gonna compete

[doittoit]

I've decided to do something crazy and compete in 8 weeks. I know that gives me no time but oh well lol. I realize i'm gonna sacrafice some LBM, but I wanna prime my body for growth because its like pulling teeth lately. I think my body will respond super fast because my diet in the offseason is very high fat/carb, and i never do cardio. I'm 5'7 185, here are a few pics, ill get mandatories later, critique away, any comments for my crazy ass appreciated!

[spound]

Where are your legs? Can you show them? THey are very important in lower level shows. If you have them, they put you one up on most others. You could get lean enough in the time frame yo uhave if you get to work and know what you're doing.

[Uconish]

Is this your first show? Put up a proposed diet you are planning on following, including any type of cardio, and whether this is a natural event or not. If not, what will you be using? If this is a natural show, i think you are too far behind, and will have to sacrifice ALOT of muscle. I wanna see your thighs too!!!!

[doittoit]

ill try to some legs shots tomoro, they are ok, but nothing special. I competed last year same show (this will be my second) but i had only be lifting for 1 year and I wasn't as knowledgeable as I am now. I learned alot last year about my body which should help.

Diet will start prolly around 3500 clean and slowly drop to maybe around 2000 the last 2 weeks? I cant give exact macros/ratios because i will go how i feel/look. Here is rough example what my diet was like last year when i wasn't cheating.

meal 1- large bowl oatmeal, 1 chicken breast(carb/ pro)- 500 cals
meal 2- PWO 2 tins tuna, cheese, sour cream (pro/fat meal)- 600cals
meal 3- oatmeal, 1 chicken breast -500cals
meal 4- same as meal 2-600cals
meal 5- oatmeal, 1 chicken breast-500cals
meal 6- same as meal 2-600cals
meal 7- 2 chicken breasts-300cals

Thats how i would start my diet, than slowly reduce amounts of carbs/fats and up protein. Obviously u can sub oatmeal with rice/potatoes ect, might have ground beef ect for pro/fat meal. I cant go low carb, i just waste away. The last 2 weeks will prolly be 200g carbs, very low fat, 400g protein. I'll just tweak everything as i go along.

The show isn't natty. I will be running 500 test E, 100mg tbol, 4 weeks after the show will be my short heavy test cycle. I will run T3 but keep it low 50-75mcg, not sure on clen. This diet is more for a prime for a cycle, but i also wanna do well in the show and not get boo'd off stage.

[doittoit]

Uconish i am unsure about the cardio? I rode the bike for 20 min after lifting last year, not sure if it was benificial. I feel it is somewhat unnessessary if diet is spot on and just eats LBM, along with fat. I think i will start without it, and than maybe the last 4 weeks if needed. Any expert opinions appreciated.

[bigsd67]

Uconish i am unsure about the cardio? I rode the bike for 20 min after lifting last year, not sure if it was benificial. I feel it is somewhat unnessessary if diet is spot on and just eats LBM, along with fat. I think i will start without it, and than maybe the last 4 weeks if needed. Any expert opinions appreciated.

My goal in life is to eventually do a cardioless prep, so if you think you can get tight enough without cardio then go for it. It will definitely preserve mass, just as long as you truely are lean enough to compete.

Looking foward to your progress pics...also I noticed that you put PWO before a pro fat meal. I would definitely eat some carbs PWO to refill muscle glycogen. Other than that diet looks decent if that's what works for you.

[doittoit]

ya i just noticed that, i think i will switch that around, thanks. I think I can achieve decent conditioning as long as i keep cheating to a minimum, just need to suck it up for 8 weeks. If I was to do cardio what time would recommend? My training volume will be increased from a 4day to 6day routine, to shock my body and keep me mentally on track every day.

My only worry is my lower body. My upper always cuts up fast, last year i was holding fat around the glutes, hams, quads were kinda soft, any tips? was thinking of maybe trying that topical crap YES? for trouble spots.

[PROTEINSHAKE]

cardio on an empty stomach first thing in the morn would be the optimum..changing your diet slightly as recommemded will help a lot & remember...glutes/hams/lower back usually are the laast place to go...

[doittoit]

some leg shots, sorry for horrible lighting, get some better later so too lazy tired lol

[spound]

DOn't point your toes outward so much. Turn them in a littel more and bow your knees outward some, this will give you more of an illusion of having a better "x" frame.

[Jakspro]

DOn't point your toes outward so much. Turn them in a littel more and bow your knees outward some, this will give you more of an illusion of having a better "x" frame.

When you do this do you slighty bend your knees? I feel that if i do, just slightly i see more seperation...Barely for my small legs but still more, never the less... Or do you not? This might be a dumb question, but bare with me I'm still learning

[spound]

When you do this do you slighty bend your knees? I feel that if i do, just slightly i see more seperation...Barely for my small legs but still more, never the less... Or do you not? This might be a dumb question, but bare with me I'm still learning

Yes, you slightly bend the knees. You should slightly bend the kness in pretty much every pose...some more than others. NOt a dumb question bro...not at all. No worries.

[Uconish]

quote

[Uconish]

ill try to some legs shots tomoro, they are ok, but nothing special. I competed last year same show (this will be my second) but i had only be lifting for 1 year and I wasn't as knowledgeable as I am now. I learned alot last year about my body which should help.

Diet will start prolly around 3500 clean and slowly drop to maybe around 2000 the last 2 weeks? I cant give exact macros/ratios because i will go how i feel/look. Here is rough example what my diet was like last year when i wasn't cheating.

meal 1- large bowl oatmeal, 1 chicken breast(carb/ pro)- 500 cals
meal 2- PWO 2 tins tuna, cheese, sour cream (pro/fat meal)- 600cals
meal 3- oatmeal, 1 chicken breast -500cals
meal 4- same as meal 2-600cals
meal 5- oatmeal, 1 chicken breast-500cals
meal 6- same as meal 2-600cals
meal 7- 2 chicken breasts-300cals

Thats how i would start my diet, than slowly reduce amounts of carbs/fats and up protein. Obviously u can sub oatmeal with rice/potatoes ect, might have ground beef ect for pro/fat meal. I cant go low carb, i just waste away. The last 2 weeks will prolly be 200g carbs, very low fat, 400g protein. I'll just tweak everything as i go along.

The show isn't natty. I will be running 500 test E, 100mg tbol, 4 weeks after the show will be my short heavy test cycle. I will run T3 but keep it low 50-75mcg, not sure on clen. This diet is more for a prime for a cycle, but i also wanna do well in the show and not get boo'd off stage.

Here's my opinion about your diet, but we need more than just calories, we need totatls of fats, carbs, proteins, and calories but for now.....Meal one is good as it is. Meal two is no good. Post workout should be a time in which you take in nutrients that your body can shuttle into your muscles quickly. In order to do this, you need some sort of carb here, preferably simple, but complex carbs can be used as well. If you want to use the tuna, i guess thats fine, but DEFINATELY drop the cheese and sour cream, it will only slow down digestion, which is not what you want PWO. Now that i look at it, I PERSONALLY think the entire diet is no good. Why are you using cheese and sour cream? Why are there no veggies in the diet, or EFA's? When you say large bowl of oatmeal, how much exactly is that, dry measure? Not trying to be a d*ck, just trying to help you, but this whole thing needs to be reworked. But then again, YOU KNOW YOUR BODY BETTER THEN I DO, so if this worked pervioulsy for you, then by all means, keep doing what youre doing. Spound, what do you think?

[spound]

I agree, the diet does not look good to me at all. Things I see wrong:
-protein is too high for your size, there is simply no need to have more than double your weight in protein grams
-there aren't any EFA's
-no veggies
-you are using cheese and sour cream in your prep!?!? Bad idea
-PWO meal has no carbs in it.....this is a mess

[doittoit]

PWO would u suggest salmon instead of tuna with maybe a glass of orange juice with some rice? As for the veggies/fruits they are included but I usually count them as nothing because i would only be taking in low cal/carb. Example would be spinich, green beans, and apple. But I do admit I dont eat nearly enough of them so I will try to include them in my meals.

Do u really think protein can be too high pre contest? I though it created a thermogenic effect causing greater fat loss, also sparring LBM.

[WEBB]

not to sound arrogant here, but i went from 282 to 235 in 8 weeks and i didnt lose any lbm and i did cardio ed in the morning on the am....i think you have to do it to get tight enough...better to be ready early than come in late....

[Uconish]

i agree...unless you are some kind of genetic freak, then cardio is something that just can not be avoided. It just gives you more outs. always better to be ahead, then try to play catch up.

[bigsd67]

for the record I do cardio twice a day myself. I was just speaking in terms of what I would LIKE to do for cardio.

[Uconish]

[QUOTE=bigsd67]for the record I do cardio twice a day myself. I was just speaking in terms of what I would LIKE to do for cardio.[/QUOTE

I was not, nor do i think Webb was, commenting to you. I know you do cardio, but the original poster said he thinks its not benficial, and that HE could get in shape without any.

[doittoit]

thanks for input guys.....webb is that cardio on an empty stomach?......Don't get me wrong I believe cardio is huge for fat lose I just want to minimize LBM loss if at all possible given the time frame. I think will incoporate some given the negative feedback of my proposed plan lol. And i agree being soft on stage is not cool.

[spound]

Cardio being catabolic is WAYYYYYYYYYYYY over rated. There should be NO problem with this what so ever if you diet is right and you are not doing soemthing insane like going from NO cardio at all to 3-4 hrs a day within one day's time. ESPECIALLY if you are on gear. The key is to add it gradually. You ain't losing any muscle doing 30 minute low intensity cardio session while being on gear...I promise you. Unless you have no idea what you are doing diet-wise.

[WEBB]

yeah always first thing in the morning with nothing but home clen and black cofee to wash it down..then home to eat first meal.....i agree it can be catabolic but only if your heart rate is to high or it is done for too long.....i belive it is a musy unless you are ready and for the show now and are 6 weeks early...

[doittoit]

nice, well u have me convinced, i will start cardio ASAP

[vicious cycle]

What show are you going to do and what weight class?

[doittoit]

hey guys update, 7 weeks out, diet is goin well, im tryin lower protein and higher carb than last year, and i feel good, just started cardio 20min bike after lifting, weight is 180 down from 188, even though i only have 7 weeks left im tryin not to be too hasty, will post some pics in maybe a week or 2 when there is a noticeable change......if all goes well i should be 165, maybe 160 after i cut water for weigh in, that would be 10 up from last year, i will be at the bottom of the middles and get my ass rocked but hey gotta start somewhere!lol.......i am doing the stratford festival city, level 1...good show