Road to Popeye's Fall Classic 2017 - Contest Day

I know I should have made this video a little bit sooner but I needed to relax a bit and take a few days off after all the work that went into competing at this years Popeye's Fall Classic.

So how did I do? I feel I did pretty good considering I competed in the "Open" class for both Men's Physique and Classic Physique. In my tall height divisions for both categories there where 13 very competitive athletes that I went up against and most of them where about half my age at least!

In the end I won 1st place in Physique and I got 3rd place in Classic Physique which I am very proud of since I really didn't know what to expect competing in a new class that features legs and a lot of posing.

I always hope to get an overall but it did not happen yet again, there seems to be a course on me when it comes to overalls, this one was my third attempt at an overall award and it slipped by me yet again. The fellow that won the overall in Open Physique also won the overall in Classic Physique so he got double of everything when it came to the prizes - lucky guy! He for sure looked good but then so did I and I kind of felt I had a little more size in the right places and as good if not better conditioning to take the overall but it's always up to the judges at the end of the day and you have to accept what they decide.

Speaking about conditioning, I did get called out on stage to accept the "Ripped Freak Award" for being the most notably shredded competitor that day!

Enjoy my YouTube video and watch it till the end as I have some high quality stage photos of the event included.

Road to Popeye's Fall Classic 2017 - 1 Day Out

Only 1 more day to go and I will be on stage at the Popeye's Fall Classic competing in Classic Physique for the very first time! I will also try Open Physique again and see how I do up against the youngsters :)

In this update YouTube video I take you through my last day before the show, some of the video clips include:

• Some workout bench fitness items sent to me from Inspire Fitness for my FT2 Functional Trainer gym.
• I talk about my Peak Weeks and how I carb load back up for the show.
• I go over what I use to do my self tanning and save a few bucks.
• I go for a walk to burn off a few extra calories.
• I shoot some video at the Athletes meeting at the Castle Rock Casino in Richmond.
• And of course include some video of my hamburger at Red Robin Restaurant.

Road to Popeye's Fall Classic 2017 - Why I Do Competitions

Some people might think it's a little bit crazy the way I prepare for a fitness competition like the Popeye's Fall Classic, the hard dieting, the hours of training, and all so I can pay a bunch money to be the entertainment at a body building fitness competition where most of the time all I may get out of it is a medal or trophy for my accomplishment.

Well if you put it that way it does sound a bit off but I love it any way! Here's why:

• Fitness Competitions give me a goal to focus on so I can work hard and get into the best shape of my life!
• I truly enjoy watching the physical transformation my body take when I prepare for these fitness shows.
• I even kind of enjoy the food tracking and manipulation, it keeps me focused and on track.
• I enjoy the fitness competitions themselves, meeting all the like minded people who also have put themselves through hell and back to get on stage and do something that very few people will even try to attempt.
• I love that my body is a representation of who I am as a physical person, strip us all down to the skin, take away our fancy clothing, expensive cars and designer homes and we are only left with ourselves. My health and fitness lifestyle has moulded me into who I am. 

Road to Popeyes Fall Classic 2017 - 1 Week Out

It's almost crunch time or what we call "Peak Week" when preparing for a fitness contest. This is when it gets even more serious and changes are made to the diet to get dialed in for competition day. Calories and Macros are adjusted almost daily with the end goal of walking on stage as lean as possible while still holding as much full muscle as you can. Carbs, water and salts are often manipulated very carefully to achieve this goal.

At roughly 1 week out from my Popeye's Fall Classic Fitness show where I will be competing in Men's Open Physique and Men's Classic Physique I feel I am right on track and will be the leanest yet the heaviest I have ever been on stage to date. Lord knows I am going to need the extra size and conditioning to be a competitor in the Classic Physique division, let alone keep up with the youngsters in Open Men's Physique.

I am really looking forward to this show and hope to have a ton of fun doing it while getting to know some new folks!

What do I Eat During Contest Prep?

A common question I get when I'm getting close to another Fitness Show I will be going into is: "What do I eat when I am in contest prep?"And usually people want to know what I do specifically during my "Peak Weeks" which for me is two weeks out from the show day. This is when I really have to crack down and trim off all the last bits of fat and use a method called carb depletion to make my body burn fat and drain it of glycogens so come show day I can rapidly refill my glycogens effectively giving me a glycogen boast. This makes me luck fuller and more detailed when I'm up on stage for the show.

In this video I go over what foods and supplements I take during my 2 week "Peak Week" process along with my calories, macros, what exercise I do and how I load my carbs back in prior to contest day.

Here is a list of some of the Isagenix suppliments I take during my Peak Weeks:

• IsaPro Protein
• Amped Protein Bars
• Isagenix Greens
• Isagenix Fruits
• Amped Power
• Amped Recover
• e+ Energy Shot