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
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
