Wow, its been a good week! I have been crushing the iron and lifting more than I ever have at the eight week mark. Usually as most competitors know the closer you get to a show the weaker or lower on energy you become. I have been dieting for six weeks and I am getting stronger each week but still getting tighter. This week I broke a couple of my records and that has got me on fire and ready for the coming week.
Front squats are a tough thing to master and I never really did them on a regular basis until this year. Even though I was doing them week to week I was having trouble mastering the form and getting the feel. In the last few weeks I have really begun to nail it and its paying off. I broke my front squat record this time front squatting 405lbs for 10reps. I know that doesn't sound like a lot when you watch Ronnie front squat 600lbs for fun but for me it is a personal best with that many reps.
Incline press has also been a sticking point for me over the year and as of late its become one of my favorite exercises. Again there are plenty of bodybuilders out there that can lift more so I am by no means bragging but for me I broke another record of mine. I incline pressed 405lbs for 10 reps also this week for two sets and then went on to dumbell press 170lb dumbells for three more sets. I have never done that kind of weight back to back like that so I am feeling good. If I can stay healthy I am going to try to keep this up all the way into the show, within reason of course.
Hunger is still not an issue as I am still getting in 4500cals or so. Someone emailed me this week about wondering how I was eating that many calories and still losing weight. Here is the best way I can explain it.
First off I train twice a day now on some days which is something I have never done. I have a fast metabolism to begin with, not Dexter Jackson fast but I can lose weight pretty easily. So now there are days where I do cardio in the morning then eat, train a bodypart, eat some more and then train a different bodypart. This type of training is really keeping my body burning like a furnace. Secondly and maybe most importantly, all the food I am eating is as clean as can be. I am eating low glycemic carbs this year which is also something I haven't ever done before. Oatmeal, Yams and brown rice are the sources and protein sources are chicken, fish and steak. That's it, that's all I am eating every day, no fats, no sugars, no empty calories. So that being the case my body is using it all to rebuild from two a day workouts and whatever it isn't rebuilding with it is using for energy. Nothing is being wasted.
Over the years in my bodybuilding career I have been somewhat of a homebody. I like to be home to make sure I am getting my meals in on time and that way I can also make sure the quality of the food I am eating is up to par. On a more picky not I have been blessed to be able to make a living from bodybuilding so I can be home to eat meals fresh and not packed in cold Tupperware containers. This type of lifestyle has lead me to missing out on many occasions because I have to eat every couple hours so home base is the place to be for me.
I decided this year that I wasn't going to let my eating schedule dictate what I do and don't do this summer. I have always competed in late summer meaning I am always dieting when everyone else is sitting on a patio somewhere enjoying the weather.
This weekend we had a pretty big event going on in Windsor with concerts and parties going on in the streets. I thought why not make this the weekend I change things. So I ate my meal and headed out with a few friends. They were all drinking, partying and eating great food. To be honest it didn't bother me, I mean I am always interested in a cold beer while under the hot sun but I was OK. I think today showed me that you can still be a great bodybuilder and have a good social life, just because you're out doesn't mean you have to eat crappy food and it doesn't mean you have to be drunk.
All this being said, if I notice even the slightest bit of change in my performance in the gym or in my physique, its back to my old ways. Nothing is more important to me than getting better each year and reaching the top of the sport. Till next week, keep the injuries in check, the iron clanging and the motivation to be the best at its peak!
Sacrifice Without Regret,
Fouad 'Hoss' Abiad
