Day 305: RCS Newsletter November 2011 Edition Now Live

THE FAT LOSS EDITION

It's going to be an interesting month this month. My focus for the most part is on fat loss, compared to my usual recomp. The majority of my clients and those I am working with are also predominantly focused on fat loss. Thus, the third edition of the RCS Newsletter is "The FAT LOSS Edition" - you can review it HERE.

Day 229: Petey

MOTIVATIONAL QUOTE OF THE DAY

(Background Image taken by Paul Burgess)

Day 227: Keep on Fighting!

MOTIVATIONAL QUOTE OF THE DAY

 

(Background Image designed by Rosie Chee Scott)

  

"There is ALWAYS a light in the darkness - you just have to find it! It's the darkness that makes you thankful for the light. Stay strong, hold onto your faith, and believe, thankful for the small blessings that help you get through the dark times." - Rosie Chee Scott

Day 220: Impossible is Nothing

MOTIVATIONAL QUOTE OF THE DAY 

(Background Image courtesy of Simon Atkinson)

 Don't let anyone tell you that what you want to do is impossible.


We see possibilities in others, but do we dream of the possibilities within ourselves?


We should ALL reach for the stars, and those that never try are missing out on some of the greatest things in life.


Impossible is NOTHING!


After all, Nelson Mandela said, "It's only impossible until it's done."


Do it and show the world that ANYthing is indeed possible with the power of belief, faith, and the human heart!

Day 194: BLINDSIDED

Words by Jason Newman so appropriate for right now: "You've got to decide to never give up, you've got to find some reasons within yourself that will give you the stamina when life catches you on the blindside to get back up again to keep on crawling to coming back again again and again!!!!"

Because blindsided is right. There are some things that I have no control over. One of those is work, and even though it is the perfect job for me, it has been a nonstop rollercoaster for the last three weeks, and at the start of the week I was given news that means I will not be able to make the competition. After all that and I cannot compete; disappointment does not even begin to describe how I feel, especially since this is the SECOND time during those three weeks that I have had to postpone an event that I have been looking forward to ALL year! It's NOT going to hold me back though; just means that I will look ahead to the next competition - which I will likely wait until the last ~2 weeks prior to any selected show to enter, to ensure that work has become more settled and predictable, so that I don't have to change my plans.

As Layne Norton says, "When you get inspiration, harness it and do not let it go...Do not fear setbacks, push forward...NEVER stop."

I do want to thank all of you, especially Josh, Chris, and Eric, for your support throughout my preparation for this specific competition - without you guys, it would have been a much harder struggle to get to this point. It's not over yet though, because I have to do this for me, and being told "no" just makes me want it more than ever, to win my Figure Pro card THIS year!

My competition journey is just taking a detour, knowing that even though "There is no telling how many miles you will have to run while chasing a dream." - Author Unknown, if you want it badly enough, it CAN AND WILL happen!

Day 184: Born to Win

MOTIVATIONAL QUOTES OF THE DAY

"Never give up on anything that you can't go a day without thinking about." - Tony Horton

"It takes courage to be a real winner – not a winner in the sense of beating out someone else by always insisting on coming out on top – but a winner at responding to life. It takes courage to experience the freedom that comes with autonomy, courage to accept intimacy and directly encounter other persons, courage to take a stand in an unpopular cause, courage to choose authenticity over approval and to choose it again and again, courage to accept the responsibility for your own choices, and, indeed, courage to be the unique person you really are." - Muriel James and Dorothy Jongeward, Born to Win

"Standing up for what we believe in is essential to our growth in all aspects of life, physically, mentally and spiritually. If we do not speak out and act as we are, then what are we?...It is often easier said than done, but as it is stated, to be a winner, it is a must. If I were to look back at all of my success...I would conclude that it is a direct result that was yielded by action!!!...without action, from the inside out, the end results would have been different...Success and winning involves a greater knowledge of ones self and a greater connection to others...Life will pass you right on by if you wait for "the right time". Faith plus action will set you free." - Ben Booker


TRAINING

Monday

HIIT - Rollers:
a. 4 min in 39x18 @ 102 rpm
b. 8 x 20 sec effort/10 sec easy in 39x16 (rpm N/A)
c. 12 min in 39x18 @ 108 rpm

Stretch 21 min.

Tuesday

HIIT - Run:
a. 4 min jogging
b. 12 x 20 sec sprint/10 sec easy
c. 10 min jogging

Shoulders/Hamstrings (1 min recovery between sets):
1. Behind-the-neck BB Military Press 4 x 12
2. BB Military Press 4 x 10
3. Lateral Raises 4 x 12
4. Stiff-Legged BB Deadlift (BB to touch ground) 4 x 10

Post-Weights Cardio - Rollers:
20 min in 39x18 @ 100 rpm

Stretch 23 min.

Wednesday

Cardio - Run:
1.5 miles @ 4.2 min/km

Abs (30 sec recovery between alternate sets):
Alternate Set -
1. Rope Crunches 4 x 30
2. Hanging Straight-Leg Raises (feet to touch bar) 4 x 10

Post-Weights Cardio - Run:
1.5 miles @ 4.2 min/km

Stretch 25 min.

Cardio - Rollers:
20 min in 39x18 @ 100 rpm

Thursday

HIIT - Run:
a. 4 min jogging
b. 12 x 20 sec sprint/10 sec easy
c. 10 min jogging

Arms/Abs (30 sec recovery between alternate sets):
Alternate Set A -
1. Rope Crunches 4 x 20
2. Hanging Straight-Leg Raises (feet to touch bar) 4 x 10
Alternate Set B -
3. Close-Grip BB Bicep Curls 4 x 8
4. Dips 4 x 8
Alternate Set C -
5. EZ-Bar Bicep Curls 4 x 21s
6. Tricep Push-Downs 4 x 8
Alternate Set D -
7. Zottoman Curls 4 x 12
8. Alternate Hammer Curls 4 x 12 per side

Stretch 23 min.

Friday

HIIT - Rollers:
a. 4 min in 39x18 @104 rpm
b. 8 x 20 sec effort/10 sec easy in 39x16 (rpm N/A)
c. 12 min in 39x18 @ 110 rpm

Stretch 27 min.

Saturday

HIIT - Run:
a. 4 min jogging
b. 12 x 20 sec sprint/10 sec easy
c. 10 min jogging

Stretch 20 min.

Sunday

Day OFF.


COMMENTS

Mental Focus and Clarity: Has not wavered this week. And it will not - eyes on the goal! And then ahead, to the next game!

Stress: Has been high this week, with everything going on (over the next few weeks, I might only be able to get 1-2 updates in, most likely a weekly one on Saturday night or Sunday, since that is now all I really have re "free" time).

Vascularity: Has been excellent this week. Been experimenting with some NO Infuse as well, to see if I can manipulate my vascularity to get what I want when I want - still got more to do in this area, but looking to need to have ~10 minutes intense cardio and be in a heated environment, for it to come out the best.

Quality of Training: The week didn't start out well, with not having a lot of energy, my body not wanting to train even a little, which could be because I have been pushing it hard the last eight weeks without much pause. Therefore, I relented, allowing this week to be an "Easy" week - with cardio most days, but only a couple of resistance sessions, in the hope that the low training volume will give my body enough rest so that it can go extreme hardcore hard-out again for the next two weeks!

Appetite: The next two weeks are going to be SERIOUS Lean Gains protocol re timing of 16 hours fasting, with an 8-hour feeding window, and LOTS of RecoverPRO - this is the nutritional method that my body gets the BEST results with, so it's back to this, with NO room for making any excuses from now on.

Body Composition and Look: 110.6 pounds at 8.3% bodyfat. So, gained a little bodyfat and lean body mass this week - very likely caused by a decrease in training volume, of weights especially. A small setback, but nothing that can't be corrected quickly. The next two weeks are working on going back down - first to 8% bodyfat, and then below it, as low as I can go!

Other Notes: Started back on Vitamin C on Friday, and considering dropping the IGF-2 until after competition (will make that decision in the next day or so)...I've also noticed a few things about my body aesthetically, that call for a change in training, so training is going to change a little, cutting work for Back (and Chest) to only a single day a week - incorporated into the Full-Body session, cutting any Legs back to an absolute minimum, targeting only Hamstrings, and increasing the volume re Shoulders and Arms. Whilst the changes in my body may not happen by competition, they most definitely will start making a difference not too long after, which is fine...

Competition Notes: TWO weeks left until competition! Everything is organized and ready to go. The only thing that needs more preparation is me - posing and stage walking, and the next two weeks are going to be full-on with them both. I've got this! I can do it! I must! I WILL!

Day 174: The LORD is my rock

MOTIVATIONAL QUOTES OF THE DAY

"Pain doesn't tell you when you ought to stop. Pain is the little voice in your head that tries to hold you back because it knows if you continue, you will change. Don't let it stop you from being who you can be. Exhaustion tells you when you ought to stop. You only reach your limit when you can go no further." - Unknown

"The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower." - Psalm 18:2


TRAINING

Session 1

Cardio - Run:
3 miles at 4.9 min/km

Back/Chest (30 sec recovery between alternate sets):
Alternate Set A -
1. Supinated BB Bent Over Rows 4 x 10
2. Flat BB Bench Press 4 x 8-10
Alternate Set B -
3. Reverse Rows 4 x 10
4. Incline BB Bench Press 4 x 10

Post-Weights Cardio - Rollers:
20 min in 39x18 @ 100-102 rpm

Stretch 22 min.

Session 2

Cardio - Rollers:
20 min in 39x18 @ 100 rpm


COMMENTS

Sleep - Time and Quality: Up and down, waking almost on the hour.

Vascularity: Excellent

Quality of Training: 3-mile run was completed a lot slower than normal, so not sure what's quite up with that. Resistance training was excellent; nice and short. Rollers finished the morning session.

Recovery: Going from the pace of my run, probably not completely recovered - the stomach issues of the last few days not helping, either.

Body Composition and Look: Looking the leanest I ever have. I also have the most muscle mass - especially in my upper body - that I have ever had, which makes the difference.

Day 161: Only One You

MOTIVATIONAL QUOTES OF THE DAY

"Only you can be you...What I'm able to, God wants me to do. You are the only person on earth who can use your abilities. No one else can play your role, because they don't have the unique shape that God has given you...The abilities that you do have are a strong indicator of what God wants you to do with your life...God doesn't waste abilities; he matches our calling and our capabilities...When God made you, he broke the mold. There never has been, and never will be, anybody exactly like you." - Rick Warren, The Purpose Driven Life

"I'm just that special." - Patrick, A.E.U. Enact mecha pilot, Mobile Suit Gundam 00: Celestial Being (Season 1, Episode 1)


TRAINING

HIIT - Run:
a. 4 min jogging
b. 12 x 20 sec sprint/10 sec easy
c. 10 min jogging

Full-Body (30 sec recovery between alternate sets):
Alternate Set A -
1. Stiff-Legged BB Deadlifts (BB to touch floor) 4 x 12
2. Rope Crunches 4 x 20
Alternate Set B -
3. Alternate Backward Lunges (long stride) 4 x 10 per side
4. Hanging Straight-Leg Raises (feet to touch bar) 4 x 10
Alternate Set C -
5. EZ-Bar Bicep Curls 4 x 20
6. Dips 4 x 10
Alternate Set D -
7. Alternate Hammer Bicep Curls 4 x 20 per side
8. Lateral Raises 4 x 10
Alternate Set E -
9. Plate Hammer Raises 4 x 6
10. Behind-the-neck BB Military Press 4 x 10
Alternate Set F -
11. Push-Ups (feet on floor, hands fists) 4 x 10
12. Reverse Rows (feet on bench) 4 x 10, 10, 8, 6

Post-Weights Cardio - Rollers:
20 min in 39x18 @ 104 rpm

Stretch 20 min.


COMMENTS

Energy: Even MORE energy than I've had over the last few days, and that is saying SOMEthing!

Pump: Strong once got to Alternate Set C.

Vascularity: The best ever after my post-training shower and LipoBURN application.

Quality of Training: HIIT was AWESOME, the best ever, sprints were explosive, back to feeling like myself - the cooler weather definitely makes a HUGE difference for me! Resistance training was good. Rollers afterwards was meditation time.

Competition Notes: The focus of the next three weeks is just going to be on getting leaner, as lean as I can get. The two weeks after that I will use to make a concentrated effort on posing practice (honestly, I have done so little of this even up to now, and not having a facility to be able to practice in has made it a little harder as well, but I'm not too worried) and stage presence, opening myself up to relax and have fun, to just let the side that is often only seen in private out, so that I have no self consciousness on stage and can just be an infectious bundle of energy and "wow".

Day 143: Attitude is Everything

MOTIVATIONAL QUOTES OF THE DAY

"Your living is determined not so much by what life brings to you as by the attitude you bring to life; not so much by what happens to you as by the way your mind looks at what happens." - Kahil Gribran

"There is little difference in people, but that little difference makes a big difference. The little difference is attitude. The big difference is whether it is positive or negative." - W. Clement Stone

"It's not a matter of can or cannot, it's a matter of will or will not, everything is a choice, choose wisely." - Ed Hillenbrand


TRAINING

HIIT - Run:
a. 4 min jogging
b. 12 x 20 sec sprint/10 sec easy
c. 10 min jogging

Shoulders/Hamstrings (1 min recovery between sets):
1. Behind-the-neck BB Military Press 6 x 15, 12, 10, 10, 10, 8
2. BB Military Press 6 x 12, 10, 10, 10, 10, 10
3. Single-Arm DB Lateral Raises 6 x 12 per arm
4. Stiff-Legged BB Deadlifts (BB to touch floor) 6 x 12

Post-Weights Cardio - Rollers:
20 min in 39x18 @ 102 rpm

Stretch 22 min.


COMMENTS

Sleep - Time and Quality: The latest I have fallen asleep in a while. Slept for nearly 10 hours. Woke with a POUNDING migraine (that has lasted all day), but refreshed, if you can understand that.

Mood/Aggression: Has had its up and downs - mostly UP, though. Positive attitude in what the future holds, knowing that I WILL achieve what I want to!

Energy: Despite the migraine, yes, have had lots of energy today.

Endurance: Great.

Strength: Better than the last time I did this session.

Quality of Training: HIIT was good. Sprints passed quickly, a high speed endurance . . . Resistance session was great. Burning during some of the first twp exercises, but gritted teeth and loved it . . . Rollers afterwards to help re recovery . . .

Recovery: I feel fresh

Other Notes: I don't "diet" and never really have (even for my competition last year), but this time around, I am changing what I do, because what used to work for me now no longer does effectively. I will still be using an amalgamation of the nutritional methods and diet principles that I have been, but I am going to be a LOT STRICTER, since until now, I have been very loose even with those. The biggest change though, is that I am going to be following Layne Norton's Mesomorph fat loss caloric (a LOT lower than what I am used to) and macronutrient recommendations with those principles. So, it WILL definitely be interesting.