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