Feels Good To Be Back!

Hey hey, everyone, whats going on. Things are on a roll again and I am feeling good! It has only been one full week since I have started training again in the gym but man I am feeling like 09' is going to be a good year.
Well, I told you all that I might be hitting the stage soon. After some long deliberation with my nutritionist (Hany Rambod) we have decided that rushing back onto the stage would be a bad career move and wouldn't allow me to be my best. Over the course of my career I have had a pretty good track record of coming back each season better and better and its just too soon. We were thinking of hitting the IronMan Pro show but I told Hany that I had a goal of winning a show this year and I don't think its time....yet.
Hany's main training philosophy is the FST-7 principle which is based on stretching the muscle fascia for more muscle growth. To learn more about the program pick up this months MuscleMag International (I think Johnnie Jackson is on the cover). Anyhow, I started fitting this principle into my workout program this week and I can't tell you guys how sore I am. I'll give you a small example of what I mean. The day after training legs I was sitting around watching TV. I would have to get up to get something but it was like I was getting myself ready for a big set. I couldn't even get up off the couch....to get up, there was a minute of contemplation, then psyching myself up, and finally slowly get up....it was ridiculous and I have a feeling its going to be like that all year. So be it, if that's what it takes to win then it must be done.
Since I am not doing the IronMan I have started eating again. I haven't received my offseason program yet so I have been working on my old offseason program. My weight hasn't really changed but my muscles feel more full again and I look different so I know things are falling into place. Lately I have been eating a lot of ground turkey and ground steak. I was never a fan of turkey but ground up its much easier to cook and eat so its fast becoming a staple in my offseason diet.
On the business end, things really are starting to pick up. My online nutritional business Platinum Nutrition seems to really be taking off. I have many more clients this year and people seem to really be happy with their programs. I enjoy helping people get to where they want to be and when they are serious and don't cheat its very rewarding for me.
The DVD I have been working on is coming along nicely I have finally received my rough copy of the final product from the editor. After watching I decided that you all deserve some nutritional advice so I am going to add a section of cooking and show you all what I eat on the average day in the offseason. It might take a little longer to finish but I know you will all like it more with the added info.
I don't know how many of you all are car nuts but if you have been reading along at all you guys know my car is my baby. Well it looks like the time is near and I am going to have to store her for the winter. Its kind of depressing me but I think its best and it doesn't really make too much sense to be driving around a Mustang in the winter so away she goes. In its place I think I am getting a Jeep Cherokee, not the coolest car but its a 4X4 and since I am like a little kid I'm sure I'll have some off-roading pics for you all to laugh at. Knowing my luck they will be pics of me stuck in the mud or something along those lines.
Okay, that's about it for now. I have to ice my elbows, after that FST-7 training on my triceps I feel like my elbow is blown out. Don't worry its not the program, I had bad elbows to begin with. That's what you have to do when you get to this level, train with the pain because there is no time to waste....

Sacrifice Without Regret,
Fouad 'Hoss' Abiad

Chompin at the Bit

Hey everyone, its been a long time I know, I apologize. I have been caught up taking care of other things for the last few weeks and haven't really had time to share new things going on my life. I guess we can start with the training. There is nothing to report...lol...no in all seriousness, there really isn't much to report since I have been off for the last three weeks.
You know, I don't think people in this industry really realize how much they love training until its taken away from the them. I hear people say all the time, 'oh, I don't have time' or 'I'm too tired to go today'. At this point I don't think I will ever say those things again, I miss going to the gym more than anything on earth right now.
I actually started back last Thursday just doing some cardio because I was told I was aloud to get in there for that. Today I couldn't really take it anymore and I just got in and trained calves a little and that alone brightened up my entire day. I think as of next week I will be back into the swing of things 100%.
Even though training has been non existent I have still maintained a bodybuilding diet consisting of chicken, egg whites, ground turkey, rice and oatmeal with the odd cheat meal here or there. I thought eating this way without training would make me fat but it really has simply kept me bigger and fuller than I thought I would be from not training. Today I weighed in at 270lbs, flat and soft..lol.
Things outside of bodybuilding seem to be going well. You guys know I have a habit of buying things, well I finally bought something I can be proud of. All this time I have been renting a condo, well I finally am able to purchase a condo of my own. Its small and by no means a long term dwelling but for the next couple years its perfect. It overlooks the water and definitely will give me a nice view doing cardio every morning on my StairMaster. I guess its going to keep me busy since it needs some minor renovations, you know, paint, carpet, some added fixtures but other than that its all good.
Something I think some of you will like and some of you won't is a piece of art I have been waiting a while to get and I finally got it a couple weeks ago. I don't know if any of you guessed but yes I got new ink. I have a new tat running down the back of my right arm and I apologize to those of you who don't like tats but its something I have wanted for a while and I think it looks just like I imagined it. Once I get back into training and I'm not so scrawny I will get some pics up for you guys to judge for yourselves.
Well, I think that's about it, I know, not too interesting but what can I say its my time off and its boring as hell. One thing I can keep you guys guessing about is when I am going to hit the stage next. I guess all I can say is it might be very soon, keep your eyes peeled to my blog for more info.

Sacrifice Without Regret,
Fouad 'Hoss' Abiad

Tough Pill to Swallow

Whats up everyone. It has been about four weeks since the Olympia and things seem to getting busier by the day. I have an appearance in Texas in a couple weeks so I am looking forward to that since I have some good friends down that way. Plus, what can I say about those Southerners, they really know how to get it done. Maybe I will hit up MetroFlex just to get that dirty hard work feel that I had the last time I banged out some iron there.
It should be fun regardless but that is only some of the good news. My first DVD, 'Sacrifice Without Regret' should be done soon. We are just putting the final touches on it so I am really looking forward to seeing the final product. I am trying to incorporate some nutritional advice into the DVD but am still unsure how to do it. I think I may just take you all for a walk through my kitchen to show you some of the things I eat and take on a regular basis.
That's really all I got for good news. I have been going through kind of a tough time lately so I have been compensating by shopping again...its my vice what can I do...lol. Although I have to say at least some of my purchases have been smart. I have bought a few things for the home and since I did I thought I would reward myself by buying something for my car...lol. I guess I'm the only person on earth who rewards themselves for buying something by buying something else...how stupid..lol.
The other bad news is I have been ordered to take a rest. I am to take a break for the next couple weeks by order of my trainer. Since I did four shows and I haven't taken a break yet he thought it would be good for my physique and my mental state to take a break now and I don't have a say in the matter. I am a full time bodybuilder and don't really do to much of anything else other than watch TV and shop. If all I can do is buy stuff for the next two weeks, man I am gonna be broke as hell.
The rest should be good for me though. My joints are really starting to get sore now and I found I have really been sleeping a lot of the time, not by choice. I will just be sitting there and find myself nodding off in the middle of the day, so I guess that's my body telling me something. Maybe I will take up yoga for the next two weeks, I'll have to hide out in the back though, I have a reputation to keep...lol.
I have received my first start up program from my nutritionist and I have to say I feel much better. Its not as much food as I thought it would be but my body feels much better. I guess my fears of the last few weeks getting a new nutritionist were overblown. I thought it was going to be a lot harder than it has been. I get two cheat meals a week and the diet is set up so that I don't ever really get hungry but I think its enough to keep growing.
I have been learning moderation. My cheat meals in the past when I did my own offseason nutrition weren't cheat meals, they were cheat days. I would take a whole day off and eat whatever I wanted. I am learning now that everything doesn't have to be black and white and instead of eating a bucket of ice cream and two large pizzas, I can have a good meal that my body can use and that get back to the program. So far it feels good to have control over myself. I have to try and employ the same technique when I go out...that might not be as easy, I let you guys know how that works out.

Sacrifice Without Regret,
Fouad 'Hoss' Abiad

Gonna Be a Tough Year

Wow, what a turn since the last time I talked to you guys. In the last two weeks my life has taken a drastic turn in what I hope will be the best decision of my life. I have decided that I will work with a nutritionist all year and I have chosen Hany Rambod to be that guy. I think his focus on his athletes and attention to detail will really help me get the most out of my physique.
That being said, my god I am in for hell this year as is everyone around me. From what it sounds like Hany is going to have me on what seems like a contest diet pretty much year round. No, in all honesty I really don't know what he has in store for me other than he doesn't want me to get fat and that starts with dropping the binge weight I have already gained. He has put me on a low carb diet that started about four days ago, the nice thing is I am able to breath again and I have lost ten pounds so I don't feel like a beached whale anymore (maybe a beached baby whale).
I have never really done anything like this. Throughout my career my life has been black and white pretty much. When its time to diet I hit the switch and I bust ass to look as good as I can. When its the offseason then I eat a base diet and then pretty much whatever I want on top. I have never really been meticulous with taking vitamins and I think in the past I might have drank a little too much when I was supposed to be sleeping.
This year will be different. Hany is teaching me moderation and that starts with getting rid of the binging and that means binging with food or alcohol. So this new diet I have is low carb with only a couple cheat meals (that's right meals not days...shitty) a week. Although I am scared of this new philosophy I trust Hany and I am willing to do what it takes to get to the next level. Whats the point in competing if you never get better right.
Ya know its weird. I had all these plans to go on vacation and do a whole bunch of nothing after the show and then I go and hire a nutritionist for the offseason and there is no rest for the wicked. I think I will still get that vacation it just might have to wait until Christmas time or after the New Year.
The other exciting part of working with someone in the offseason is he will be writing my training programs for me as well. This is something I have never had before. I have worked with Chad in the offseason once before but that was just nutrition. This will be the first time I have someone guiding my growth in the gym and I really think Hany will be able to bring up the weak points in my physique.
Enough of all that it gets a little boring after a while...lol. So I have pretty much finished screwing around with my car. Last week I put in a new GPS/DVD system and that has pretty much finished off any major purchases...for a while anyway. Now I have turned my attention to my apartment. I know, I know, who fixes there car before there apartment, what can I say, she's my baby. Regardless I figure its time for a new bedroom set and maybe some new paintings of something to spruce the place up a bit. I have been living as a minimalist for a long time now trying to get my career off the ground and I think I have finally reached a place where I can afford to live a little.
Other than that everything else is pretty much the same. My friends are terrified of this new program because they think if I have to eat clean all year I am going to be a complete ass....they might be right..lol. I do have a little bit of a procedure getting done this week but its kind of a secret so I won't let you guys in on it just yet. All I can say is that it will make my stage appearance a little different, some of you will think better and some of you won't even notice. Anyway, until next week or the week after or until I have something to talk about, train insane and always keep your focus, nothing is more important.

Sacrifice Without Regret,
Fouad Abiad

Back in the Saddle

Okay, its been a week and it already looks like I have never seen a treadmill in my life. My ass doesn't fit into any of the jeans I bought, my shirts that used to be tight in all the right spots are now only tight on my gut...lol. Man, you work so hard to get it all off and keep it off and then one week of eating and forty pounds later and I don't even look like the same person! No, in all honesty though, most of it is water retention from being on a low sodium diet for so long, my body will balance out over time....I think?..
Anyway, things have been good since the O. People have been very encouraging through email and in person. Everyone has something nice to say about my performance of even the fact that I have achieved that standard for myself. Even though all of the kind words keep me motivated and in good spirits nothing is more motivating than the feeling of standing on stage and NOT being able to compete. Nothing has ever felt worse.
Part of the fire that fuels my sets and reps since the show has been that humbling feeling of the last call out. I took Sunday and Monday off after the Olympia and Tuesday I was back in the gym blasting the weight like never before. The added weight I've gained has made me feel strong again so I am throwing iron around with confidence again and getting mind blowing, skin splitting pumps.....man there is no better feeling. When I put a weight on the bar and get into my set, whenever I feel like I am done that feeling from Firday night at the O replays in my mind so vividly that it makes me train that much harder. I know people are proud of me but I want more from myself!
I think I stayed on a contest diet for so long this year I can't go back to regular life. I am so used to the go, go, go lifestyle of contest prep that now that the time is done I don't know how to relax. I still wake up and go to the gym and do cardio. Then I run errands for a couple hours then later on in the day I go back for my workout. It seems like the only thing about my day that's different is the ten bagels a day I have been tearing through...lol.
I am thinking of working with a nutritionist all year this year. Its something I have never really done before and am unsure if I need to. It seems exciting to me to think that with proper guidance I could go that much further in the sport. For the time being I am writing my own program and it is a little different than last year.
My training is higher in volume and just a little lighter than before, not much though. My diet is more regimented with proper vitamin/mineral supplementation and I actually have added some other supplements to my program that I used before but only sparingly. The NanoX9 from Muscletech was always a favorite of mine but this last week I have been using the Nano Vapour before and during my workout and I think its playing a big part in the good feeling I am getting in the gym.
Food wise I am trying not to eat to much junk but man I love food. It seems like I am getting all the good nutrition I need but then after each meal I end up adding things like M&M's (peanut of course), muffins, cookies, ice cream. I can't help it right now but at least I am getting all the quality too so I don't feel so bad. I'll give you guys a tip that I have been doing this last week and I did a little last year as well. I love cereal (cheerios to be specific) but I am not a huge fan of milk. So I have been buying big boxes of cereal and instead of milk I have been using Nitro-Tech Vanilla RTD's (Ready To Drink) for a milk substitute. It looks like milk and almost tastes like it too, not to mention its an easy way to get my protein in the morning without having to make eggs or anything like that. What can I say, I get kinda lazy in the offseason and what could be better and less work than a ready made shake...lol.
On the career side of things I have wrapped the last session of my DVD and am in the process of editing and polishing it up (don't worry I have a professional doing it, I'm not sitting here cutting it myself)..lol. It should be released in November but if any of you want to buy pre-orders of my DVD email me at fouadabiad@gmail.com or go to my site www.fouadmuscle.com. I think you if you guys like my blog you will like the DVD. It's an honest account of real training sessions, that means you won't see me screaming and throwing weights across the gym, its real. Not to mention you'll see me out at the club (yes big men can dance...lol), the chiropractor's office and bloopers between me and my friends which I am sure so many of you meat heads out there will appreciate.
I am excited for this year, I have achieved most of my goals that I have set out for myself over the course of my career. I have a couple more for next year and I don't know if I already wrote about them but I guess I will tell you all now. I don't normally do this, I like to keep this kind of thing between me and some close friends but here goes. My goals for 09 are to win a small show and crack the top ten at the Olympia. So with that being said I guess I'm gonna take my vitamins and hit the sack, I gotta a lot of growing to do.

Sacrifice Without Regret.
Fouad Abiad

The Mr.Olympia 2008

I know its been a couple weeks and I am late with my post so I sincerely apologize. I have been bogged down with the final week of the O prep and after traveling and all that good stuff I am finally home and able to take the time needed to explain whats going on in my life.

So, lets get to it. The last week of my prep was good, training was actually more intense than the weeks previous as the show got closer I got more and more excited which showed itself in workout intensity. My weight dropped all the way to about 239lbs so I think I hit the stage at around 242lbs or so which was a couple pounds lighter than the Europa. I think after dieting for so long I lost a couple pounds of muscle which was evident by the scale and by the way I looked on stage at the O.

Its four days after the Olympia now and I am finally able to take it all in and realize what I have accomplished but it wasn't the case right away. Here is an account of my weekend in detail for all of you.

First, I have to thank the Olympia committee for the way the take care of the athletes. For the first time in my bodybuilding career I felt like a professional athlete. My best friend Al came with me from Detroit airport and when we got into Vegas we were immediately amazed at the amount of people in the airport. After searching for a while we found our ride and it wasn't a taxi. The O committee had a limo waiting for me and it was a good feeling knowing they cared that much. The limo dropped us off at our hotel and I the weekend began.

After doing the grocery shopping and cooking out of the way it was time to relax. I had a feeling of constant tension and anxiety the first day there especially because I just didn't know what to expect from everything. It was time to get to the athletes meeting and I was still feeling anxious about things and not very happy just nervous. Then I walked into the meeting. All I thought was 'WOW, I am sitting in a meeting with the best in the world and I am not a spectator. They gave us all the speech about where to be at what time and what not and they kept saying 'You guys are the best in the world, we are here for you'. All I kept thinking was, they're talking about me too!

Thursday it was time for the Press Conference and my nerves were shot. I'm not sure why because I knew the Press Conference was really for the top six but I knew I would have to say something and that was nerve racking, public speaking isn't my thing. Yes I can dance around in a pair of XXS posing trunks but I get nervous saying a few words...lol.

It was exciting though, they lined us up backstage and we had time and all the guys we jawing at each other in good fun. Its amazing the magazines don't portray the guys in the sport the way they really are, there is so much camaraderie amongst them and honesty between them, they are all such good friends. The Press Conference started and I was so nervous I sweat my way through the whole thing...lol..I think I dropped most of my water just sitting there.

That night there was a Meet the Olympians event and it was fantastic. The fans are amazing and so loyal to there favorites. I have a new appreciation for bodybuilding fans and I want to personally thank all of you who came to me for advice or just to give your support. Looking over at Jay's table I saw a glimpse of what I wanted from the sport. Jay Cutler had a line leading to his table as long as the room and we were in a hall so you can imagine the amount of people. One day, one day...

Friday. The day of reckoning. This was the day I was so anxiety riddin about, prejudging was at eight o'clock and I wasn't ready mentally for it but I had no choice, I had to get it together and get out there and preform. I guess in a show of that magnitude you can never really be ready your first time. I pumped up and went out and I thought the individual round went well. Then it was time for comparisons and I had no day dreams of being in the top call outs but as time passed I realized I might not get called out. It was a very humbling experience and I have to tell you its hard riding high from getting the first call out in the previous two shows. Finally I was called out in the last call out and by that time the air had been let out of my balloon and I was hitting poses and feeling worse and worse with each pose. No one wants to be last even if it is the Olympia.

After Pre Judging my girlfriend was the first one to tell me I looked great and she was so proud of me, those words helped keep me from crying even though I wanted to be better for her. My brother had a limo waiting for me so we could celebrate and even though it wasn't a celebration he took me and my entourage out for dinner. I sat and tried to be happy but like I said it was a humbling experience and I wasn't able to fake it too well. My brother pulled me aside at one point in the night and told me to hold my head high and gave some good words of encouragement and love. Good family is important and without them I don't know where I would be. My sister and brother in-law also were there and the love they gave me got me through to the next night.

Saturday was the finals and I was in a little better spirits by that time, Al who wrestled for TNA and had a shot with the WWE gave me a good pep talk before the show and told me to go out and have some fun. I have to say after the hard ship of Friday it was all taken care of in the middle of my routine on Saturday night. I walked out on that stage and took a look into the crowd, there must of been 8000 people in the arena and flash bulbs going off and cheering louder than I have ever heard. At first it made me more nervous and then in the middle of my routine I turned around and took inventory of where I was in my mind and this sort of calm came over me and then I was extremely happy. I began to hit poses with authority and excitement, wanting more from the crowd and giving them all I could. I walked off that stage and I was teared up and feeling like I just accomplished more than I could have ever dreamed. I posed on the O stage and I rocked the crowd!

I sat down backstage by myself and looked around, all the ill feelings were gone and a feeling of elation, calm and joy came over me that I will never be able to explain properly in words. I began snapping pics of the backstage area and taking note of the life I had created for myself. What a feeling.

One of the highlights of the weekend was feeling like part of the boyz when sitting in the backstage area waiting to go on. Both nights Friday and Saturday I had a chance to chill in the waiting area with Dennis James, Melvin Anthony, Dexter Jackson, Craig Richardson and more as they made fun of each other, told stories of guest posings and stories of being onstage at certain shows. They made me feel like part of the group and for a guy who still has some of there pics on my wall at home, it made the entire trip worth it. They are all cool as hell and thank every one of them for treating me with rookie respect.

The finest moment for me came in the athletes meeting when I was talking to Toney Freeman (who was like an older brother to me this year) and I was telling him how awestruck and surreal all of this was. I was telling him I couldn't believe I was there and it was all too overwhelming to put into words. He looked at me and said "You wouldn't be here if you didn't belong here". Those words will carry me through my next year of training and I will make it my mission to be back at the O and hopefully next year I will be standing next to Toney when they make that first callout....

Sacrifice Without Regret.

Fouad Abiad

Two Weeks To Go!

Whats goin on people?

Lets get down to business first I guess.  I am two weeks out from the Olympia now and I have managed to ignore all the polls and the hype so I don't get too discouraged.  Instead I have managed to see the show for what it is and that is not only the SuperBowl of bodybuilding but also the All-Star game.  So I guess that makes me a bodybuilding all-star ;).  A good man told me that and it took me a while to see it that way but I do now and being top twenty in the world at anything has to give me pleasure.  Hell, if that doesn't give me any satisfaction than what will?

Anyway, my weight is down to 242lbs today so I am back down to my ideal weight that I was before the Europa.  It hasn't been easy and I have to admit these last four weeks have been the most trying of my career.  I wake up constantly staring at the ceiling of my bedroom trying to figure out how to get through the night without going on a free for all in the pantry.  Somehow I have managed to stay disciplined and I believe it will pay off since my hard work always has in one way or another.

Hitting the 242lb mark also affords me another small piece of satisfaction....no more cardio!  Well, I guess that would be the case if I wasn't obsessive compulsive.  I can't actually bring myself to not do any cardio, I did a little this morning and probably will do a little tonight too, I just hope I don't wake up even lighter tomorrow.  I am pretty sure at this point if I get any lighter I will only be burning muscle.

The gym has been weird for the last week or so.  I have been unable for the first time since I started dieting back in June to lift heavy.  I just can't muster the strength to get my old poundage's up.  Since I am obsessive compulsive I can't leave the gym unless my muscles are screaming in agony.  So, instead of doing 14 sets of heavy duty lifting I have been doing 20-26 sets for each bodypart to make up for the lack of weight.  Only time will tell if it gives my muscle a worse or better appearance.  Looking in the mirror now it seems like everything is all good so I guess I will keep it going for another week.

Enough of business though, you guys can read that stuff in any mag or any other blog.  Let me tell you about my neurotic side....lol.  I have been craving food for so long that I am actually not craving it anymore.  You got it right, I found the answer to all of North America's weight problem.  If you just stop eating good food for long enough your brain actually forgets what it tastes like and you don't crave it anymore...lol.  Just screwin around.  Seriously though, I actually am not really craving any specific foods anymore.  

Those of you who don't compete might not understand this but I am craving situations now instead of food.  You get to a point when you diet for too long where the food you used to crave no longer becomes the center of your attention.  The center of your attention becomes the situations that involve food.  For example, I no longer crave pizza, I crave the football party on Sunday's that surrounds the pizza.  Or, I no longer crave McDonald's but I crave the road trip where I stopped at every rest stop not to pee but for some McD's because I had that much time.  Or, I no longer crave the sushi in Toronto but I crave the laughter that went along with watching the waitresses gasp that I had eaten a boat of sushi made for four.  Anyway, I think you guys get the point.  Well, those situations aren't far away now and I will make sure I revisit that Sushi place because I think it was as enjoyable for the waitresses to watch me eat all that Sushi as it was for me to eat it...although the owner couldn't have been that pleased...lol

On a much higher note.  Today while doing my obsessive behavioural cardio, after about six minutes in where I usually begin to curse the ground I walk on, instead, a warm feeling came over me at a thought I had.   I thought to myself, next week I will be standing on the same stage as Jay Cutler and I earned the right to be there...

Sacrifice Without Regret,

Fouad 'Hoss' Abiad

What is Courage?

I'm three weeks out and I am sitting at my computer at 2:00am not able to sleep.  Its not because I am hungry (well maybe a little), its not because I am nervous and its not because I have been up all night partying (although I wish it were).  I am up this late and writing this blog because there are some things on my mind I need to express to you all.

People think bodybuilding is an easy sport, you just hit the gym, eat your food, take your supplements and the next thing you know you are standing on the Olympia stage.  People also think that bodybuilders are weak minded and have self esteem issues.  Well, in my two years as an IFBB pro I have learned that nothing could be further from the truth of either of those things.

The latter of those two points is the one I want to touch on.  As an amateur I had the privilege of being able to win my first couple shows and also win my class a few times.  As an amateur you enter each show expecting to win or if not expecting at least being able to imagine winning.  This makes it easy to really train hard, diet and focus since you know anything can happen and you have a chance of winning.  This is great for a bodybuilders contest prep but does nothing to strengthen you mentally for what lies ahead if you ever do break into the higher levels of bodybuilding.

I am three weeks out from the biggest show of my life and I have finally come to the realization that mental toughness is actually a pro bodybuilders most overlooked attribute.  I say this because I have entered five IFBB shows now and haven't won any of them.  The crazy thing is I knew I wasn't going to win any of them and yet I still trained to my full extent with every intention of winning or placing. That is the courage to fear losing yet still be your best and accept your fate.  

Somehow today I realized why this show is different from the rest.  I have had to reach deep into my soul for a toughness and focus I didn't think I had to get ready for this show.  You would think it would be the easiest one seeing as it is the Mr.Olympia contest, but your wrong for that exact reason.  For the first time in my pro career I have to get ready for a contest and train my hardest knowing I may not even crack the top ten.  I didn't realize how hard a task this would be until I started but it is wreaking havoc on me mentally.  There is a new level of courage I have taken on in doing this show because never before have I trained this hard to potentially be 15th.

This is why I say bodybuilders have a mental toughness that is commonly overlooked.  In no other sport do you find athletes pushing themselves to the limits knowing they won't win.  In football when the other team runs up the score more times than not you see the losing team fade and begin to give up.  This is the opposite in bodybuilding.  I am going into this show knowing I can't win and yet I have to train harder for this loss than I have ever trained for any of my wins.  The other side to this coin is an even greater testament to bodybuilders everywhere.  We train and diet and we compete.  We lose but we never stop.  Why?  There is something in our hearts that tells us if you keep pushing, if you keep training your time will come....that is mental toughness that is unmatched.  That is courage...

Sacrifice Without Regret,

Fouad 'Hoss' Abiad

Four Weeks Till the Big Dance

Hey everyone,

I missed last week because my brain was a mess from eating at buffets and trying to decide what I should do about the biggest show of my life. I decided that since it is the biggest show of my life it doesn't make to much sense to skip it.
Last Monday I returned to my office (the gym) and got my ass in gear on the step mill. When I weighed myself in the morning before my cardio I was a watery, fat, 276lbs. Eating at buffets and your soon to be mother in laws house for a week straight will do that to you. I gained an unhealthy 30lbs in just one week and now it was time to get it all back off.
So, literally, one step at a time I began to take it off. Chad got me back on my diet last Monday and I got myself back in the gym working hard. I have good training partners, one of which is getting ready for the Canadian Nationals so staying on the diet and getting into the gym has been relatively easy in terms of motivation.
I feel a little burnt out I have to admit but it is an honor to stand on the O stage and I really am pushing myself mentally and physically to bring the best package I can bring. This last week of training has actually been very intense and has rekindled the fire I had when I started this precontest season. Training at Metroflex with Johnnie Jackson, seeing Flex Lewis' work ethic and watching Branch Warren tear through iron like it was tissue has made me realize what real hardcore is. It brought new meaning to the term, 'when you think your training hard, someone else is training harder'. Those guys in Texas were animals. I'm sitting here in my air conditioned heaven while they're out there in the sweltering heat building physiques cut from stone. So I brought some of that mentality back with me and my training has been on fire.
Sleeping is a sad state of affairs for me. I go to bed only to wake up two hours later, not able to fall back asleep for hours sometimes. Its choppy and very light but I am getting as much as I can for now.
The diet has been pretty easy. I ate so much food after the Europa that I think I made myself sick of eating and actually was glad to get back on the diet. It has been one week and I have dropped twenty-three pounds......can you say water weight...lol.
So I am back down to 253lbs this morning and with another 8-10lbs to drop before the O things are moving in the right direction. Sometimes I have to pinch myself because I can't believe I am going to be standing on the Olympia stage. I remember it like it was yesterday, standing on the Windsor Cup stage at 21 years old. Sometimes I don't believe it and I am not sure I will until I actually get on the stage and feel what its like to pose with the best in the world.
Just a final thought to try and really express my feelings about it. A few nights ago I was on YouTube watching some of Kevin Levrone's posing video's. Now I always get nervous before shows but not because of the crowd, more so because of the competition and wanting to do well. This video brought about a new nervousness though. At the start it shows the camera behind him just as he is about to pull the curtain to get onstage. As he opens the curtain all you see is a see of people and camera's flashing. I just realized I will be going from posing in front of 500 people to posing in front of 10,000 people! Like I said a whole new ball game and an entirely new nervousness. I can't wait.....

Sacrifice Without Regret,
Fouad Abiad

O, O, OMG.....I'm O Bound!

Hey everyone its about two days after the Europa and I am fatter than I was in the middle of the offseason..lol. Just playin but it feels like it for sure. I just finished my last day of shooting yesterday with MuscleTech and they were so nice to take me to the nicest buffet I have ever been too. Like that's what I needed was a buffet. Needless to say I ate enough for a small village and will never forget my night at the Brazillian Steakhouse which I am not too good to call a fine dining buffet, something I never thought I would see. Its actually a nice enough place to take a date as long as you can control yourself from refilling your plate six times like I did...lol
Last week was crazy, my head has been spinning and I have actually been so hard at work I haven't had a chance to sit and really think about the things I got to do last week or the things I accomplished.
After the last blog I told you guys I had a ton of work to do and that's what I did. I met a good friend of Steve Kuclo's down in Dallas named Max who was a stand up guy for sure. He was there to train with me and drive me around to get things I needed for the show and I will never forget his kindness for sure. Hope your shoulder injury gets better buddy. After slaving away on the hotel cardio machines Sunday and Monday morning, Max picked me up on Monday night and we went to Gold's to train. I tore it up. I have never trained that hard four days before a show before, I mean it was leg day and I was doing, squats, hacks, leg press you name it. All things I wouldn't normally do that close to a show but it just felt right.
Monday night I hit the cardio again as hard as I could and went to bed knowing I was going to be at the most hardcore place on earth the next day...MetroFlex Gym, shooting with Johnnie Jackson for MMI. I woke up Tuesday at 6:00am, smashed some cardio made sure I looked good, put on my little black booty shorts and headed out with my best Zoolander face on. When I got there I realized I had arrived in a place where being tired or slacking just wasn't aloud. The music was deafening and the dirt and dust in the machine made it hard to breath but the sound of DMX booming through four 20" subs was enough to make your blood boil and ready to train.
The MMI shoot was a fly on the wall shoot meaning me and JOJ got to train as if we were alone and the photogs just shot around us. Needless to say me and Johnnie trained back and I had one of the best back workouts I had ever had. It wasn't heavy but just the intensity inside that gym made you squeeze out reps you never thought you had in you. After Johnnie left I shot some Tricep shots and some Hamstring shots and we called it a day.
My day wasn't over however. I had trained Shoulders, Legs and Back and still had to fit in Chest and Arms with only a day left of training. So later on after getting back from the shoot I called Max and he picked up me and my girl and went to the gym to train. We hit Chest, Tris and a little Shoulders and again I had a great workout. For some reason, I don't know maybe it was being in Dallas but I had been training like an animal and loving every minute of it. We got back to the hotel late Tuesday night, I smashed out some more cardio and hit the sack because I had GASP to shoot with in the morning.
Wednesday the 13th. Again I woke up at 6:00am went down and busted out some cardio so I don't disappoint the GASP higher ups. Hopped in a cab and again got to hell on earth; MetroFlex for 8:30am. I shot with my man FLEX Lewis for something like eight hours in that gym and it was about 120 degrees in there. It was a long day but I know we got some good shots so it was all worth it even though I was half dead on the car ride home.
I was all done cardio at that point and training and had began carb loading for the show on Friday. So Wednesday we just went to bed, well I guess you could call it that. I don't think I have had a good nights rest in about 10 weeks but anyway. We woke up Thursday and I thought this girl has been with me going through all this shit and I haven't given her anything in return. So I said to my girl Sommer, lets hit the mall. So Thursday before one of the biggest shows of my life what do I do....I go shopping...lol...what a chick thing to do..lol. I ended up buying a whole bunch of stuff which made me feel better and at the same time I got my girl some new shoes that I thought she really deserved so all in all it was a fun trip.
Friday the 15th. Showtime. I woke up ready for some reason. I looked at myself in the mirror and I was a little nervous about the show but I new I was the best I had been out of all three shows and that I was going to do well. I didn't think I was going to win or nothing don't get me wrong I just knew that I was going to repeat my shape from the week before which was my goal.
Well when prejudging started I realized I had exceeded my shape from the week before because I got the first call out again in a deeper line up. It never fails, I wanted to jump up and down right there I was so excited. I love this sport. Toney Freeman congratulated me right there on stage during the call out and that's where the fun ended...lol. The judges wanted to see me compared to everyone. I was called out first and then second and then forth and then again and again and again, my legs felt like I had ran a marathon. At one point Tarek Elsetouhie pulled me aside and said to me jokingly in Arabic, 'what is this, are they trying to kill us as a joke'....lmao, we had a good laugh about it because he knew I felt the same way and we were called out together almost every time.
Prejudging ended and most people had me anywhere from 3-5th so I was happy and went back to the hotel with Sommer and just chilled out and tried not to think of the possibilities of what could happen the next day.
All I know is I didn't drink a single drop of water and I came back the next day for the finals harder and drier than the night before. I came to battle, I did my routine and then the top five posed down one more time. After our pose down they lined us up and began to read the placings. When they read the forth place name and I was still standing there I thought I was dreaming! I turned to Dennis James and he stuck his hand out to congratulate me and I think I almost ripped it off because I pulled him so hard for a hug thank you..lol. Toney Freeman I think was happier for me than I was for me, I swear he was like an older brother to me the entire weekend.
At that point all I did was try not to cry because I knew they were taking pics. After they were done I walked off stage and the first person I saw was a lady with a 'Press' badge. She looked at me and handed me a folder with '2008 Olympia' written on the front. She said "Here is your Olympia Qualification" and before she could finish saying it I burst out into tears because everything I had worked for, for ten years had finally come true.
Everyone backstage congratulated me and I ended up doing a Bodybuilding.com interview half in tears but I think everyone forgave me for that seeing as it was the biggest accomplishment of my career.
I was on cloud nine but here is the funny part, no celebration. Why you ask? Because I had more shoots!!!...lol. Me and Sommer went to the Cheesecake Factory where I had never been before, BIG mistake, I controlled myself but it was hard. We talked about what I had done and the show, we had a good meal and turned in.
Next morning, up at 7:00am hitting the cardio. Photo shoot with Muscletech at 12:00pm. It went well it wasn't too long but its work regardless. I shot with Darrem Charles and Johnnie again and the more I am around these guys the more I realize how real they are. They really inspire me to be better so I appreciate that.
After the shoot, no celebration. Why you ask? Because I had another shoot!!! Next morning up at 6:00am smashing the cardio making sure I look good for another MuscleTech shoot. Can't disappoint the people who got you there, so I always do my best not to flake out or show up looking sub par (that should be a lesson for you beginners). The shoot was at MetroFlex again, it was about eight hours long and it went really well.
At one point I stopped and zoned out. Imagine this, in one corner is FLEX Lewis shooting with Gaspari, in the other corner Johnnie is shooting with Muscletech, on the four 20" subs Tupac, DMX and Biggie are blaring so loud the only thing I can hear is Brian Dobson and his training partners pounding 500lbs worth of iron off the cement floor...bang....bang....bang. At that very moment I finally realized I was living a dream....

Sacrifice Without Regret!
Fouad Abiad

Tampa Bay

Its two days after the show and I am trying to get my head back on straight because I know there is a lot of work to do still over the next eight days. The Tampa Bay show ended up being just the kick in the ass I needed to let me know that I still have what it takes to be a competitive IFBB Pro and even more.

I didn't really fill any of you in on the pre-show jitters or thoughts that I had because a competitor usually does his best to block those things out and stay positive. Now that the show has passed I can talk a little about things that go through your mind in the final weeks whether you are an IFBB Pro or simply doing your first local show.

After the Houston show I refocused and decided that I was going to attack Tampa with a full head of steam to try and redeem myself. That being said I still had doubts all through the final weeks of my prep, thoughts of uncertainty if this was really for me or if I had what it takes. Being mentally tough and having courage to me, means having those fears and going through with it anyway, so that's what I did.

All the way up to the final day before the show I was still feeling unsure of myself and uncertain if I wanted to go and feel another disappointing performance. Still I kept to the plan that Chad and I had worked out and decided I would do my best and let the chips fall where they may. In the end the Tampa show proved a few things to me but one most importantly. If I work as hard as I can in the gym I can achieve a level of physique that is competitive and that is enough for me to keep working towards more.

On August 9th I showed up in Tampa with the best package I could bring, it wasn't the best package of the day nor was it the best package that I in vision in my mind of one day having but it was the best I could do with what I currently have. The judges I believe saw that and rewarded me, putting me in the top five along with Darrem Charles, Dave Henry, Dennis James and Toney Freeman, all athletes I look up to and aspire to be like.

Now the show is done and after all the congratulations and good feelings its time to get back to work as next weeks show is going to be even harder than Tampa Bay. Along with the four names I mentioned there are others like Johnnie Jackson and Erik Fankhouser who will be throwing their hats into the mix. Not to mention I have a couple photo shoots lined up, so the good times and celebrating will have to wait for another week or so.

On a lighter side of things I have realized that my militant work ethic that I use to diet isn't so militant...lol. I mean I always listen to Chad Nichols and I always fulfill contract obligations with MT, MMI and GASP since they all are very good to me but somethings when left to interpretation may not be construed the way they were meant to be. For example, Chad says to me I can have a good meal after the Tampa Bay show and enjoy myself. These words were like death to my conditioning. I went out after the show to this meal:

Large Plate of Nachos

Tortellini

Chicken Avocado Salad (extra large)

Extra Large Fudge Sundae

Large Cookie with Double helping of Ice Cream

That was one meal!!! Whats wrong with me. I woke up the next morning and my head was shaped like a basketball with two slits in it that my eyes could barely see through. I said to myself its okay I'm sure the other guys did the same thing. So I go down for breakfast, I wasn't gonna eat much just some eggs and cereal and you know a healthy breakfast but not really a diet breakfast. I see Toney Freeman, down there and he looks like he is still on stage. Chiseled face and all....later I see Dave Henry with the same look. So I am starting to wonder, am I really a bad bodybuilder, these guys stay strict and I'm off stuffing my face. Then I see Nicole Ball (she won the women's BBing the night before) and she also looks shredded still. So I say to her, wow you still look great didn't you have anything sloppy to eat last night, she says 'I had a muffin and a coffee with cream in it'..???OMG a muffin and a coffee! After hearing that I felt like the worst bodybuilder ever and needless to say it got me right back on track.

I got into the hotel here in Dallas on Sunday and started busting ass on the cardio machines and it will continue until I work off that glutenous meal I decided to have without thinking. Anyway, just a little tip for you guys, when someone says 'if you think you're working hard someone else is working harder', I just learned that saying is all too true.

Sacrifice Without Regret,

Fouad Abiad

Final Week

So, its 5:34am and I can't sleep, can any of you guess why? That's right I am absolutely starving and I also can't seem to get out of my head that I didn't write my blog this week. It seems that when I am this crazy into the diet every little loose end needs to be tied up or I just can't seem to relax. So I figure now is as good a time as any to get my ass up and write you guys some nonsense about my week. As for the starving part, I already took about ten minutes staring into the fridge and realized god hasn't created any calorie free foods since yesterday and closed the door, I feel much better now....

Anyway, training is going as well as can be this week. I mean if you are doing everything correctly you can't expect to be lifting record numbers at this point. Actually if you are doing everything right you should just be happy to really get through the number of sets and reps you have set out for yourself. That's pretty much where I'm at. I get to the gym, take a deep breath and plow through set after set without thinking about it until I am done. If I stop to think I am finished, stopping means restarting again and at this point I can only get myself fired up once.

Cardio sessions are actually much better than I thought they would be. I have a StairMaster at home so I do my morning empty stomach cardio at the gym and I do my night cardio in my apartment. It works out well for me that way, they are only two thirty minute sessions since I was already in pretty good shape from the last show.

Food. What can I say about food, its the ultimate drug. I find myself sitting and daydreaming about foods I used to eat as a kid for some reason. I think my emotional attachment to food is unhealthy....ya think...lol. I was telling my girlfriend this story just the other day. As a child growing up with four siblings and a father who was a welder and a mom who was a stay at home mom, things were a little on the poor side. I mean don't get me wrong we always had everything we needed but never the extras that most kids have.
Growing up the only cereal in the house was Corn Flakes, no Reece Puffs, Fruit Loops, Cap'N'Crunch, none of that. So I used to add my own healthy dose of sugar to the Corn Flakes to make me feel like a kid...lol. Anyway one of my favorite things to do growing up was to fill like a big Salad bowl full of Corn Flakes, cover them in milk and sugar and then throw them in the fridge. I know, I know that's gross but Oh so good. Everything gets all soggy and the Corn Flakes soak up most of the milk. After about thirty minutes in the fridge its time to put in a good movie, watch a football game or whatever and just enjoy.
Point is I have come to realize that the Corn Flakes taste like shit but the point is I have been daydreaming about food so much I have even started dreaming about food all the way back in my childhood. I know, I need help...lol.

This last week is all about focus though and finishing up the last bits of work to make sure I look my best. I have already started to pack for my two weeks away and my hair and wax appointments are coming up. Oh yeah that should be fun, I'm getting my body waxed, don't worry its only gonna take about five hours...lol. I already asked the esthitician if she could stop in the middle so I could eat a meal...lol. As for my hair on head it shouldn't take too long to get through that part of things since most of it is slowly going away. I haven't decided how I am going to cut it yet but there isn't too many choices when its falling out faster than its growing so I will let the hair stylist do her thing and hope for the best.

I guess that's about all the rambling I have this week. I have cut my music, almost packed and have done all my homework. Now I just have to go write the test and see if I pass. The Olympia qualification has still be out of reach to date so I'm gonna see if I can make that happen this weekend. Be sure to watch as I think it will be web cast on Pro Bodybuilding Weekly. Okay its 6:00am now, I'm gonna go drink a ton of sugar free Kool-Aid and hope that gets me back to sleep!

Sacrifice Without Regret,
Fouad Abiad

Refocused and Ready for Battle!

Whats going on everyone. It has been a tough road to this point for many different reasons but things seem to be coming together nicely. This week was one of reflection and refocus. After the Houston Pro Show I realized I hadn't dealt with my poor performance. This week I took some time out to think about what happen and how I can make it better in the future, I also took some time to let it go!
I am two weeks out from the Tampa Bay Pro Show now and I am tighter than I was for Houston already. I weighed in this morning at 245lbs and plan on dropping more if I can. One of the mistakes I made leading to Houston was playing the size game but not trying to catch any other athlete but more so with myself. I wanted to come in as big as I could and still be in shape, the problem was I didn't have my shape that I was recognized for last year.
So what am I doing differently you ask? When it comes to training in the gym with iron I have tried not to change anything. That is one equation that I will not mess with. I still am lifting as heavy as I can and trying to keep the volume as high as possible without over doing it.
Cardio has gone a drastic overhaul and if someone asks me after the show what I did differently, cardio will be the main culprit. I have gone back to basics with my cardio, in the past I have never been a treadmill or bike kinda guy. I always stuck to my old companion the Stepmill or Gauntlet, that's the moving stairs for those of you who don't know. For the Houston Chad and I had my cardio set up at 45min once a day first thing in the morning. I was on the treadmill the entire prep because I was seeing my weight drop so I thought it was all the same. Man, do I stand corrected. Being on the Stepmill the last couple weeks has really etched in some of the lines in the lower body I am really known for, it burns like a bitch especially when you trained legs the day before but it has to be done. The second change to my cardio was splitting my cardio into two sessions which is also something that I have always done. I am doing two 30min sessions instead of one long 45min session. The extra 15min isn't really whats doing the trick, its more the timing. First session is done on an empty stomach in the morning and the second session is done just before my last meal, which has no carbs in it by the way. So essentially I am burning most of the small amount of carbs I have had during the day and going to bed with my metabolism cranked. Welcome to the world of no sleep...
Now, there is some good news. Like I said I am refocused and am void of distraction. For the Houston I was always looking for food, I just wanted to eat all the time and I don't know why because I am not that kind of dieter. I generally flip the switch and then there is nothing left to do except follow the plan. For this show, I have gotten that militant attitude back. My girlfriend came here this weekend and I even cooked her my famous Penne with Blush sauce (which if you didn't know I would kill anyone of you for if it wouldn't hurt my show prep...lol). So as far as food goes it has become more for fuel again and less for fun, I guess getting mopped at a show will help you realize whats important.
On the same not my girlfriend has become more understanding of my situation and she actually doesn't hate me this week so it has been a little easier to focus on the task at hand. I know it has to be hard on them dealing with our cranky asses, so I have been doing the best I can also to make her life less miserable. Its a two way street I guess but either way you look at it, if we are okay I can think more clearly about the things I need to be doing.
I have also been trying much harder to be nicer to the people around me, be it, close friends, family or just the dude in the gym who was in the wrong place at the wrong time...lol. Its a tough thing to do but a conscious effort has to made or I will drive everyone crazy.
On the crazy side of things, I have also curbed my craziness into one corner I think. I used to be on the net buying anything and everything I could get my hands on. Lately though it seems to be all directed toward my car. This I don't feel so bad about. My car is like my hobby or my release and since I can't go out and have a few drinks then I might as well enjoy modifying my car. I have an 05 Mustang GT and this past week I had it lowered, this coming week I am adding a few more goodies to it. When its done I will give you guys a good shot of it so you can email me some of your opinions.
Anyway, now I am rambling. The Tampa show is going to have the like of Dennis James, Darrem Charles, Toney Freeman and Mark Dugdale to name a few so I guess you guys see what I am getting at. If I stand a chance against these Olympians I better show up at 100% or else I will just be another fan but with a better seat than most. To all of you getting ready for the North Americans or the Canadian Nationals, keep slammin that weight and to my peers in the IFBB, its all good, have that piece of pie, no ones lookin...

Sacrifice Without Regret!
Fouad Abiad

Too Long in the Hole.

Where should I start, training, diet, life, craziness, relationships? I guess I will start with the most important reason for this blog and that is training and diet. I haven't had a cheat meal or day in a little while so I am currently pretty close to where I need to be for the stage. I weighed in at 249lbs this morning and I know I only need to get to about 245lbs before I load up. I think Chad is bringing me down nice and slow which is great for the physique but is wreaking havoc on my mental state...lol.
It isn't easy walking around at 3-5% body fat when that isn't what your body is comfortable with. I mean, some guys are naturally shredded so they probably don't feel weak or sluggish on a daily basis but when your naturally supposed to be around 8-10% and you are forcing it down it gets hard to operate.
Needless to say training has been less than stellar over the last week. My training partners tell me we are going hard and I am pushing the hardest I can but it just feels like nothing is happening. I am so used to lifting heavy all the time that when I don't I feel like I am slacking. Anyhow to make up for the lack of weight being pushed I have incorporated some other things into my training like, drop sets, negatives but most of all more volume and almost no rest between sets. There is nothing like doing 30 sets for legs with no rest in between....jeez, it was a good one though.
The diet hasn't changed, I am still on steak, chicken, rice and potato's and like I said before it feels like just enough to keep me alive. There is something I need to explain to those of you who have never been on a contest diet though. The meals haven't changed in a while but I honestly feel like they are getting smaller and smaller. Every time I eat the meal seems to be done before I have even realized it. Good thing there isn't anyone here video taping me, maybe I am simply inhaling my food like a slob and I just don't realize it. Regardless, it seems like its never enough.
On the career front, I finished up my second photo shoot of the year earlier on this week. I think it went well, I was in good shape and felt confident that I gave all I could give. I cut water for the shoot, not drastically like I would for a show but enough so that I couldn't drink water for half a day before and the day of. I don't know how many of you have tried to lift weights when dehydrated but a 45lb plate no longer feels like a 45lb plate, all of a sudden it feels like a wheel of a big rig! The article we shot was a squat article so I have to admit half way through the shoot I was done and I mentally had to push my body through. The shoot was with MuscleMag International and it was for an article and a cover. I have to keep my fingers crossed though because covers are never guaranteed and all it takes is a hot chick with a lot of plastic to give me the bump...lol.
One last thing I have to tell you guys about so you know a little more about the glamorous life of an IFBB Pro. I'll start from the beginning. I need you to know that before Wednesday night I hadn't had a good nights sleep in about 6 weeks. Anyway, so at some of the shows and expos there are fans that are there for autographs, pics and swag and I appreciate everyone one of them but I'm sorry, it stops at my front door.
On Thursday morning I was finally getting some good shut eye when the phone rang at 7am. I ignored it and tried to go back to sleep but no more than 2 minutes later the phone rang again. So I answer it and low and behold its a fan asking me for pictures! I asked him how he got my number and he said he couldn't tell me but he wanted to know if I had some pics for him. I may be 300lbs in the offseason but listen, that shit creeped me out big time. I told him not to call my home ever again, I may have used some other words but that was the gist of it and then I hung up. So get this, the guy calls back right away begging....please can I have some pics he says....I couldn't believe it. I gave him a good piece of my mind and luckily for me he hasn't called since. So anyway I guess that means I am getting somewhere in my career since I have my very own IFBB stalker now?!?
Lets see did I leave anything out. Oh yeah, my social life is in the toilet..lol. My girlfriend hates me again this week, my friends don't call me anymore because I am too much of an ass to them and I haven't been out in three months. I am not a huge party guy or anything but I love a good drink from time to time and lets just say its been a little too long since I got a little release.
All of the complaining above doesn't matter though because I wouldn't trade my career for anything. It is hard but I am doing something I love and even though the working months are really hard, the offseason is all mine. At the end of the day its all about what I am willing to sacrifice....

Sacrifice Without Regret.
Fouad Abiad

Another Week Another Battle!

Hey y'all, sorry I'm late with this weeks blog, things are a little hectic and I am trying to keep my head on straight while getting ready for Tampa Bay. Thanks again to all of you for your encouragement and thanks for taking the time to read my nonsense blog...lol, half the time I am so depleted I don't even know what I am writing so if it makes sense to any of you then I am well ahead of the game.

Alright lets start with the serious part, the training and diet. Training is still very good since I ate so much after the show it still feels as if my muscles are full enough to lift good poundage's. I am training as heavy as I can, I would say its about 80% of what I lift in the offseason so I am content and don't feel too weak. Most importantly I have really shortened up the rest periods in between so i can really increase the burn and etch in more detail.

The diet, what can I say about the diet, its the same old shit...lol. Chicken, steak, Rice, Potato all in small enough amounts that I am able to stay alive but am barely able to function, gotta love the way the precontest prep really tests what you're made of. I have returned to the weight I was just before dropping water for Houston so I have a few extra pounds to shed and then I should be good. The toughest part now is the waiting game, I can't wait to hit the stage again and try to move up.

Now for most of you up and comers who think BBers have it easy let me give you my schedule for the next little while. I finished a show on the 4 & 5th of July. I have a shoot on the 16th then another show on the 9th of August. From there I shoot again on August 12 & 13th then the next show is the 15th & 16th of August, wait its not over, then I get to shoot again on the 17th, 18th, 19th & 20th.

So what is the point of all that? Don't think its a cake walk because the better you get the more work it takes. I didn't realize when I was coming up, I thought I would turn pro sign a few contracts and then sit on my ass but think again brother, it only gets harder and harder the higher you climb. Mind you I'm not complaining, I love what I do but I am just giving you dreamers a heads up about the reality behind the scenes.

Now aside from the in the gym my life is in shambles. For some reason I can't stay off Ebay, all I do is log on to try to find new things to buy and this is a direct result of the diet because I'm not like this in the offseason. Don't ask me why it makes it easier to diet when you're buying things but it is. So far I have bought a new laptop, home entertainment center, camcorder and I still have three months of dieting left...my god, I'm gonna have to make it big just so I can support my precontest shopping habit...lol.

Anyway, sorry for being late with the blog this week, to all of you who are doing shows coming up, stay strong, don't cheat and keep busting ass in the gym. Remember, when you think you're training hard there is someone killing themselves to beat you too!

Sacrifice Without Regret!

Fouad Abiad

Ready for More...

Whats up everyone. Its two days after the Houston Pro show and as you all know by now I was seventh place and not satisfied with my placing. Lets talk about getting to the show...lol. My plane left on Wednesday morning for Houston, walking through Detroit Metro airport all I could see was Bagels, Cinnabuns, Chocolate bars and Sandwiches. So after fighting the urge to eat all of those things I found my way to my gate scaring half the public because I am an abnormally large arab man with a mohawk...lol. I do my best to smile but I don't think it helps..lol
I boarded the three our flight in good spirits then we hit a storm, just as we were about to land the plane picks up again and we get redirected only to sit on a tarmac somewhere else for an hour and a half before being able to come back to our original airport to land. So I missed a meal and was pissed. Then the cab ride from Houston airport to the hotel was about forty-five minutes and eighty bucks later and that pissed me off. Then the hotel didn't have a microwave for me that they were supposed to have and that pissed me off. Then I had to change rooms because there was no fridge and That pissed me off. Anyway after all was said and done I was checked in and pretty pissed off.
From there on things turned around. My girlfriend showed up the next day and helped me calm down by helping me prepare food and cleaning up and things like that. I slept a lot Thursday and ate every couple hours making sure I was nice and full for the battle Friday. There in lies the problem, I ate too much. I have added about 8-10lbs of muscle since the last show and trying to fill it out became a chore and I went a little overboard.
I hit the stage on Friday at a full hard 249lbs and I was the first one out to do my free posing, I felt big and hard. After I went off I had to wait for twenty-one other guys to go and as I waited I could feel the pump spilling out over the muscle and I was losing it as I stood there. By the time I was ready to go back out for comparisons I had spilled over and it was evident that I had tried to fill too much.
After all was said and done I received a good crowd response, a good response from bodybuilding insiders and tons of support on the muscle forums to go with my seventh place finish. I am unhappy with my placing but am happy to know that most of the public noticed my gains and sees my potential now its up to me to put it all together in Tampa.
August 9th is just under five weeks away and since I have been eating ice cream and pizza for the last three days I guess its time to get back to work. I plan on hitting the stage in Tampa a big, shredded 244lbs and hopefully this time I won't miss the mark.
So I want to thank everyone of my fans for there support and I also want to apologize for letting you guys down. I know a lot of you made predictions and I did my best to make them come true but I just missed the timing a little, don't lose faith I will be back to show what I am really made of. Thanks for having my back y'all.

Sacrifice Without Regret,
Fouad Abiad

One Week Out

Oh baby, its right around the corner and I can't wait. The diet is crappy, training is losing its intensity since I am so low on energy but my motivation to keep bangin' is higher than ever. I am currently sitting at 251lbs in the morning, dry and empty. I can't wait to carb up in a few days and see what my body looks like when its not depleted.
The diet has been relatively easy as far as the prep goes (I never cheat) but as most of you competitors know some of my relationships have been strained. I have a tendency to alienate myself from the world when I am dieting. I know its wrong but its the only way I know how to get it done. Most of the people in my life to this point have been around for so long they just ignore me when I'm being an ass but unfortunately I hurt some people in the process. My sister and I had it out because of my stupidity and ignorance, since then she has forgiven me because I admitted I was a jerk. My poor girlfriend has had to deal with a Fouad she's never seen before. We met in the offseason so she knew happy go lucky, buffet eating, fat Fouad, only to run into dieting, regimented, selfish, moody Fouad. I feel sorry for her because I want to do more for her but I just can't make it happen right now. Luckily for me she has endured all the nonsense and will be there for me next weekend.
I have been reading a lot of the bodybuilding boards and have noticed that some people have mentioned me as a top five contender at this show, hell, some even have me winning...lol. I have to admit, I have my daydreams of getting the first callout and winning the show, as a competitor you have to visualize those things. As a realist I also have to visualize the possibility that I may get the last callout, anything can happen and I think one should be ready for anything. At the end of the day its only one battle in a war of a career, so whether I win or lose I have to come back to fight again. Like my dad used to say, as long as you fight your hardest and do your best you will always feel good about yourself.
Personally I feel like this is by far the best I have ever looked. I am as hard or harder than I was last year already but I am ten pounds heavier. I really feel like that extra ten pounds could be the difference between fifth and third, or maybe even first!
Thank you to all of you who supported me, my friends, my family and especially my girlfriend who has been through hell and back and only has a week left till she gets the fat happy Fouad back (even though it will only be for a few days since I have three more shows to do...eek for her).
The next time you guys here from me will be post Houston so wish me luck, I will do my best to represent you Canada. There is nothing left to do now, the music is cut, the posing trunks are packed, the contracts are signed and all the blood, sweat and tears have been shed. All there is left to do is hit the stage and rock the house!

Sacrifice Without Regret!
Fouad Abiad

Two Weeks Out

Okay, its finally starting to happen. Usually when I diet for a show I start getting weaker around the four or five week mark. This year I have made a conscious effort to lift as heavy as I could for as long as I could leading up to the show. I figured this would help keep more muscle as well as keep me more full and for all intensive purposes it has worked.
Finally at the two week mark I am now noticing a significant loss in explosive power. For those of you who compete you know that the last four weeks before a show is all mental. Your mind tries to play tricks on you, telling you that you are too small or too weak, that your losing too much weight, that your not doing enough, etc., etc., etc... The ones who can control these thoughts and stay focused are the ones who become champions.
The hardest part of controlling that mental fight is when you are ready to step on stage but still have to wait. Now at the two week mark, I am ready. My weight this morning was 255lbs and I believe after dropping water I could hit the stage in the best shape of my life. The problem is now I have to wait two weeks and control my mind so I don't deviate from my program. So on the diet end things are smooth and couldn't look better right now, I just have to lift a little lighter so I don't hurt myself.
This week was good for career highlights. I found out this week that I will be doing a photo shoot at MetroFlex in Texas in a few weeks with Johnnie Jackson. My favorite gym of all the ones I have been at is Gold's Venice and I have always wanted to train at Temple Gym in England but MetroFlex will come into a close third and will be a highlight of my career to this point. JOJ is a great bodybuilder and to be part of that shoot with him will be as rewarding as the venue.
The Ontario Championships (provincial show) were this weekend and I had a chance to attend since I had a client and a friend competing in the show. I want to thank any of you who were there and are reading this for all your support and kind words. I don't think some of you understand the significance of your support. For some of you to tell me I am an inspiration and that you read my blog every week made this all worth it. Some others told me that they were counting on me to put Canada back onto the bodybuilding map. That's a ton of pressure but so flattering I will do everything in my power to be the one to represent Canada in the bodybulding world and show people that us Canucks can bang with the best!


Sacrifice Without Regret!
Fouad Abiad

Three Weeks Out

Well....I am three weeks out now and officially going crazy. Well I was until today. For the last few years of my career I have been used to seeing the scale drop from day to day or week to week as I diet. This year something strange is happening, for the last three weeks my weight has barely moved between 265-260lbs but my physique seems to have changed dramatically. I don't think I could be gaining muscle at this rate so I am not sure what to attribute this change to but who's complaining..lol.
I know you all want to see pics and progress but for the sake of competitive mystery I am going to hold out until after the show then I will post them in succession for you to observe the small changes from week to week.
This week brought some new and promising changes though. I have been looking for an apt. in the Toronto area since I am finally making the move from my hometown of Windsor. I found an apt. online and have just now seen the pictures and I have to say it could be my new home. Its a little nerve racking moving from my hometown since I will have to find new training partners and basically new everything, doctor, mechanics, ect....but its something that has to be done so cross my fingers and hope for the best.
Another new endeavor that has been a little bit of a challenge while dieting has been my pursuit of becoming Canada's only GASP clothing distributor. I am contracted with GASP but since I liked there clothing so much I really felt other bodybuilders should have the advantage of having there clothing as well. GASP currently doesn't ship to Canada but I am aim to change that in the near future.
Keep checking back and I will have a site for all you canucks to order from soon enough. The diet changes to fish and low carbs this week so if next weeks blog is a little crazy sounding you'll know why, thanks for checking in!

Sacrifice Without Regret,
Fouad Abiad

Four Weeks Out

Well, its a month from show time and I am starting to feel the excitement, anxiety and pressure all at once. This is a small show for the IFBB but a big show for my career and after finding out Silvio Samuel is doing this show I have really begun to visualize callouts. If I end up in a callout with Silvio its all in the judges hands but at least I will be ready mentally.
Contest prep has been strong this week, I'm still not that hungry and still around 265lbs. I feel like I am getting harder and drier as the days pass but the weight isn't changing much so the scale is making me play mind games with myself. Part of a bodybuilders prep is the mind games he/she must endure the final weeks before a show. Those who can focus will succeed.

Career wise I received an incredible push from the Houston Show promoters since they decided to put me on their show poster as a headliner. This is a big deal for me since me and Silvio are the only bodybuilders on it.
This week I also finished filming another installment to my DVD (coming soon). This week we filmed a good Hamstring and Calve workout and with only a few sessions left to go it should be complete sometime after the Olympia so keep your eyes peeled.

Consistency is Key,
Fouad Abiad

Whats Up All

Well its May 30Th and I am one day short of five weeks out from the Houston Pro Show. This will be the first show of the 08' for me but will not be the last. The diet has gone well so far I am currently weighing in at 265lbs and hope to hit the stage around 245-250lbs.
Hunger is becoming an issue but I am being diligent in my diet and am trying to bring my best to the show. Fortunately for me I have a cheat day tomorrow so I think Pizza Hut, Burger King, Taco Bell and many more will be getting a visit from me...lol.
I also got a call today from my agent in Toronto about a commercial audition. What commercial you ask? Its a lollipop commercial..lol, that's all they told me. Hey I guess not all of us can be Arnold, some of us have to start with commercials, baby steps.
Check back in the coming weeks for more show prep updates as well as an update on my budding TV/Movie career.

Sacrifice Without Regret,
Fouad Abiad