Rob's Road to Hercules: Contest Prep

161lbs

Weight has been steady at 161 but seeing some nice growth. I’ve been able to stay at 161 for the past 5 weeks and still creeping more calories in. On a standard training day I’m at 3,000 cals with 300g carbs, and a 2-a-day is roughly 3,300 with between 350-360 carbs. For a 5’4" guy with a stage weight of 145lbs, I’m ecstatic for how much I’m eating right now without adding unnecessary fat.

The 2-a-day everyday schedule was too much for me, even with optimal sleep and recovery it’s just too much. Here’s my adjusted schedule:
MON: AM arms 1 & abs / PM quads & calves
TUES: back 1
WED: delts 1
THUR: arms 2 & abs
FRI: AM chest-hams-calves / PM back 2 & abs
SAT: delts 2

Shoulders and arms are what I’m really trying to bring up, those get hit twice. Back also does with two separate workouts. Back 1 is thickness based with all rowing variations, back 2 is width based. The 2-a-day days are a real metabolic kick in the posing trunks, and I enjoy the nutritional freedom that comes with it.

Once or twice a week I’ll do 15 min of cardio on the step mill, nothing intense but I feel like it helps keep of unnecessary fat while in a caloric surplus. Just enough time to burn some fat after weights, nothing more.

Contest prep is a long way away, about 5 months, but right now mentally I feel like I’m in contest mode, taking advantage of the off season and my new schedule to come back and be undeniable. Long way to go but enjoying my first off season feeling like I really know what I’m doing (I’m sure next year I’ll say the same thing!)

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Hard to believe you have gained sixteen pounds and still have such clearly defined abs. I think it just goes to show how lean you can get - kind of like Brick’s current experience - and look big without clothes.

Enjoy the food!

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Yeah I’m pretty surprised myself lol. I attribute it to a few things:

-There’s some ‘brosciency’ thoughts out there that say your body is primed to make great gains right after a show, and others that say there’s no evidence for that. Since bodybuilding is largely based on anecdotal evidence, I believe that there is potential for good gains after a show, if it’s approached correctly. It seems like a lot of competitors will increase food intake, or just completely binge for a week or something like that, while easing up on training to give the body a break. I think after depleting yourself so much, your body will soak up whatever you put in it. So, increased calories plus pulling back on training, it’s no wonder a lot of competitors gain so much weight so quickly, and can look like they did before their prep in a matter of weeks. I did eat my face off the night after the show, but right away the next day I was back to my game plan, and the Monday after the show I was training hard and heavy, with more intensity than ever, thinking about next season. My body was extremely depleted, so I think I put everything to good use and starting putting on some LBM fairly quickly. I’ve been on a consistent nutrition and training plan since, and am watching the scale and conditioning very carefully. Looking at the comparison pics I posted earlier, I know I’ve undoubtedly put on at least a few more pounds of mass, as I’m noticably leaner/tighter now at 161 than I was dieting down for the show 7 months ago. I’ve been taking Indigo and Micro-PA as usual, I’m confident both supplements are working their magic!

-I’m eating larger meals less frequently. I was eating 7-8 meals a day, now I’m a consistent 6 meals a day, each between 500-600 calories. Even my pre-bed shake now has 600 calories, including 40g carbs! (Carbs in the pre-bed shake are from a cup of blueberries and a serving of chocolate sprouted granola.) But for me, I think I respond better to bigger meals more spaced out. Some will say timing doesn’t matter, and only macros by the end of the day matter, but I disagree. I think if you really want to max out your potential and make the very best gains possible, timing does matter. It might not make a huge difference, but in this sport ANY difference is crucial.

-My carb sources are more varied and lower GI in nature. I think I’m fairly insulin sensitive and I am astounded at the amount of carbs I’m getting in right now and still keeping a decent level of conditioning. I read something by Chris Aceto saying if you’re more carb sensitive, to stick to lower GI sources. So, I’ve been doing brown rice instead of white, sweet potato instead of white potato (don’t eat much potatoes in general though), and I eat 4 servings of fruit a day (I haven’t eaten fruit in a long time), usually blueberries or apples. Sometimes I’ll have a bagel for breakfast, but the peanut butter and protein shake slow the digestion. Besides, breakfast is the time to get in those higher GI carbs so I don’t worry about it. I’ll have a bagel twice or three times a week for breakfast, otherwise it’s eggs and ezekiel toast/oats, or ezekiel cereal with Metabolic Drive protein milk.

-I’m not nearly as stressed out as I was last year, with my new schedule I am recovering more and have total control of meals, don’t have to worry about forgetting anything, etc.

Just some thoughts as to the progression from the show until now. Overall I’m hungry as hell to come back next year and be as undeniable as possible and am enjoying a disciplined off season.

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Hey Rob!! I’ve been reading and following along for a long while now, but never felt I had anything to add. I’ve decided to come out of the shadows though…so…let’s begin the begin.

While I’ve never competed, I’ve gotten down to low body fat levels just because. I’ve noticed this phenomenon that you’re referencing each time I begin reverse dieting/“bulking” after the cut. And I think you hit the nail on the head when you said:

The other biggest contributing factor that I’ve noticed with myself is the stress levels:

Let’s take out the notion of the stress induced by caloric deficit, sleep troubles from lack of food and recovery, etc. and just look at, say, your day-to-day job. I have a pretty demanding job in the software world (I build user interfaces and demo them to potential clients in the hotel industry), and sometimes I go two or three weeks at a time with a heavy workload that I then to have to demo to the Suits. But if I have a dry-spell at work for a month or so, I make amazing strides in my bodybuilding endeavors.

I find it amazing what a lack of stress can do for you physique. So when people like yourself compete and diet for a really long time and still make improvements WHILE juggling that demanding work and home-life schedule, I am amazed. Props to you sir…I don’t get my internal inspiration from other people, per se, but when I read threads like yours, it puts my own world into perspective and I want to strive to achieve even more.

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@IronAndMetal Man thank you very much for the kind words and taking the time to follow the log, and joining the conversation! I really appreciate it!

Absolutely feel you there! When I was teaching I would notice a similar effect at the beginning of the school year before things really got hectic. September/October would always be very good months regarding training and gains, then when concert season starts rolling around and school gets in full swing, priorities shift, stress goes up and I certainly felt it. Especially in the spring time when school and my business was at its busiest, that was the worst for training and recovery.

Man this really means a lot, thank you very much. I understand what you mean, the heart of your motivation comes from within; intrinsic motivation has to be the center of it all I think for those who are truly successful in anything. But, sometimes another source can provide a little bump or provide some good insight to help your own motivations and passions grow. The reason I started this log last year was to hopefully give some insight to the journey of someone just starting out, and hopefully, eventually, provide some motivation or inspiration to anyone that read it, because what inspired and motivated me to get to the next level was reading the great prep logs of the competitors here on T-Nation. There’s a great community here and very supportive people, and I’ve made some incredible new friends as result, including @The_Mighty_Stu and @BrickHead.

Thanks again so much for following along!

Also, I see in your profile you’re a musician in addition to developing software? That’s awesome! Would love to hear more about that when you have some time.

I’ve noticed that! :slight_smile: I’ve followed the threads for a while, but I never registered for an account…because I was too busy soaking up everyone’s knowledge and, of course, felt self-conscious about adding my opinion.

Here in central Ohio, I don’t know many people who care about bodybuilding at all. If anyone follows John Meadows, you’ll notice that he started doing yoga. I live by that yoga studio he goes to on 3rd avenue in Grandview Heights, Ohio. It’s an area of hipsters…enough said. But the lady loves it here! Blah, I’m ranting. The point is: I like how everyone seems to know each other, how everyone here seems like friends. Being around software development all day doesn’t garner much in the way of conversation concerning anything other than computers…

Yeah, man! I was classically trained as a pianist from the age of eight or so. I even declared a minor in music theory and composition in college using piano as my main instrument, but I never completed that. I ended up dropping out to tour in a rock band, and by the time I went back to school, my goals changed, so I changed my major and outlook on life tremendously.
I picked up the guitar back in high school and fell in love. I’ve been in various rock bands for the past twelve years or so. I was the lead guitarist and lyric writer for most of them. My current band is a post-rock group. That just means there’s no vocals, so it’s geared towards lengthier compositions. Rock music is much more interesting when the guitar is more about melodies, harmonies, changing time signatures, etc., rather than a patterned song.

Dude that is incredible, props to you man. While I fortunately inherited my mom’s and grandma’s musical inclination and ears, my piano skills are terrible. I majored in trumpet performance emphasis in jazz studies, then went back for grad school for music education. Funny enough, I never took a composition class, and now make a living composing and arranging, neither of which I went to school for yet still find myself buried under my student loans. Lol, funny how things change.

YES, love it, agree 110%. Not to get into “music today sucks” but a lot of music today…I’ll say…lacks musicianship. That’s awesome that you’re still playing so much! Not sure if you read earlier in the thread but @Aragorn also is a guitar head and very knowledgable. One day all the T-Nation musicians should all meet up somewhere for some training, grub and a jam session!

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That would be amazing!

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162lbs



A couple of pics from yesterday’s delt session. As usual no fancy lighting or whatever, just some off season progress updates. The lighting in the locker room is pretty unforgiving, it’s a good place to really see what’s going on. Since the last pic I posted 8-9 days ago at 161, the scale has slowly creeped up and I’ve been in the low 162’s long enough now to know I’ve put on a pound. But, it’s been very slow and steady, and looking at the conditioning carefully, I think I’m on track and am making some good LBM gains. Not flexing in the pic or tensing the mid section, just a gentle exhale and making sure I’m not hunched over.
The second picture is mid-rep during the last set of my session, but I think it shows some gains in thickness and that conditioning is still at an acceptable level for the off season.

Side note, I recently started an IG account, mostly centered on training with some pics and vids of exercises and some food prep info, but also a little of my music stuff every now and then. I always link to my prep log here, but please feel free to look it up and follow along if you’d like to.

I also want to quickly just say thank you to everyone who is taking the time to read and follow along here, over 18,000 views already, crazy! Over the past week I’ve been fortunate enough to communicate with some folks on other threads on T-Nation and on IG who have been following along on my log, even one person who wants to start some coaching, and it’s just awesome to be in touch. Please don’t hesitate to respond or reach out if you’d like to, again I really appreciate the time anyone puts into reading and being part of the T-Nation community, and I hope you find this info helpful and informative.

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Delts are still sporting lines!

Who says off season = fat ass?!

S

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Hell yes! Sounds like fun.[quote=“IronAndMetal, post:268, topic:212317”]
I was the lead guitarist and lyric writer for most of them. My current band is a post-rock group. That just means there’s no vocals, so it’s geared towards lengthier compositions. Rock music is much more interesting when the guitar is more about melodies, harmonies, changing time signatures, etc., rather than a patterned song.
[/quote]

So much so! I love almost all kinds of music from Bessie Smith, Brahms, to Slayer, but I am a GIANT fan of progressive metal and prog music in almost all forms. So much more interesting than 4 chord pop songs. More possibilities! More skill! More everything!

Dream Theater would be one of my top 5 all-time bands.

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@Aragorn and @IronAndMetal, are you familiar with Liquid Tension Experiment? Some serious, mind blowing stuff on those albums! “Paradigm Shift” is one of my very favorite tunes.

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Agreed! After going through a prep, the very last thing I want to do in the off season is add any more fat than necessary to make LBM gains. The leaner I can be at the start of the next diet, the easier it will be to get truly shredded and I can take a slow and steady approach. Not that getting stage shredded is ever “easy” but it will definitely be “easier” starting leaner. Most “bulking bros” just eat crap, don’t track calories and add too much fat. It really doesn’t take a large caloric surplus to add mass properly, and the leaner you are, the easier it is to add the right kind of mass. Having gone through my first competitive season, I am certainly approaching this off season with a different mentality, but I guess this is my first official “off season” anyway.

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I love LTE!! Great 90s/00s side project from Dream Theater, just sickening (not that Dream Theater wasn’t already lol). I love paradigm shift! I think Acid Rain from their 2nd album is probably my first favorite though, as it was the first song I heard from them and I can still hear it in my mind whenever I want.

I got into them backwards, I had been a long time Dream Theater fan but was unaware of their side project. Tony Levin on that fretless bass man…and DY had two of the greatest keys players in Sherinian and Rudess. A true supergroup if there ever was one.

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Absolutely! @Aragorn and @IronAndMetal, I’m assuming you both know Snarky Puppy? That’s some instrumental mind melting music right there. A lot of their songs are recorded live and available to watch on YouTube, AMAZING to think they record live as one unit performing with the complexity of the music, rather than the way most albums are produced today.

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The off season is moving along nicely. It’s been 3 months since my show, here’s a quick summary of what I’ve been up to training and nutrition wise since then:
NUTRITION
-Started at 1900 calories, reverse dieted slowly, currently sitting around 3,000 per day. Off days are about 2600-2700.
-I’ve lowered protein to 1.1g per pound down from 1.5g, to make room for more carbs, still gaining strength and mass slowly. Current macro breakdown is roughly 350c, 180p, 65f. I have a meal plan that I follow and still measure my food, but allow myself not to be restricted during family events and such, and have a wide variety of carb choices throughout my day (bagels, fruit, ezekiel products, rice, granola, etc.)
-I am responding well to evenly distributing my fats throughout the day. I used to have “carb based” meals and “fat based” meals, now all my meals are typically 30g protein, 40-50g carbs and no more than 10g fat. Fat sources are varied between nuts and nut butters, grass fed cheese, avocado and coconut oil I cook with.

TRAINING - past 3 months post show
-Started out immediately with a 6x per week split, hitting shoulders, arms and back twice a week. Did this for one month.
-Went on vacation with the wife for 2 weeks, trained every day on a 4 day cycle of chest, back, shoulders, arms, repeat. No direct leg training because we hiked a lot every day.
-Post vacation went to a 2-a-day program, hitting everything twice a week.
-Past few weeks shoulders, arms and back were hit twice a week, everything else once.

So, I haven’t given myself any down time training wise what-so-ever. I have a fire to come back next season as undeniable as possible, which means I have to add more mass, bring up my arms, and get 4-5 pounds leaner. I was lean, but not lean enough. That being considered, I still had some first place votes over the guy that won the overall. Great motivation to come back next year and leave no doubts.

Immediately after my show I was hitting the gym hard. There’s some “broscience” out there that post show is an ideal time to make some quality gains. While I don’t think there’s a magical window to put on 20lbs of mass, I do think there is some validity there. My body was very, very depleted from 6 months of prepping, so it was primed to put all nutrients to good use provided I kept training, which I did. I’ve seen some surprising physique and strength changes in just 3 months, and the recomposition is apparent with the comparison pics I posted earlier in the thread of my 161 weight.

I think where most competitors go wrong is they increase food too quickly, while decreasing training. So not only are they not putting the nutrients to good use, they’re storing a LOT more fat than they normally would because the metabolism is slow and the body is used to running on low cals. I probably could have reverse dieted a little bit slower, but didn’t want to. So, I chose to increase training and it seemed to work out.

The past two weeks I’ve been feeling my body pushing back, saying, “hey man…how about some recovery time, huh?” As we’ve been discussing in other threads, change is necessary to continue improving. As I’ve been increasing intensity and frequency for the past 3 months, I can feel I need to pull back and allow myself more recovery time. So, this week I’m starting a 5 day split, hitting everything once a week. While this is kind of a standard split, for me, this is lower volume and frequency than I’ve been doing for the past 3 months, so I’m going to start with 5 days, and if I need more recovery I’ll move to 4 days, until I feel I’m ready to get back to my current routine, which I REALLY like. Here’s what I’ve been doing the past 3 weeks, my favorite split so far:

MON: AM arms 1 & abs / PM quads & calves
TUES: back 1
WED: delts 1
THUR: arms 2 & abs
FRI: AM chest-hams-calves / PM back 2 & abs
SAT: delts 2

I’ll come back to this program when I feel my body is ready.

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BRIEF cut for 3 weeks
In 3 weeks I’m going to California to work and clinic with a bunch of bands that are performing my music and some additional client meetings. I’ll be there for 2 weeks, one week in the Bay Area in NorCal and one week in SoCal in the Anaheim area. So, as pretty much anyone reading this can relate, we typically want to look our best, lean and mean for any “event” we might have coming up. While I’m not trying to get shredded, I wouldn’t mind losing a few pounds of fat before my trip.

So, for the next 3 weeks, I’m going to cut lightly and see what happens. Nothing drastic, I certainly don’t want to lose any progress I’ve made in my off season so far. I don’t really have a “concrete” plan like I would in a prep, I’m going to try to auto regulate as much as I can as I feel that method has done well lately. But, my general outline is to decrease carbs slightly, get in one (maybe two) short HIIT sessions per week in the form of sprints/running, and do 15-20 minutes of medium intensity cardio after my weight sessions after slugging some BCAAs.

I’m going to keep track of training and nutrition, also using these 3 weeks as kind of a “trial” run on how we’ll start my next prep. If things start moving along at the 1-2 pounds per week standard for fat loss, I’ll use this data to start my next prep and hit the ground running.

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I’m curious to see how this cut, and transition back to ‘bulking’ works out for you.
Reminds me of Layne Norton’s philosophy of short-cyclic bulking and cutting to maintain LBM.

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Yeah I’ve read about that, I think it makes sense. If someone is in a caloric surplus or even maintenance for 8-9 months, eventually it will be harder to put on LBM, insulin sensitivity might decrease. Cutting with some HIIT for a few weeks might help lose some fat, maintain insulin sensitivity, and make it easier to continue gaining quality mass in the long term. If it works out well I may continue the cycle, we’ll see!

Just got back from my first HIIT workout since the prep, good god what a shock to the body that was!

(outside)
-10 min walking warm up
-5 min jog warm up
-20 minutes HIIT (hard run 30 seconds/jog 2 minutes, repeat) totaling 8 sprints
-10 min jog
-5 min walk

The majority of my HIIT workouts during prep were recumbent bike or elliptical, running today was definitely a different beast, more of an ass kicking for sure. I’m going to try to keep up with the running HIIT workouts during my next prep as long as my knees will allow it, I might switch off between sprints, elliptical (which is a bitch if done properly) to keep my body from adapting to anything too quickly.

For now I’m just trying to see what kind of fat I can lose over the next few weeks before my trip, we’ll see if I can squeeze in another one of these later this week.

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