Last Week of Offseason and Contest Plans

I made myself go into an "offseason" for bodybuilding shortly after I i got an injury at a USAPL meet last year. At the time I was just a bunch of damn bodyweight slapped together with no shape at all really. I was pretty unhappy with how I looked, so I decided to take charge and trim off some fat. This was back in April. Fast forward to now and I start a new road to a bodybuilding show.

My last one was in 2013 and while it was successful, I missed being conditioned by a considerable margin. My shape was decent, you could tell I had a lot of muscle, but I wasn't lean enough. Not by any means. Yes I tried to do a meet and show prep in the same prep but I screwed up. Learned a lot of things from that and moved forward in preparing myself for a great contest outing.

So far so good is what I think. I've rounded out some bodyparts. I've made sure I was getting in a decent amount of food and just worked hard in the gym. I still stuck with the basic movements to keep, and build upon, the level of mass I had attained. Training has been fun again and I look forward to being at my best this May.

The bottom line for me is conditioning. I have to be in shape. Period. I have the size. I could even argue pretty decent density, but now its time for the condition to come through. For comparison purposes, here is where I was when I started prep for the 2013 Wings of Strength and here is where I was at a couple weeks ago.

So lets get in on

Training and Random Thoughts

I mentioned in a previous log that my leg training wasn't going well at all.  That being said, it went surprisingly well. I went light on squats and went for reps and had a pretty good warmup. I think with the extra recovery I'm now giving my legs, I think they won't hurt as much. I have a second back session on Friday, so looking forward to that and making step by step improvements to that bodypart.

As I scroll through Instagram and Facebook the one thing that annoys me is the "Fitness meme" culture. Look, guys.....we get it, you've broken down life and success into percentages. You've made a mockery of lions and think you can walk with them (they're wild animals. They will fuck you up), and i especially like how everyone dreams.

Just. Fucking.Stop.

In powerlifting percentages are GUIDELINES. Not hard and fast rules. You think your training, diet and real life gives a good goddamn fuck about your "Life is 99% work and 1 percent sleep" bullshit?

No, it doesn't. Your training will be an ebb and flow and if your diet is on point, you'll be ok. You'll be tired as fuck if you don't sleep, so please stop with the dumb shit. Take a damn nap.

I still see reading is a fundamental attribute that most people don't use. Proof of that is when people post one-sided argument websites pushing an agenda that's usually along party lines OR they post parody websites that you should damn well know ain't real! Stop that too!

This has to have been the shittiest football season I've ever watched. Mainly because one team is mediocre and the other is just flat out terrible. I'm talking about the Huskers and Bears. Nine wins is not, I REPEAT IS NOT, the pinnacle of success in college football. In fact it shouldn't even be a measuring stick. Conference wins and National Championships is what matters. Super Bowls matter. Not the second place finish. So miss me with the nine wins arguments. Besides, if the Bears had the Huskers record, they'd be in the playoffs.

Ok, time for work. Drop a comment below or on my Book of Face page.

Show Plans and Training.

I haven't done a post in quite awhile. Mainly because I'm just lazy as all hell on the blogging tip. Mainly because of life changes.

Life changes like.......

-Graduating college
-Working a lot
-Working a lot

So what about training?

Well it's been good actually. I've made the transition back to bodybuilding from powerlifting. I got hurt during a USAPL meet here in town and just decided that I need to step back from the max poundage a bit. So since April I've been bodybuilding. I feel like I've started from ground zero and I've built something respectable. Now that I'm in the tail end of my offseason,  I feel like this is the best I've been in awhile.

I'm not super lean, but I'm not out of shape either. But you can tell I lift. I'm not a believer in being the most leanest guy in offseason. I don't believe in being fat either. So take it for what it's worth.

My current split for the past few weeks have been

Mon: Legs
Tuesday: Chest/shoulders/arm flush
Wed: off
Thurs: Back
Fri: Legs (secondary workout)
Sat: Chest/shoulders/ arm flush

The "arm flush" is just a quick superset to get some blood in the arms. Nothing crazy on that end. I drop back to once a week Legs and chest and Back and shoulders/arms twice a week for four weeks or so.

My main goal for show prep is just to be in shredded condition. Period. I have the size, I have the shape. I just need to bring the condition and the chips will fall where they may. Shows are in July and August. so I'll keep this up as much as possible until show time.

Lets get in on!!

Squat training

Leg Curl:
4 sets. Enough to pump up my hams for squats.


Squats:
135/10
185/8
225/5
275/3
315/2
365/1
405/1
425/2
455/2

Home after to eat.

Monday Squats and the Sole Competitive Appearance of Sexual Chocolate

Seated Leg Curl:
4 sets

Squats: 
Bar/15
135/10
185/8
225/5
275/3
315/1
365/2,2,2,2,2

Leg Press: 
3pl/15
4pl/12
5pl/10,10

Seated Leg Curl:
4 sets

This was a bit up there in volume for the tail end of a meet prep when I usually keep things to minimum. At this phase I just make sure the bar is moving pretty good and I only do assistance to keep blood moving around.

Well What Happened Was.........

So my plans on the competitive side had a couple things in it.. 1.) Compete at a USAPL meet to get a total 2.) Take that total and go to USAPL Raw Nationals and qualify for the raw meet at the Arnold. 3.) Also do one or two more meets to try and qualify for Raw Unity.

Well, it seems as of now, Nationals is out. I simply cant afford it. Other meets are out as well as I simply cant afford those. So I'm looking to do well at the Nebraska State. Hoping I can nail down two other part time jobs (in addition to the one I have) but it ain't looking to good.

I'm not starting a gofundme.com campaign, so don't worry. Something will turn the tide I hope, but as of now, one meet only. So get your popcorn ready, because you'll only see Sexual Chocolate in his singlet once this year.

Assistance work and Larry's "Feel old" fact of the Day

BTN Press:
Bar/30
95/15
135/10
155/8
185/6
225/1 (questionable second rep)

Laterals: 
30/12
40/10
50/10

Pulldowns:
4 sets

Pressdowns: 
150 reps total.

Moving dat dere blood around. Not really pushing assistance a ton, but making sure I get in the work to keep me healthy and still keep the smaller muscles strong.

It's how old?!?!?!?!?!

If you were any red blooded american male in the 1990's, you no doubt had a Super Nintendo. Main reason was because Sega Genesis sucked a humongous one in terms of graphics. But today, in 1994, we were introduced to one of the greatest baseball games ever made..............

KEN GRIFFEY MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL!!!!

Behold the power of the SNES! And this was when Griffey was good. Not always injured.

Squats tonight!!!

Bench day

Bench:
Bar/ a lot
135/12
185/8
225/3
275/2,2,2,2,2

Asst work:
Chins: 8,8,8,8,8
Dips: 10,10,10,10,10
(All done with bodyweight)

Pressdowns: a lot

Weight on the bar was light, but got a good sweat going. I actually feel good about my bench for the first time in awhile. It's slowly coming together. Technique is getting better. Just trying to make sure each session is productive.