I have started a new page on my site called "The Natural Movement". This page is to promote all natural athletes and to help all athletes be inspired to train with integrity and that is 100% naturally. I invite all natural athletes to join and help inspire others to train naturally.  http://www.3dmusclejourney.com/naturalmovement.php 

19 weeks into my contest prep and I weighed in at 168 lbs as of May 11. With 9 weeks to go I will be able to shed roughly 9-12 more pounds off. This will put me at 156-159 lbs. I was 156 lbs at my last contest back in 2006 but this year I feel I am a little bigger. My weight will be around the same but my body fat will be lower. My last contest I had dieted for 11 weeks and I went from 183 lbs down to 156 lbs. I think I may have dropped too much weight to fast and may have lost a little bit of muscle. This year I will have dieted for 26 weeks and lost roughly 43-46 lbs. I have allowed myself enough time to lose the weight at a slower pace and I feel this will benefit me on July 18.

My training has been going really well. I have maintained most of my strength with exception of a couple of exercises. My focus is still to execute my exercises with a very controlled rep speed to ensure good form and prevent any injuries. I do not need to try and heave weight to just move a bunch of weight. I will continue to stick to this philosophy until the contest.

My diet is also going really well. I have been evaluating my diet on a daily basis instead of a weekly basis. I have decided to do this because my energy levels have dropped severely on some days so it is vital for me to make adjustments when I need them. I need to have enough energy to sustain my weight training and cardio sessions. One change I have made is I have been cutting my carbs down (20 grams instead of 40 grams) before my weight training and cardio session to burn fat at a quicker pace. After my workout I will then add back the carbs I cut before the workout. So instead of eating 40 grams of carbs after my workout I will take in 60 grams instead. This seems to have worked because half way into my cardio I am really feeling fatigued and I have to dig deep to finish it out. In my mind I know it is tough but I know I am burning the fat I need to be as ripped as possible.

Cardio is still at 60 minutes per day. I will keep this up until I feel I have reached my peak condition. I know some bodybuilders may feel like this too much but for me it gets the job done. Not only does it get me lean but my heart rate has dropped from an average of 95-100 when I started my cardio to 78-80 now. So I know my heart is operating at a more efficient pace and that is a healthy thing considering I have a famliy history with heart problems.
 
With 9 weeks to go I feel like I am on a good pace to be at my all time best condition on July 18. I just have to keep it up one day at a time. Here are a few photos from today at 168 lbs. These photos were taken without a pump. I still have some work to do but I will get there! Keep training hard and naturally!!