“Fun is good.”
~Dr. Seuss

*Warning – After 30 weeks into prep there may be some typos and grammar errors LOL! Enjoy :)
 
Contest prep fun? I know for some the thought of restricting calories and doing boring bouts of cardio can be quite miserable. I’ve come to the realization some bodybuilders place an enormous amount of pressure on themselves while prepping. That can be quite overwhelming and it can make for a not so pleasant experience. Especially when contest preps can last for weeks ...

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“Every day is a journey, and the journey itself is home.”
~Matsuo Basho

My motivation and drive during this prep has been of good balance; neither too high nor too low. I guess having 25 shows under your belt will do that to you. I pretty much know what to expect from myself and now in my 29th week of prep, I feel like I can go for another 29 weeks. I feel right at home and very comfortable.

Weight
Start of Prep: 12/06/10 – 206.5lbs.
6/22/11 – 174.6lbs
Goal Weight: 160ish
*Note – Hit a...

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“It is my feeling that Time ripens all things; with Time all things are revealed; Time is the father of truth.”
~Francois Rabelais

It’s hard to believe I began this prep back on December 6, 2010 and I’m just now starting to show some good signs of muscularity 27 weeks later. It’s been a long time in the waiting, but I’m very motivated to reach my full potential this year…it’s just going to take some more time. Not only does it take time to shed body fat, but it also takes quite ...

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"The best things in life are unexpected - because there were no expectations."
~Eli Khamarov

Current Thoughts

Today I was feeling a bit light headed and really fatigued from a long road trip to Oregon that my wife and I went on Tuesday through Thursday in which we had a very nice visit with my stepfather. Yesterday’s 11 hr drive back home took its toll on me, so I wasn’t expecting too much in the gym today. I don’t know what it is, but just when I think I’m not feeling it, I seem to pr...

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Went to lunch with my Dad today…it was great just hanging out for a bit and having some nice conversation. Love you Dad!

Weight
Start Date - 12/06/10 - 206.5lbs
Goal Date – Whenever - Goal Weight – 160lbs
Current – 04/08/11 – 182.2lbs

*Note – Weight seems to be at a standstill…an adjustment might be in order. May have to increase cardio some and decrease my Saturday re-feeds from 500c to 400. Going to wait until the morning to see what the scale says first.

Today’s Nutrition

180...

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Hey everyone! Just a quick recap from my last leg workout last Saturday 3/26/11. Usually Fridays I hit legs, but I just wasn't feeling that great, so I decided to wait until Saturday morning to make sure I got in a great workout. It was a wise choice because Saturday's leg workout was a very good one. I did not hit any PR's (personal records), but I managed to keep my progressions rolling on most exercises for the 3rd straight week. Here's how it went:

Smith Squats - Warm ups 135 x 10/10, 225 ...
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Week 5 did not go as planned as I lost my focus on a few occasions and I missed all of my cardio sessions. I was off on my nutrition target numbers on 3 out of the seven days. Also, my lower back has really been bothering me as of late and I skipped another leg workout earlier in the week. Deadlifts and free weight squats are out of the question for now.  It was one of those weeks where nothing seemed to go right. I have re-focused for Week 6 and mentally I am ready to have a great week! Ther...

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The past couple of weeks have been extremely busy! Christmas and then New Years made it really hard for me to find the time to write my blog. First off, I want to say my stepfather’s surgery went really good and he is on his way to recovery, so I am very happy about that. I want to thank everybody who sent their thoughts and prayers his way and it is truly appreciated.

Since my last blog I have transitioned into a new training program and so far it has been working beautifully. I put HIT on...

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I hit a little wall today and I decided to go lighter with my workout today. After squats and stiff legged deads, I put a halt to my workout because I felt I would be digging a deeper hole into my recovery abilities. The previous two workouts earlier in the week went as planned and I hit a couple more personal records, so I knew making it through the end of this week and trying to sustain the high pace I have been on for the past 8-9 weeks was going to be rough. Later today, I will be discuss...

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Almost a full week is now in the books. I started this prep at 206.5 lbs and that is bit high and not really where I wanted it to be. I enjoyed the last week of my offseason by indulging in rich foods and it somehow went straight to my midsection. It is…what it is and now I just have to put in the work to get rid of it.

Nutrition
On Monday December 6^th I began this journey by targeting my nutrition numbers as follows:

Protein 200 g, Carbohydrates 300 g, Fats 50 g

After 6 days of dieting I ...

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Today was officially the start of my 2011 contest prep and my first official weigh in was 206.5lbs. A little high from yesterdays food binge on ice cream, chips, cake, etc. So I am a bit bloated, but nothing I can't lose. I hit my nutrition numbers almost to the exact numbers (200 p, 300 c, 50 f) I am shooting for in my first week. Protein was at 203 grams, carbs 301 grams and fat was 45 grams. I got a bit hungry in the middle of the day and that was confusing to me as I really have not had a...
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It‘s getting really close…very close and I am getting more and more fired up. The start of my contest prep is just 9 short days away! It is hard to believe 15 months of offseason have gone by. There are many questions that are spinning around in my mind that are causing some doubts as to what kind of gains I have made… if any at all. This offseason had its share of injuries that has tested my mental will. Usually that only happens when I am in full contest prep mode, but mentally it has...

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Reflecting Back on a Frustrating Offseason
This past offseason was by far the hardest I have ever experienced. It was difficult due to the fact I had to deal with so many nagging injuries. I pretty much battled every upper body workout this offseason because of shoulder pain. The pain limited my ability to lift heavy at times and mentally it has been frustrating because it makes you feel like progress is not what it should be. About a month ago, I did some research regarding shoulder pain on ...

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This week did not go according as planned. I attempted to have a hardcore week with HIT, but instead I had to go with lower intensity and higher volume training. For the past few weeks I have been talking about my bad shoulders and to be quite honest I am tired of talking about it. They simply hurt and I just have to deal with it. I have a strained lat and it hurts too, but it is what it is! I need to stop stressing over it and just keep my focus. Instead of trying to game plan around these s...

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I had some bad news this week…my video camera died on me! I was not able to film any training sessions this week. I have to look into getting another one and then I can start filming again.

Training Update - Deload Week
This past week I went into the gym with a scheduled deload to help me recover from the previous two weeks of high intensity training. On Monday night I had leg day and I did some free weight squats, stiff legged deadlifts, standing toe press on the smith machine and then ...

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This blog is dedicated to Zhdanko, my friend in Russia who requested more video. So with that in mind, I decided to fill this week's blog with video. Enjoy!

David Bradford Comes to Town!
On Friday of last week my brother-in-law to be, David Bradford, ventured up from Southern California for the weekend and we got in two awesome workouts. David is looking to enter is first ever competition next season and I feel he will hit the stage looking really good. Since he started hitting the gym back i...

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Last week I shared my latest plans for my training and that was to switch back to HIT (High Intensity Training) for the remainder of my offseason which is up until November. This type of training has been pretty much been my main training staple since 1992 and I feel it has done an excellent job of packing on the muscle I have attained over the years.  My HIT workouts are generally performed with an emphasis on heavy weights executed with super strict and controlled form, so I can focus on su...

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In my last blog I was a little down in the dumper with my training. My shoulders, stamina and self doubt were creeping up on me and my mind was going a mile a minute. I received a few emails from other athletes, my brother, WNBF Pro Paul Alberts, Eric Helms, Tony Hartman and Ken Stevenson who provided me a lot of encouragement and support. I just wanted to say thank you to you guys for taking the time to write to me. The support and advice was well received and it has truly helped me to re-fo...

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The past month has been a real challenge for me in the bodybuilding world.  Some things are appearing to be tougher for me mentally and physically. My age and the past 24 years in the gym are beginning to be a major factor with my performance in the gym. I know some people may look up to me as this hardcore bodybuilder with terrific drive and determination, but just like anyone else I am a human being first before a bodybuilder. With that being said, I have my own share of downfalls. I want t...

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