well, they don't know what they are tal;king about. If you get lean enough water is not an issue.

This is where things get tough and what competing is all about. I suggest you invest in a lot of sugar free gum, crystal light, and diet sodas to help you through it! LOL THis is what I did!! hehe

P.S. No one ever thinks they look good during prep, until show day....remember, you still have some fat on you AND you are very depleted right now whether you realize it or not. Don't worry about the mind games, jsut focus on the light ahead. OH, and yes...make sure you are posing 4-6 times per week for a good 30 minutes at least...it will help lean you out and harden you up as well.


One last thing....do you have any clen ??

[ianchov]

excellent post, Spound

[bigsd67]

preach on brother....great advice.

[Uconish]

yes i do have clen ......do you think i should start using it again.....i was using it but it made my heart feel real funny, like it was gonna jump out of my chest, so i switchted to an ECA stack which i like alot better........

Spound, thanks for all your advise......i will do what you are saying, and will determine what needs to be altered after by next set of pics......THANKS YOU !!!!!!!

[spound]

yes i do have clen ......do you think i should start using it again.....i was using it but it made my heart feel real funny, like it was gonna jump out of my chest, so i switchted to an ECA stack which i like alot better........

Spound, thanks for all your advise......i will do what you are saying, and will determine what needs to be altered after by next set of pics......THANKS YOU !!!!!!!

HOnestly, I get that same feeling on clen and pretty much everyone I know who uses it gets it as well. I would get off your ECA stack right now for a week to clear receptors up a little bit and then throw clen back in at three weeks out. The key with clen is to start low and ramp up every 1-2 days, this shoudl minimize the effects your feeling. Start out at 30-50mcg and ramp it up 50mcg's every day or other day until you hit 150-200mcg's and keep it right there for the remainder of the time...it will help drastically I believe and dry you out some as well. Once you get 10 days out, ramp it back down day by day until you are back down at 50-100mcg's and keep it there through the show. This dose will not interfere with your carb-up and will ensure there is no re-bound effect from stopping the clen as well as help dry you out.

OH yea, are you using T3? If so, what dosage?

i will do what you are saying, and will determine what needs to be altered after by next set of pics......THANKS YOU !!!!!!!

I hope this means that you will make the suggested changes NOW and then once you have new pictures determine if anything else needs to be changed from there??

The changes I suggested above should create a pretty strong new stimulus for fat loss that should carry you right into the show, BUT there is a thing or two that could still be changed IF needed. SO you still got outs....just keep an eye on your weight and make sure it is steadily dropping...not too fast, but 1-3 lbs per week is good. If not, then an adjustment may still need to be made. Good luck bro.

[Random]

DO NOT TAKE ANY DIURETICS YET. And DEFIANTELY do not go in a sauna with a ****in trash bag on OR lower your sodium.....I am sorry people, but please don't offer any advice if you do not knwo what yoru tlaking about. If you lower sodium you will feel liek shit, and have a harder time staying full or lifting heavier or getting a pump=muscle loss. Doing any of the above things could host a huge list of problems b/c they will all mess with your electrolytes which it is wayyyy too early to be doing that!

I disagree with this statement...if there is a slight decrease in sodium--which i suggested, there shouldnt be any issues other than some drop in water....i never feel like shit when i lower or drop sodium, i havent had any problems getting a pump either...the point is, there ARE numerous ways to prep, in fact...my best condition was when i drastically Reduced sodium 4 wks out!!! then AGAIN, i lowered sodium even more and stopped salting all my food 2 wks out...so some people can be affected, while others, it simply makes them come in better.

CD

[spound]

I disagree with this statement...if there is a slight decrease in sodium--which i suggested, there shouldnt be any issues other than some drop in water....i never feel like shit when i lower or drop sodium, i havent had any problems getting a pump either...the point is, there ARE numerous ways to prep, in fact...my best condition was when i drastically Reduced sodium 4 wks out!!! then AGAIN, i lowered sodium even more and stopped salting all my food 2 wks out...so some people can be affected, while others, it simply makes them come in better.

CD

Yes, you are right, there are numerous ways to prep...that is for sure and what makes it soo confusing at times...not to mention everyone is different. I will say that I yes, SLIGHTLY lowering sodium shouldn't raise any problems, but take a step back and evaluate the situation here....how long does it really take to get rid of water retention?? Not long....especially if you are very lean...so why cut it now....?...a MONTH out?? Not to mention you don't even know where his sodium is at right now, and if it is already low...then shit, you can REALLY cause some MAJOR problems.

IMO, if anything, I would be raising sodium at this point. It will then allow you to lower it when you get closer to the show to have more of a drastci effect of the body clearing out water retention (shocking the body) and then raising it again the day b4 or day of in order to fill back out with your carb-up or shitload or whatever. Haven't you seen all those pics of the pros at 2 weeks out that look like they are smooth as shit and more like 6 weeks out, and then they come in SHREADED and dry?? WEll, in most of thsoe pics they were sodium LOADING. You say you came in dry at times when you lowered sodium at 4 weeks out....well, let me ask you this....have you ever done it the other way around? I bet if you had you would have come in even dryer and not to mention defiantely FULLER.

Oh, and jsut for the record, I wasn't saying that YOU had no idea what you were talking about, when I made that statement, I was more so referring to the post about putting on a trash bag in the sauna...that is jsut ridiculous.

[Random]

Oh, and jsut for the record, I wasn't saying that YOU had no idea what you were talking about, when I made that statement, I was more so referring to the post about putting on a trash bag in the sauna...that is jsut ridiculous.

HAHAHAHAHAH yea that just sounds hilarious!!! no problems man...

honestly i did keep my sodium high for my last contest then cut it out...but still it wasnt as drastic effect as i could have been sharper but there were many factors involved...i definitely agree that reducing it would cause problems if his sodium is already low, and i definitely agree on more cardio and much more posing....CD

[Uconish]

Spound, yes i have already taken into consideration what you are saying, and actually i started yesterday because i upped my cardio alot.....plus i will be posing a few more times this week as well......I will give the clen a try again, and no, im not using T3, nor do i think i will......As far as the sodium, i would say its high right now, because i specifically had salt to my food.....i read that in your prep you should either make a decison to include sodium, or attempt to keep it as low as possible, for the entire prep until you shit load.....Well, i decided to add it to my diet in hopes of keeping my muscles full and dense, which is what i think it is achieving. Spound, if i am adding sodium to my food now, how would you deal with it leading up to the show....Would you lower it one week out, then shit load the day of, or keep it steady unitl the day of the show, and shit load?

[spound]

Spound, yes i have already taken into consideration what you are saying, and actually i started yesterday because i upped my cardio alot.....plus i will be posing a few more times this week as well......I will give the clen a try again, and no, im not using T3, nor do i think i will......As far as the sodium, i would say its high right now, because i specifically had salt to my food.....i read that in your prep you should either make a decison to include sodium, or attempt to keep it as low as possible, for the entire prep until you shit load.....Well, i decided to add it to my diet in hopes of keeping my muscles full and dense, which is what i think it is achieving. Spound, if i am adding sodium to my food now, how would you deal with it leading up to the show....Would you lower it one week out, then shit load the day of, or keep it steady unitl the day of the show, and shit load?

You know...it probably won't make much of a difference either way, and to be 100% honest, I don't have enough experience with other competitors yet to give you a correct answer, and even if I did, it would probably vary from person to person anyways. I will say, however, that you should NOT, under ANY circumstances raise you sodium at all during the last week, until you start shitloading. Any increase in sodium while you are still intaking water will almost surely get you a little bit more bloated, than you would be if you hadn't added more sodium. I would say that your best bet would be to just keep things constant, or maybe even lower the sodium SLIGHTLY for the last 7-10 days jsut to be SURE that you are not raising your levels. I would not lower it drastically though, b/c my guess would be that it may make it harder to fill out compeltely or fill out on time, given the fact that you have been forced to have your carbs so low as it is already. This is what I did (kept sodium constant, maybe a little lower) and everything worked out great. I woke up dryer on show day and was still not too flat, then I shitloaded and things got crazy LOL.

People try to make prep wayyy more difficult than it should be...everyone thinks that you have to change a milion things in the last week, which is not usually the case. If you look good at 1-2 weeks out, shit, don't change ANYTHING, jsut add in some carbs and decrease water. Tha'ts why so many people go and F*ck things up at the last minute all the time.

Oh yea, if you throw the clen back in there, amke sure you do not take it any time within 3-4 hours prior to a work out or cardio. This will also help you from getting that feeling of your heart beating too hard. The exercise plus to clen is not recommended. I woudl jsut take the WHOLE dose about 30-60 minutes after your morning cardio session. You will feel a pretty good "kick" from it for about 1-3 hours and then after that you should feel pretty normal. This will also ensure that you are able to get soem sleep at night.