Stage Two, Personal Assessment
Okay now that we have covered "The Desire" now let us turn our attention to the next aspect and that is taking inventory of yourself.
We all know what we look like in the mirror and most of us who are serious enough to make changes know what image that we would like to have. What we are now and what we would like to be is two different realities and we need to focus on what condition we are in now. You want to compete but you have certain weak areas that you feel you might need to improve before heading head first into a prep. Or you may think you are good enough but will need an outside opinion to give you a different perspective. What ever the case is, now is the time to admit that you need work here and there. By doing so you will have a better idea how to create a program that can help bring up that/those stubborn body parts.
Also take a look at your finance. Oh yeah, this is not going to be cheap. Even if you get to land a src that can scale back some of the cost you will still need to think about all the other aspects of a prep that will and let me repeat "will" deplete your pockets. Expenses like food, vitamins and mineral support, tanning products, hotel expense if required, gas expense, airline tickets, and so on. Note; that is why it is better to start with a small local show then jump in deep waters.
Take a look at your stock of gear. Make sure you will have everything you will need before you begin. Nothing more frustrating than getting half way and find yourself needing to order such and such that might get to you or not. This is not good and I speak from experience. Sorry if I got a little ahead of myself on this very issue. I realize we haven't covered what cycle plan you will need to create to know exactly what you will need. So take this a note and keep it in mind
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so i can pick out my weak areas, but how do you go about determining how long you need to bring up those areas?
You will know your weak areas cause they are the ones that you avoid showing others. As for how long to bring them up, well how long is a piece of string. It can't be answers the as do many factors involved that a definitive answer can't be given. You will know in your self when they are up to standard. If you want ideas on training methods that force you to grow I an happy to help. That being said I don't claim to know it all I do however know a little bit, well enough to get by anyway mate
Since you mention it, what training method do you recommend for back in general? I can't get the width or the thickness that I would like. I do heavy deads but my i want my spinal erectors to jump out and need lats to grow wider! Any help is much appreciated. For width I have really been trying to make sure I get a full stretch but don't think I have been getting the food down to grow. Once the EBC is over I will start adding more cals to grow
Hey mate. What I do is very simple bud. I will do 2 types of pull downs and 2 different row exercises. But it is the way they are done that's the key. I can't emphasis it enough you need to squeeze the weight up or down depending on the movement. I do throw in dead lifts every now and then. I constantly change between training methods. I only use two different ones. They are rest pause and drop sets. No I do that on exercise including squats and Legpress for everything. Also don't go too wide on the pull downs. Just outside shoulder width. As for reps well I don't count them. I go to failure on every working set and do the drop or test pause depending on the method being used.
i know this was directed at walla but what has worked for me is doing pull ups ed to warm up, on back days i preexhaust with pull downs both wide and using narrow grip, do drop sets on t-bar, and seated cable rows. i have not been able to do deadlifts in a while due to sciatic problems but have still managed to put on some good width to my back
Appreciate it bro. It was directed at who ever wants to help lol and yeah bro I see you added some good width to your back so ill give that a try.
Thanks walla I missed your response. I've taken your suggestion on calf training on one of my pics...that's my biggest weak area...my chest is a bit behind but ive found some successful growth and its on the way. With that beig said I don't think ill ever be satisfied those are just what is behind right now
That's it mate. If we ever became happy we would not improve brother
phil113kgGood question Level. I don't have an answer for you accept the fact that the ultimate judge will be you. Take for example; I needed to bring up my wheels this year if I wanted to hang with the others. Crucial area to work on. Now there are a million ways to do it and we will not cover that. But by trial and error I was able to find a method that worked for me. You have an idea in your head how you want that body part to look like at the end so always fix your mind on that. You might fail at several attempts in finding that right formula but don't let that stop you. So let that be your number one priority when you train. If legs are weak then train them on the first day of the week. If one session is not enough then try two a week.
Thanks Phil! I've adjusted training just trying to find the balance to bring the total package
Hey Phil that's one of the best tips but one of the hardest for people to do. When you are doing your self assessment you need to be honest with your self. And I mean brutaly honest. If you are looking at yourself and only looking at your strong points then you will fail to bring up your lagging body parts and will only do your self an injustice when you do step on stage. Get some one with experience and knows what they are talking about to help out in this. Tell them that you need an honest answer.
phil113kgI'm with you 110% Walla. This is the hardest part for us and that is the self examination without prejudice. Often I will ask for pics from guys who are wanting me to seriously look them over. I expect the same treatment from people who I associate within this sport. Some will tell me without asking and I believe that they are genuine. That then leads me to taking a closer look and wondering the future.
ill tell you what...if anyone wants an honest assessment you are the go to person, you are a no bullshit kind of guy
phil113kglol shit bro, you make it sound brutal!!! I care enough to tell you the truth on how i see it hoping that it will benefit you rather than push you away.
lol...the truth is the truth...you cant run from it. if the truth scares you you can do two things,cry about it and quit or change it. i should have prefaced that statement with i respect your opinion and i think an honest outside perspective is necessary. i think a lot of times its difficult to fully assess yourself bc you see yourself everyday multiple times a day.... i guess my point was a little clouded there tho lol
Yup this sport/lifestyle is not cheap at all! Thank god i have no kids yet. lol
The gear is definitely the most expensive part, food is quite cheap the way iv'e been eating lately, which is mostly liquid egg whites for protein, pasta and cereal for carbs, and i pour some olive oil in my shakes for the fats.
get eggs high in omegas(trader joes has them) and eat the yolk, you will get a great source of fat, higher calories and will be able to utilize the protein much better
U drink the yolks? That sounds really bad, i nearly puke every time i drink the whites man...
Bro I get the liquid whites in a carton and I guarantee if you put two cups of whites in a shaker cup and add some of your protein powder......you will love the creamy shake it creates. All you taste is the protein powder's flavor.
the bioavailability of just egg whites is way lower than if you were to add the yolks. and i am talking about cooking not drinking. look it up, you will be amazed at the difference.
Is there any difference as far as nutrition on cooking vs drinking? Only bc I'm short on time in the morning so I just crack a few and down them until I can get to my next full meal
buying liquid egg whites they are pasteurized, while raw eggs are obviously not, which you could run into salmonella risk. the risk is low but it is possible. here is a quote i read and the study, ill post the link
"The study showed that egg protein is more digestible (94% versus 55-64%) when heated, probably due to alteration of the protein’s structure and the ability of digestive enzymes to infiltrate peptide bonds."
http://jn.nutrition.org/content/128/10/1716.full
http://www.marksdailyapple.com/drinking-raw-eggs/#axzz2PAsugIWJ
read both, both great articles
Well that sucks so I've been losing about half of what I eat. It's interesting though bc heat degrades proteins so you would think that would make it less able to utilize
I know your right. I cook more than I drink. Eggs are a staple.
Thats exactly what i do, he's saying to add yolks, i dont think im ready to do that lol
saying to add yolks and eat it. where did i say to drink it. you want to bulk so what is the point of just egg whites. 1, its less calories, and 2, you will absorb less of the protein with just egg whites. so why wouldnt you be ready to that
My bad, i forgot u told me to cook it
Drinking the eggs sound gross but when I need a quick meal on the go or just dont think k hqve enough calls for the day 3-5 eggs in a glass and whip them then add skim milk. The eggs have no flavor so it tastes like milk and the fatfree milk is thin enough it evenly mixes with the eggs
Couple of eggs and a splash of Texas Pete...slides right down
no cook, the yolk helps with digestion and absorption. unless you are dieting and prepping for a show, there is no need for just egg whites.
watch this video, a lot of great nutrition advice
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WNgxBfWvIzE
True, it's more out of laziness though, it's takes really quick to pour a couple cups of egg whites, whereas cracking eggs and mixing them then cooking/frying them becomes a pain in the ass after a bit
smoke a joint, it's an extra 2 min. trust me when i tell you, you will reap the benefits tho
Will do, thanks man. So 6 whole eggs per meal should suffice no?
i wouldn't advise for every meal, throw some fish in there. but i do eat them for breakfast and my last meal of the day. you ant your farts to smell like rotten ass
Lolll they already smell like dead animals man, it's crazy
Waaaayyy more expensive than I expected...I'm in about 5k on this one and counting
phil113kgThe challenge is to find a more cost friendly approach to this whole thing. It's possible. Trust me I know.
Gonna have to figure out that approach...the wife is not very happy at my bills at this point in time
I feel your pain sir Ldub gets touchy with me also when it comew to money we dont have kids or a mortgage so we can just save or if we choose spend moneg on ourselves and each other. Food bill is the same as yours roughly but my next cycle is gna kill me. Long one with my first primo run. She just shakes her head when i talk about it but i guess i do the same to her when she spends half a grand on cloths each time she shops
Lol
Wow I'm glad I don't have to explain a promo bill. We don't have kids yet either so that helps...I also try not to talk to her about it but I tell her everything I run so she understands what im doing and naturally cost becomes part of the equation
phil113kgIt helps big time not to have children to feed. I don't have kids and I'm pretty much free to myself. Communication is paramount.
If got about 5 years before children so trying to do as much as I can asap. Communication is absolutely necessary, especially so someone else knows safety precautions
phil113kgYeah. Can you imagine the other sense, "no honey, it's the whey protein that is making me big!"
Lol and also...it's the creatine that is making me retain water
phil113kgIs it the food bill which is taking it's toll?
Food is about $175 a week plus about $150 a month in protein...most recently it was the hgh bill but really just the total package
phil113kgOh I see. Here is a tip that might make you want to slap me but PB&Js is one of the most affordable ways to get in your calories. It is cheap to make and packed with calories and will take some of the load off. Don't knock it till you try it.
Packing a loaf of bread,tub of pb,and jelly as we speak lol. Rice is pretty cheap as well. I usually just cook 2 cups of rice with 2lbs of chicken mixed with some teriyaki sauce and veggies Each day comes out too 8$ if I eat that.