Quite appropriate for a prep.
Focusing on prep right now. As an RD who wants to deal with bodybuilders, athletes, figure competitors, and the like, I finally want to make my bones and show I know how to do it myself. IG has helped me gain a budding following and after the prep I plan on taking the same fervor to self-employment/entrepreneurial aims! 'This prep was MORE than a prep actually. As silly as it sounds considering this is considered a pastime, I believe it will mark a new chapter in my outlook on life. This hobby has given me more than what some would expect so far and I think it will get even better. Iâll expand on this some time in the future hopefully.
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As Luimarco would say âLook at those arm bellieeees, baby please!â
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@BrickHead Been following along and want to say this is awesome. Hopefully you expand on this sooner rather than later. A couple quick follow ups if you do not mind or âMaverickâ since he asked first.
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Has IG just gained you a small following or have people actually starting asking about your âservicesâ. I ask this because I wonder if there was a moment in your prep (leanness wise) when more people took notice.
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In terms of social media is there anything you would have done differently? Did you ever consider starting a video diary on youtube? I myself really enjoy seeing/listening to a persons journey through prep.
Iâll be back with more. I have a You Tube channel (Bradley Grunner) in which I have podcasts with Arash and Stu, which I will be moving forward with as much fervor after this prep as I applied to the prep and other entrepreneurial ideas. I also did some videos but they fell by the wayside with prep, life, and work. After the prep I plan on making training videos, more podcasts, little education lectures, and so forth. There are still people subscribing to my channel weekly without even making more videos.
@BrickHead based on your IG photos at what point did you think to yourself âthis is getting hardâ. When did the leanness become difficult?
Lol thisâll be good. I remember Brad telling me way back when that even though he knows it wonât always be easy, that it wasnât really too bad :slight_smile
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NYes, actually up until about two months ago it wasnât too bad. At about the sixth week mark it became merciless! And these past two weeks⊠donât ask me how I got through them⊠or even the past two days on Keto!
@Rhye so when people ask if Unhealthily low bodyfat is sustainable, it shows they have no idea! I had no idea either. Averaging four hours of sleep per night because of low blood sugar and hunger, doing pre-breakfast cardio, being underfed, feeling like youâre operating in another world, going through and eight hour work day⊠and then⊠lifting at night. Does this sound sustainable? The experience drove me to tears at times.
Oh, had a bad nightâs sleep? Fought with a co-worker or family member? Legs constantly tired? What about a day in which you did fasted cardio⊠worked your back four hours later⊠went for a brutal massage by a former college football player and some PNF stretching⊠some posing practice⊠and then⊠have to be friendly at a family gathering later in the night? 
Nagging ailments that are now raising their head because of the abuse of the body? Sorry⊠you already signed on to be shredded! 
I want to write more as usual but Iâm on my phone. I just want some people to know what itâs like. Itâs called a peak for a reason! Some might think Iâm exaggerating but contest prep is a responsible adultâs game and can border on recklessness. At least thatâs what I feel now.
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Iâll just add that âcontest shapeâ =/= winning contest shape. We could have stopped over a month ago and Brad easily would have been the most shredded guy in his gym. That may be a nice ego stroke for some people, but (and I say this with no hint of ego or animosity towards anyone who has no interest) competing isnât for everyone.
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My wife also gave contest prep an appropriate adjective once: unforgiving. After awhile, if done correctly, it will seem never ending and youâll wonder how the hell youâre gonna get through a day! And if co-workers arenât suspecting something is wrong with you, youâre likely not doing it right! 
If youâre not getting comments like, âyou look tired,â âI know you said youâre gonna get lean but is this safe, what youâre doing?â, âI donât like the way you look,â âyouâre getting too skinnyâ, âare you kidding me, you have to lose more? From where?!â, âthis is temporary right?,â âis your face gonna return to normal after?â And so on⊠youâre not doing it right or you need more time! Same goes if youâre not getting odd looks from people either in amazement of what youâve done or thinking youâre troubled and have problems.lmao!
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You arenât officially ready until they take up a collection fund to help with your medical bills
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In regards to the Casey Buttsâ articles, I recall him saying stuff regarding actual bodybuilding aesthetics and muscular gain potential something like perhaps one can gain more than which his formulas show predictions of how much mass one can hold on a symmetrical physique, but can be surpassed by some if they have a freaky body part which they can develop while potentially lessening their symmetry. Or some stuff like that. Sorry for the run-on sentence. 
Sooooo close! -lol
Brads gonna do his under-tan and start Carbing up tomorrow, so Iâm sure weâll see a huge shift in his demeanor as he wont be able to stop smiling at himself in the mirror.
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Gotta be honest, looking a little gaunt in the picâŠnot that that is a bad thing. Canât wait to see it all come together, the tan, the pump, gonna look great.
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Home stretch bro, canât wait to see you at the show! Iâve taken the responsibility of finding the post show grub as the âlocal,â thereâs a great diner with an extensive menu, and a Red Robin Gourmet Burgers. Gonna be some serious eating going down! No mac and cheese burgers, but worst case scenario can get Brad an order of mac and cheese and slap it on a double patty bacon cheeseburger 
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Iâm excited for ya man! Carbing up + tan, this is going to be awesomeâŠ
I donât know how many pics brad has throw up on IG/FB this week, but conditioning aside, heâs very flat. So while he will certainly look larger and fuller come Saturday, he will also appear even tighter. Such a damn cool sport 
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If youâre not gaunt, you didnât do it right! 
Being serious!
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