Deadlift PR - 405 Pounds x 15 Reps - 48 Years Old @ 195 Pounds

These days I don't even think about going for 1 rep maxes anymore, especially when it comes to the squat or deadlift. I am simple at too high of a risk for injury and the glory is not even close to being worth the risk. That said when it comes to multiple rep personal bests especially in the higher numbers well I'm game for that even at 48 years old one can strive to improve in all areas even strength!

I'm not 100% sure what my max rep deadlift for 405 pounds was but I am pretty sure I have popped out at least 12-13 reps before on more than one occasion. So today's 15 reps does go down as a personal best and I am even more happy about it since I'm deep into contest prep and rather low in body fat sitting right at 195 pounds close to 6% body fat only 5 weeks out from the CBBF Canadian Nationals where I will be competing in Men's Masters Physique.

Deep Tissue Class 4 Laser Therapy at Performance Health Group

With all the work I am putting in these days at the gym getting ready for this Years Canadian Nationals, well it can be hard on the body for sure. I find my main trouble spot are my elbows and where the bicep connects to them. It is a result of all the pull exercise I am doing and since there is no stopping now the only thing I can do is try and ease the discomfort a bit. I have found that Deep Tissue Class 4 Laser Therapy has been helpful in this area, more so than other types of physiotherapy I have tried.

Checkout my session of Deep Tissue Class 4 Laser Therapy with Michael Baldwin at Performance Health Group in Aldergrove BC.

Road to Canadian Nationals 6 Weeks Out Update Video

In terms of my current condition I have to say all is going well, around 7 weeks ago I started out my contest prep for the CBBF Canadian Nationals where I am competing in Men's Masters Physique hoping to keep my 1st place title in tall division and perhaps even get my IFBB Pro Card this year?

So far contest pre has consisted of trying to maintain weight while putting on muscle and losing fat, as expected form previous contest preps that is exactly what has happened so far, I was 195 pounds seven weeks ago and I am still 195 pounds today, except I am stronger and leaner so it's pretty obvious that I am carrying more muscle and less fat then when I began.

With 6 weeks to go I still have another 2 weeks where I can make some more gains in the muscle department, I do plan on changing my calorie form a maintenance program to a very slight deficit of 500 per day which should help me lose about a pound per week, this is very conservative as I do not need to lose a lot more fat and should allow me to still perform at 100% in the gym. Once I get down to my last 4 weeks I will reassess my condition and see what I need to do and if I need to drop more calories or not.

I recently decided that I will be entering in the Muscle Insider Muscle Model Search which is being held at this years Vancouver Pro Am BC Championships in early June. I figure I will be 3 weeks out for this event and should be in pretty decent condition so why not, I could even win $1000 and get featured in the Muscle Insider Magazine! Let's hope they're looking for an older esthetic looking guy :) Well that's it for now, feeling good and looking forward to competing soon!

Caveman Workout Theory

I know, it's a bit of a weird title for an article or video! But with all of today's scientific and high tech workout theories and info, I wanted to dumb things down just a little and make everyone think about the basics of how our bodies react to the stimulus we subject them to.

In this video I compare a Caveman (could also be a Cavewoman) to what I consider to be a similar group of athletes found commonly in today's society. For example, I compare the Scout Caveman (that has to run around all day looking for possible hunting location) to today's equivalent of a Marathon or long distance runner. I also compare the Hunter Caveman to that of perhaps a CrossFit athlete that needs to be strong, fast and have endurance. Lastly I compare the workhorse Cavemen (the Caveman that has to haul all the meat back to his tribe) to that of either a power lifter or body builder.

One thing to keep in mind is that all these Cavemen or Cavewomen would have all had access to the same foods, they would not have eaten at regular times so food timing would have been out the window. There wouldn't have been any types of supplements like Protein Powders, BCAA's or Creatine or Vitamins. I would imagine their diet would have been pretty clean, perhaps even paleo-ish ;) But that's about the only advantage the Caveman would have had in terms of nutrition.

The main point I am making in this video is that the stimulus we subject our bodies to is really the most important factor to how our bodies will respond. Our bodies are made to adapt and survive and respond to what they are subjected to. If we need them to be strong they will get strong. If we need them to travel long distances days at a time then they will become super efficient perhaps at the cost of other skills like strength and speed. If we need our bodies to be well rounded then again they will adapt with the ability to do everything fairly well but not excel in any one thing.

Yes there is great value in all of today's information about eating a proper diet, using food timing to your advantage, what supplements can help you achieve your goals and which workout programs would be best suited to your lifestyle. Let's remember the Caveman had none of this and yet they where able to adapt their bodies to their given needs mainly because what we ask our bodies to do physically is the most important part of this equation.

Road to Canadian Nationals 2017 - What Are My Goals?

A year later and another go at the Canadian Nationals competing in Men's Masters Physique. So why do it again since last year I got 1st place in my tall division? Well last year I did not win the overall category which is where the winner of each height category go head to head to see who the overall class winner is in Men's Masters Physique.

Last year it was a close one but long story short I didn't win the overalls. This year my goal is to take first in Men's tall again and then go after the overall win which would award me with the elusive IFBB Pro Card! What's so good about an IFBB Pro Card? It really would be more of an achievement thing then something that would be of practical use for me since an IFBB Pro Card would allow me to compete with other IFBB Professions throughout North America. Keep in mind this is an Open category so I would be competing against all ages, young and old like me :)

After last year going head to head with the young bucks in the Open category at the Nationals, I realised that I am just too small to be competitive since that is the way the class is going at least for now. Either way I would still be totally honored to win an IFBB Pro Card and may even compete in an IFBB Pro show or two to show those young bucks that us older fellows still got it!