I agree. Most of this stuff is reported in correlational studies, and also in sedentary folk with no active life and a host of other problems. It’s rather incredible to try to draw huge conclusions from people with a bazillion problems already.
Your latest picture is awesome…really effing ripped!
Here’s a question for you, because I have no frame of reference personally. You seem like a guy that naturally has body hair…I am such a guy too.
How was the de-hairing process? Are you getting waxed or just using a razor at home? Does it feel weird without the body hair?
I’m extremely hairy and in need of a shave this weekend. I need to be more consistent with it because I dont want botched skin onstage. I just use a razor. I might have some waxing done.
Once my wife waxed my back and it was unbelievably painful.
Have you tried the new hair for men? Been hearing good things about it. Gonna try it this weekend
No, what is that? I’ve never heard of it.
Its like this cream, and tou leave it on their 3 to 5min or so longer for the less sensitive areas kinda thing, and wipes off.
After seeing your progress and leg development I am juggling the idea of compete at the Ft Lauderdale Winter classic, but don’t know if I’ll be ready yet. Maybe hop in the Mp instead of CP.
not at all trying to hijack this thread at all…just asking to see if any of the minds and collective wisdom of trained eyes would also offer me a glance of my log going on over in the bodybuilding section of the forum threads. it’s titled “Just Under 14 Weeks Before 2 MPD Shows” as that is when i began that thread.
is there any way to move that thread i started over to the formal training logs area or should just start anew?
going at this show coachless for the first time is not bad so far. going well actually. just nice to have outside keen eye take a look at things.
You’re not hijacking the thread. 
This is a post for my cutting/prep phase but I am all about talking shop for bodybuilding, not just posting pics of and talking about myself! I am open to discuss anything related to BB here.
I see from your log that you are twelve weeks out. Considering it’s a prep and not a muscle building phase, your main concerns, obviously are fat loss, and muscle retention. You can gain some mass in some muscles that were undertrained or trained incorrectly for physique or BB in this phase, as have I, but I wouldn’t expect significant muscular gains in a specific body part. As for being on time, I believe you are definitely lean enough for twelve weeks out. So, although being vague here, whatever you are doing with cardio and nutrition, keep at it and make the appropriate adjustments as you go, according to how you feel and your fat loss rate.
I strongly feel you should ditch physique and enter bodybuilding. As I’ve said–and this is NOT a diss–I don’t believe you have the structure of a physique competitor. I don’t. Even our resident IFBB pro Arash made the switch from physique to classic physique, which, to me is really bodybuilding minus the current water boat look, similar to 80s-early-2000’s bodybuilding when people had lines, symmetry, hardness, and all the works.
Look at physique guys, not even the elite ones, just decent ones. Their structure is vastly different from yours and mine. I can’t do it. I have narrow clavicles with slightly forward-rolled shoulders, a moderate waist, and I’m bottom heavy. This is actually the antithesis of everything that is coveted in physique!
However, if you are hell bent on physique, just finish this up and perhaps next time around–as in a lengthy time from now, say a year–gain more mass all around and do BB. You appear very tall and have a wide mid section. There have been even famous bodybuilders with this structure who did well, but they had to add considerable mass all over.
I can perhaps go back later and look at more detail in your log.
Thanks for the input here and the compliments on here and IG!
I am actually 8 weeks out as if this past weekend. Scroll down for the most recent pics and stats I posted up.
What do you think of current progression and look? I agree with you on the build I have now not being ideal for MPD, thats clear. Wide hips and narrow shoulders and weakest body parts are delts and arms…not great for being a standout MPD athlete no. But at 205lb starting weight and 6’2’’ at 20 weeks out I was nowhere near ready for bodybuilding division look either. Even natty orgs.
I also much rather prefer bodybuilding division over physique just for posing alone. I loved doing the poses and even being able to show legs is something I prefer vs hide them. It’s also one area I do have going for me is wheels.
Where are you in your prep time-line, @BrickHead ? I saw your IG post this morning/last night and I know you’re near the end, but HOW near the end are you?
Four weeks and three days including today.
1 Like
dat planned Halloween refeed tho…
1 Like
My wife, friends, and I are making a road trip out of the Boston show. I’m taking off work to go there the day before and then we’re spending the week after there. I plan on not doing any lifting or hopping on any cardio equipment or even SEEING the inside or outside of a gym that week!
1 Like
When my friends and others said the last six weeks is the test, they were not kidding! I am very excited to be onstage and competing as a bodybuilder, and although I enjoy the gym while I am in it, these days seem like individual tests just to get through the damn days. I don’t think there’s ten minutes in which I do not have this prep occur to me. I swear, for the first three months it was fine (I mean this): little hunger, no impatience, and only thinking of this show as something that’s gonna come up eventually. I also felt like a demon in the gym and during interval sessions. Now, for real, even though I try very hard in the gym (I actually had a killer chest and bi’s workout last night), I am simply checking off the workouts, just giving a decent effort to maintain muscle, work up a sweat and a pump, and burn some calories. The cardio and diet do the rest. I am sure you @Lonnie123 and others can relate.
The gist: I am VERY excited about this, am happy with the product I’ve produced and will produce, but want it finished. I guess that’s the test in a nutshell.
1 Like
I remember going to the movies with a bottle of water mixed with BCAAs/creatine 14 weeks into a diet.
One person I was with had buttery popcorn and even over that I could smell and hear the sound of the crunch the choc coated ice cream made as the other person bit into it.
I remember nothing of the movie as the entire session was thinking about the popcorn and ice cream and dulling it all with cruddy lemon bcaas haha
We then went to dinner where I had a basket of steamed veggies and baked fish with butter. The entertainment was watching two people devour burgers, fries and beer. I still remember how crisp the beer smelt ahaha
It’s amazing how horrible that night seemed. I mean it was literally just not eating crap stuff but it was awful!!
I remember the excitement waxing and waning… Some workouts were punch the clock for sure, but then a new level of leanness or something happens and you get reinvigorated and you get a second wind.
But yeah, the last couple weeks can be a rough road, although I must admit I didnt experience the same level of misery most competitors talk about.
To speak of some numbers… How low are you cals? How low do you think they will get? Are you surprised about the amount of cardio you are doing? I remember that being the thing the made it unsustainable for me personally, much more so than the diet (which was also quite low in calories towards the end).
1 Like
Absolutely man, at this stage every day is a test. As much as you see the youtube videos of guys trying to slam weights and “JUST DO YOUR CARDIO BRO! RAWWRR!” I bet when the camera turns off they pass out. When you’re this depleted, just having the strength and mental fortitude to get out of bed is a triumph lol. I certainly had some days I begrudgingly went into the gym, worked as hard as possible but at this point, you certainly won’t have a smile on your face every day hopping and skipping in there.
Mentally, you want to be as positive and optimistic as possible to keep cortisol at bay and not be more stressed than you need to. Ultimately, what matters most though is just doing the work. Sometimes I felt like if I’m not really motivated and psyched, I must not be doing it right. Not the case though! In the last few weeks there will no doubt be times you’re ready for it to be over, but don’t let that stop you from remembering why you’re doing this. Eye on the prize man, you’re almost there!
2 Likes
Ha, yeah those situations are rough. The week before my first show, my best friend got married and I brought my cooler to his wedding. Everyone is drinking wine and all that stuff, I take out my gallon jug with BCAA water. They all get filet, and I take out my ground turkey and broccoli.
The worst was the day before my last show, we were dropping the dogs off at a friends house and it took way longer than anticipated. I should have brought another meal but didn’t. So it’s been hours since I’ve eaten and we’re walking around a gourmet food shop near my buddy’s house. This place was like Willy Wonka’s freaking chocolate factory. They had all sorts of homemade cookies, pies, meats, everything you could imagine. CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE DOUGH CHEESECAKE right in my face. It’s the only time I literally felt hangry during my prep, like I was ready to punch something being in there. I had 2 bites of homemade beef jerky, and immediately regretted it, assuming I ruined my prep. I called Stu, and after he was done chuckling, told me not to worry about it and just keep drinking my water lol.
3 Likes
