Road to the Vancouver Open Regionals - 1 Week Out Posing

Getting real close now to the Vancouver Open Regionals. I shot this video on Sunday so 6 days out technically but it will give you an idea of what my conditioning is like about a week out from the show. I always push things really hard the last week to get those last little bits of fat off, I can generally strip another 2 pounds of fat from the stubborn areas and that's about all I need to do now. I feel I am very close and I hope to come in as lean or maybe even a bit leaner than last years show with a bit more muscle added. Yesterday I was 188 pounds as compared to last year this same time I was closer to 182 pounds. So I am up potentially around 6 pounds of muscle if my body fat is in fact the same.

This week to get as lean as I can I have dropped my calories down to around 1500 per day at least till Wednesday and then I will need to start adding in carbs which will increase my food calories a ton generally up adn over 3000 per day as I need to at around 500 grams of carbs for the carb loading process. I also will be walking 6 miles and hitting my weight training each day for an hour or so. This will bring my exercise calories up to around 1500 per day, add that to  my BMR and I am burning 3500 calories per day while only eating 1500 so that generates a 2000 calorie per day deficit.

I am really looking forward to showing off all my hard work at this years show. Last year I did not hire a posing coach, this year I have a couple sessions with Jeff my Posing Coach so this should make the presentation a little better also.

Road to the Vancouver Open Regionals - What Are My Expectations

Last year when I competed in this same show, the Vancouver Open Regionals. My expectations where just to make ti to the show in good health and see how it felt to compete again. I didn't have a lot of prep time last year as I decided a bit late but it was on y radar so I was slowly easing into it even before my actual contest prep. I was just starting to get my strength back in the gym so I was not at 100% in terms of muscle size and density, probably at least 5-8 pounds lighter than normal and that would be muscle mass. My main goal for that show was to come in nice and lean and not push myself too hard as I really didn't know what to expect. I feel I did meet my goals for that show so I was very happy with it even though I did not place all that high. The judges at that show for sure favored size over conditioning.

So here we are a year later and I have one show under my belt post Open Heart Surgery. I know now I can push myself a fair bit with the diet and training and that's what I have been doing. I also have had a lot more time to prep for this show. Officially my prep is a 3 month prep and so I am hoping to be able to bring more muscle mass with at least the same conditioning I brought last show, maybe even a bit tighter! Based on last year I was around 180 pounds at the end of my cut before carbing up. I am hoping to be closer to 185 pounds for this show before I carb up and so on show day I should be close to 195 pounds all carbed up to the max. 5 extra pounds may not seem like all that much but when it's in all the right places and you come in shredded it makes a world of deference!

I am starting to feel the push now at times, it comes in waves and when it hits I get a low energy fatigue feeling that sometimes lasts a couple of hours but generally I get my energy back or at least enough of it to make everything happen that needs to happen.

In terms of how I hope to place in this years show, of course I want to be first in every class I enter but even if I come in a bit bigger this year, I know most of the guys will out size me. If I can come in super conditioned with good esthetics than there is always the chance of pulling off a first place. it really depends who shows up for this show and how they look. Also what the judges are looking for? Last year size was key. This year, who knows?

Road to the Vancouver Open Regionals - 6 Weeks Out Posing

Officially we are now 6 weeks out at the time I recorded this video, which was on Saturday May 31st. The Show (Vancouver Open Regionals) is being held on July 12th in Abbotsford BC Canada which is nice and close to me. I am feeling really good and I am very happy with how everything is going. I would even go so far as to say this may be the best conditioned I am at 6 weeks out I have ever been. I have been bigger before in terms of muscle but that did not always work out for me as even at my biggest I generally get outsized by most of the guys on stage, so I my strategy has always been to try and at least out condition most of the guys to enhance what I have as much as possible.

The goal for this show was not to be super big as I just can't do that anymore. What it takes is just too hard on my body with a heart that has already been through a lot, and needs to be taken care of. My goal is to come into this years show with about 5 more pounds of muscle and with similar conditioning to last years same show, as I feel I was really well conditioned but last year I just did have enough time to get that added muscle I needed to be more competitive.

As I said, I feel really good, I still have lots of energy and no real hunger issues. I even raised my calories from around 2000 per day up to 2500 per day as I was losing a bit too much fat a bit too quickly. I want to kind of stay in the area I am right now till perhaps 4 weeks out, and then reassess my calorie intake to slowly lose the last 5-6 pounds of fat or so I need to trim, to get into the 5-6% body fat range I need to be in. The Body Composition Scale (Evolt Active) at my local gym says I am in the mid 6% body fat ranges, but I think it is being generous to me. I would say I am closer to a high 7% or low to mid 8% body fat currently. I am also holding really close to 190 pounds which is great. Over the next 3 to 4 weeks I hope to add a couple more pounds of muscle and maybe lose about the same in fat and then it will be time to get shredded :)

Vancouver Open Regionals 6 Plus Weeks Out Update

Getting closer by the day and here we are now at almost 6 weeks out from the Vancouver Open Regionals, where I plan to compete in Men's Physique and also Classic Physique. Im' still sitting right around 190 pounds, maybe a bit under in the morning, and according to the Evolt Active Body Composition machine at my gym, I am 6.3% body fat, but I think that is a bit on the low side. I feel more like around 7-8% which is a good place to be right now. At a month out, being between 6-7% would be ideal before I start the harder dieting adn cutting.

More importantly I am feeling really good, I have good energy most days, and I am not really all that hungry so far. I did increase my calorie intake a bit to around 2500 per day a few weeks back, as I felt I was dropping weight a little bit too quickly. I would like to have more muscle but that is always on the list, and I should be able to add a couple more pounds of it as I am not dieting very hard right now, and my workouts are still very productive.

Life has been busy as always with some projects I am working on, one being the new 2011 Zero XU Electric Motorcycle I am partially rebuilding, at least the electrical aspects of it. But I do like having projects on the go, they keep my excited and busy, maybe even a little bit distracted from some of the more negative things in life I don't want to be focusing on. In a few days on Saturday when it is officially 6 weeks out, I plan to make a Physique Update Video so watch for that one coming up.

Vancouver Open Regionals 2 Months Out Physique Update

I made this video 1 day after I was officially 2 month out from the Vancouver Open Regionals, where my plan is to compete in Men's Physique and more than likely also Classic Physique. At this point I am not sure what age categories I will be competing in as I can compete with younger athletes if I choose to be in an age class that is more competitive. Generally speaking the younger classes have higher caliber athletes in them.

I am very happy with where I am right now 2 months out. I have a lot of work to do but I also have a good amount of time to do it, and my weight and body fat are I would say perhaps better then past shows, even well before my heart surgery. I weigh about 190 pounds give or take a pound or two and my body fat is sitting at close to 8%, again give or take a little bit one way or the other.

My plan is over the next month to actually increase my calories a little bit to 2500 per day and see if I can gain a couple more pounds of muscle, 1 month out I will go into cutting mode, and shred the 2-3% of body fat I will need to get really shredded.

I am feeling really good and in no way am I low on energy or feeling any real hunger. Fingers crossed, I have no injuries or pains that are holding me back and if anything I am in the my best form 2 months out going into a show I have ever been. Again the goal is not be super big as I simply can not do what it would take in terms of performance enhancing options to get there.

I always strive to come in as conditioned as I can, so I can at least out condition most other competitors. Compared to last years show I feel I will be coming in with at least an additional 5 pounds more muscle, which if I am as conditioned will help out a lot as I was out sized buy pretty much everyone at the last show.