Ready to Grow!

Well I've been back from BC for a bit now and I've had a good long rest and I am ready to get back on the horse! BC was amazing, reminded me a lot of Northern California, beautiful weather, tons of trees and mountains everywhere. Sushi there was great, people were extremely nice and to top it all off the BBing community out there was amazing!

I actually was in the best shape ever in the offseason for that event and I really think the fans appreciated me trying my hardest to show up looking relatively good for them. The competitors were all nice, I actually had a bber and bikini competitor (couple) help me put my color on even though they were getting ready to go on themselves....very selfless, I appreciated it greatly!! Everything was perfect from the lighting to the music and I have to say Dean did an amazing job putting on the show as it all ran very smoothly.

It was also really nice to get out there and see some old friends I haven't seen in a long time. Nadia and Chris were very welcoming and they are both judges so I really respected all they had to say about making my physique better. Darren and Lara were really good to introduce me to all their friends and let me hang with them and go for dinner. I thank you both very much if you're reading this. Darren once I get my M6 I'll let you drive it if you ever come to Ontario..lol.

After BC I got home and it was finally time to relax. I had discussed my return with Hany and he said he wanted me to do NOTHING for one week! I don't think I have done 'nothing' for a whole week in my entire career! He said nothing at all, no cardio, no weights, don't even drive by the gym..lol So I listened.

All week long I just spent my time, stretching, taking care of clients, eating very clean food to try and give my body the nutrients it was craving like fruits and lots of other good stuff. Okay I have to admit, I may have put down a few large pizzas and some ice cream but I'm sure my body needed it..lol.

In that week off I also got some good therapy in and some good reading time to help learn new things about thinking clearly and nutritional info that can always make my clients better. My new therapist (who should have been my therapist from day one) Alvin Brown is absolutely incredible. I have no worries about anything he is doing since he does a number of different techniques and also had the experience to back up his treatments. He has worked on a number of different pros including Ronnie Coleman and Jay Cutler, closer to home he works with Ben Pakulski and Bob Weatherill, needless to say his resume and word of mouth make it clear I should have been seeing him from the beginning.

Alvin shares my vision for getting to the next level and feels we can take the proper steps to get there with a little extra work. We are working on getting my mind right since that is step one in any plan of attack...believing and seeing it mean more than anything. We have begun physical and mental preparations for the 2011 ASC now because its going to take that much time to really get me to my all time best. All I can say for sure is you are all in for a treat with what I am going to be bringing to the stage in less than half a year.

For now, Hany and I have devised a good program for growing...yes growing. I am sitting at a pretty good 285lbs right now and over the course of the next four months we plan on bring that to a lean 290-295lbs. I have never been lean at 295lbs and if I can get into guest posing shape at that size than my stage weight should be right where I want it in February. I am hoping to be somewhere between 255-265lbs come 2011! Watch out boy!!!

Anyway like everything else all of this work comes at a big sacrifice. Nothing comes cheap and buying the best food, seeing the best physiotherapist and having the best trainer are all expensive things to deal with day in and day out. Luckily I have MuscleTech and Muscular Development behind me and are willing to make the investment in me because they know I am leaving no stone unturned to make it to the top.

Like I told the fans out in BC, I am taking Canada to the top in 2011....count on it!

Sacrifice Without Regret,

Fouad 'Hoss' Abiad

One More To Go!

Its been a busy year for me and I am very thankful for that. I have done a lot of traveling this year in comparison to other years and I am down to the last appearance for a while. This year I will be in British Columbia for the BC Provincial Championships and on the Sunday I will be at Popeye's Kitsilano for a store signing.

I am feeling very proud to head out to BC, its an honor for me to be part of a great Canadian show and see some Canadian fans out west. I keep hearing how beautiful BC is, I haven't had the chance to visit yet so I am definitely looking forward to it!

On the technical side right now things are still pretty straight forward. I am doing about 9-12 sets per bodypart and lifting as heavy as I can. Therapy is going great, I am seeing a new chiro and am also going to be seeing Alvin Brown this week. I hear he is one of the best to work on BBer's so I am looking forward to it.

Food wise there is much less pressure dieting for guest appearances than for shows..obviously I guess. I set my meals up in the morning and pretty much know what I want to eat. Some days I will eat 2 chicken meals, 2 steak, one egg white and one shake. Other days I will eat 4 fish meals, 1 steak, 1 shake. It really is nice to have the freedom and as long as the food is really clean I keep getting tighter.

My weight was down to 274lbs this morning and I am feeling ready to hit the stage, a couple more cardio sessions and that should about do it. My cardio is the stepmill first thing in the morning about five days a week. I don't like doing any cardio on leg days but other than that I am on it!

After this appearance I am looking forward to a forced layoff. I have been ordered by the boss (hany my trainer) to take a week off and do nothing. He says I am not even aloud to drive by the gym..lol. In my twelve years of bbing I have never really had time off. Even after shows when I take time off its not really time off. I still get in and do some light training or some cardio or something. This will be the first lazy week in a long time.

So I'm trying to decide what to do with myself. Its definitely going to be nice to get into therapy for the whole week and really heal up. Other than that I'm not sure though. I'm thinking possibly a vacation, maybe just a week of TV and take out..lol.

I guess I have a great problem. I love my job so I never take time away and when I am ordered to I really don't want to....how many people can say that! Its easy sometimes to get into the mindset that we always want more, more, more. Not very often do we take a step back and really appreciate what we have and what we have achieved in life.

Always train hard, stay focused, chase your dreams and make them reality....anything is possible if you're willing to believe in it and work for it.

Sacrifice Without Regret,

Fouad 'Hoss' Abiad

They Don't Mess Around Down South!

Whats goin on everyone. Little late with the entry, just got in last night from Florida where I realized there is an amateur scene in the US that I had no clue about. Its a little hard to see things from up here in Canada but when I do get a chance to go to any shows in the US I am always impressed.

Me and a friend flew down to Ft.Lauderdale for the Southern States Championships. First off I have to thank Peter of USA Sports for having me down to the show, also wanted to thank his friend Sam for making sure I had all that I needed and taking me to the ZOO gym an awesome place to train! The fans in Florida were amazing, very cool and had so much BBing knowledge to talk about. The competitors were all very complimentary back stage so I have to thank all of them as well.

Most importantly the one thing I noticed was the quality of physiques there. All the competitors were in shape and were very balanced. The thing was the quality of physiques didn't just stop at the stage. I like to sit in the audience at the shows and just hang out and most of the fans looked like the could have been pros too! Its nice to see that many people in one place all in great shape. I like to think about the people who say BBing is dieing when I look at that, it seems bigger and more competitive than ever to me. Also in attendance was Dayana Cadeau, Krystal Richardson, Bill Willmore, Lee Banks, Mike Van Wyck and so many more I noticed but can't recall at this moment. It truly was a great event to be a part of and I look forward to it next year.

I have to say it was also an honor to be part of the guest posing line up that Peter had put together. I was only one of six, Mark Alvisi, Manuel Romero, Dave Henry, Hidetada Yamagishi and last but not least Victor Martinez. Unfortunately I was the only one not getting ready for a show....that meant I was the fat guy..lol. They all looked awesome and I wish them luck at their upcoming events.

One of the great things that happened to me this weekend was bumping into Dayana Cadeau. She was judging the show and I had a chance to talk to her backstage a bit at intermission. I respect her as a BBer and as a person and value her opinion since she has had such a great career and seems to really know physiques in general. She went on to tell me how much I have improved in the last year especially in the lower body which as most of you know is a lagging area for me. So, thank you to her and he awesome comments.

After getting home last night I decided to give myself a little bit of relaxation since I have been eating very clean over the last few weeks. I'm not proud of it but I gotta admit the pizza and chocolate didn't last long after I got it home...lol. I really didn't sleep that well while away either so I really took advantage of my day off today.

All that being said the relaxation is over and I am looking ahead to the BC Provincials. I have quite a few friends out west that I look forward to seeing, I also have been getting quite a bit of emails from people that will be attending who look forward to seeing me. I am very excited to put on a good show for my Canadian crowd!!

So what am I doing in the gym? Training for the next couple weeks will be very heavy and very low volume as it has been. I am actually doing about nine sets per body part right now and really noticing a fullness and density to the muscle that wasn't there before. There are great arguments for high volume and low volume but to be honest I have always gotten great results from lifting heavy. The bottom line I have found is the best plan is the ever changing plan. Six to eight weeks and then switch. That keeps your body guessing as well as keeps your mind fresh in the gym. The workouts aren't too different, there are staples in every workout that don't change but the reps, sets change and that's what keeps my body guessing.

I will actually be video taping more of my workouts or possibly just a few sets from each workout for people to see what I am doing from time to time. If you are interested in seeing these small video clips join my fan page on Facebook. You can get there by going to my website fouadmuscle.com and clicking on the Facebook link. http://www.facebook.com/pages/Fouad-Hoss-Abiads-Official-Fan-Page/131874590177024

Lastly I wanted to say a few things about my clients. I have a few clients heading to the nationals and although my trainer Hany Rambod has claimed the moniker 'The Pro Creator', I am looking forward to stealing it for the weekend. I really believe that all four of them have a good chance at turning pro. I am very proud at how hard they have been working and the progress they are making.

I will be out in Saskatoon for the Canadian Nationals and most likely backstage making sure everyone is prepped the best they can be. It isn't easy to do the things we do as BBer's and it also isn't easy to train some people as a coach. I have to say these four clients I have going to Nationals have been some of the easiest clients I have ever worked with. Zero complaining, follow instructions to a 'T' and there progress is evident of that. It is a pleasure to work with all of them and because I have such a respect for their work ethic I am really busting my ass to be there for them and make sure they achieve their dreams.

Good luck to all four of you, keep your focus strong and get what you deserve!

Sacrifice Without Regret,

Fouad Abiad

Are you as big as you think you are?

Coming off the high from the weekend in the Bahamas was a little tough. I had a little too much to eat on Sunday flying home...what can I say, airports have the best junk food (Cinnabon!).

Anyway as soon as I woke up Monday my ass was back on the stepmill and getting ready for the next appearance. I have to say it was a little hard to sleep this week. Even though I was only there for a couple days I got used to the huge soft bed at the Pelican Bay Resort, just an amazing place. Hopefully Silvera's from FRECON can bring me out again next time they have a big event in the Bahamas, a BIG thank you to them.

It was nice this week though, I actually had a week where I didn't have to travel. I was feeling good physically and didn't drive up to Burlington (T.O area) to see my therapist. I actually ended up seeing my deep tissue therapist here in town. I have realized after years of treatments there is no one treatment that will keep you healthy. Your body is very complex and when we put it through the punishment we do it takes a variety of things to keep us running smoothly.....at least I need it anyway.

I realized I need, deep tissue massage, acupuncture, graston's, chiropractic work, foam rollers and laser treatments to keep my body healthy and all injuries at bay. I know most of the pros I talk to or most guys my size usually see some type of therapist once or twice a week to stay healthy. Knowing that others are going through it makes me realize its just part of the game and has to be done.

So being home was nice, I got to rest, relax and not have to pack any meals. I seem to have a bigger sense of focus and attention to detail when I am home and have everything I need at my fingertips. I am getting ready to guest pose at the Southern States which is a very big show and I am trying to bring a nice physique for the fans out there. The last couple weeks training has been hard and heavy which is a big change from the higher volume stuff I was doing. I think my body responds better to the heavy, low volume type training. The one thing I can say for sure is, I think its a good idea to keep your training style changing every so often.

There was one problem with being home though. As some of you know who have read my blog in the past, I seem to have a shopping habit when I am dieting. I have been dieting for about four weeks now and even though it hasn't been hard I am still entering the shopping zone...and this is what brought it about....

Most of you know I am being trained by Hany Rambod. Once a week or so I send Hany pics so we can assess my physique and keep things moving in the right direction...herein lies the problem. I have been working off a ten year old Dell laptop with a very old video card. I would take photos at the gym and come home and upload them onto my computer, resize them, look at them and send them off.

One night Hany called me and as we were talking he mentioned a couple areas he thought still needed work. I completely disagreed with him and said 'you're crazy things are looking great'. He again, disagreed. Later on the next day at my girlfriends house I decided I wanted to look at the photos again to see what Hany was talking about....in shock I looked at my pics and wondered why I was half the size from the pics on my computer! After calling my brother (computer tech) I found out because my video card was old it was making all my pics look much bigger than they should be! It was like looking in a funny mirror at a funhouse. Here I thought looking at the pics on my Dell, I was ready to stand next to Jay Cutler, only to find out I am the same size as Jay Cutler the Chicago Bears quarterback! Needless to say Hany got a good laugh out of it all and thought that maybe I would finally bust my ass since now I can see what I really look like...lol.

So this brings us back to the shopping. I spent the next two days researching online, talking to my bro and bothering numerous Best Buy employees (who I think were just scared of me) to find out what computer would be best for me. Gotta say it killed the shopping craving and although I was completely stressed out, I finally ended up going home with a new MacBook Pro with all the bells and whistles.

Its probably waaayyy too much computer for my needs but like everything else in my life, its extreme. There is no grey, just black and white. I guess that's what makes us all similar. I train numerous clients, female and male and there is only one common denominator to all of them...intensity. We are all extreme, we all want to win at all costs, we are either eating a large pizza in one sitting or chicken and yams, or in my case, buying a ten year old computer in the classifieds or the newest laptop on the market. I guess the only thing that separates us is, who is willing to sacrifice for what they want....your right, it always comes back to that!

Sacrifice Without Regret,

Fouad Abiad

BAHAMAS!!

Its my first day back from the Bahamas and whoever said being a pro bodybuilder isn't fun, never did it the right way! I have to thank Maurice and Trevor who took care of me very well and they put on an amazing show...great promoters. Before I go on I also want to thank the people who showed up to the show, the competitors and especially BIG ROB for being such awesome people. BIG ROB, I'm gonna tell Hany you are comin for him and your name will be up there with the greats soon enough!!

I have to say it was an amazing trip and everything that I dreamt of coming up as an amatuer and leading up to this came true. I always wanted to travel the world as a pro, I always wanted to be able to 'Wow' people and motivate them to achieve their dreams. All of those things came true this weekend.

I boarded the plane in Detroit city with my good friend and training partner Paul Lauzon. At first glance the women giving us our tickets said, "man I feel sorry for the person sitting in between you two" as she laughed. As we laughed about it I asked if there was anyway she could save that person the trouble and possibly have us sitting alone in three seats, she was polite enough and I think had sympathy for that person and accepted my request. That was the beginning of a great trip. There is nothing worse than sitting in a hunched over, squished position for three to four hours.

Anyway, when we got there Trevor was there to pick us up. I wouldn't leave the airport at first, you have to understand being 280lbs and the weather being in the 110's with humidity isn't a good mix. After getting up the courage I ran from the airport to the car...one air condition to another..lol.

We went for a bite to eat, got some groceries and headed to our room. Maurice put us up in a beautiful sweet overlooking the water with all the amenities, I couldn't have been happier. They told me they wanted me to come to the weigh in which at first confused me, those generally aren't exciting events where the guest posers show up. Weigh ins are generally tense events where are the athletes are on edge weighting for their turn to shine the following day..... Not in the Bahamas though.

The weigh in was in a Market Square type area with outdoor bands, bars and restaurants all along the marina in Freeport. I couldn't believe it, it was like a party atmosphere and none of the competitors seemed stressed or anxious. The scale was set up on the stage where the band played and competitors came up one at a time and weighed in. At the end they called up Joel Stubbs and myself and we got a very warm welcome from all the people there, tourists and locals alike.

After that we went and grabbed a nice dinner at the square and packed it in. Afterall it was a work trip. We hadn't slept much the night before since it was an early flight and I had to cut water for the next day so I wanted to get some rest.

We woke up the next day very well rested and ready for the task at hand. Problem was it was only 10am and the show didn't start till 7pm so we had some time to kill. So we went shopping. There I learned I can't haggle for shit and the locals there worked me for all my money...lol. I remember at one point I actually realized later on I ended up paying two dollars more for something instead of two dollars less..lol. Whatever, I was dehydrated, that's my excuse and I'm stickin to it.

We got back to the room and realized it was still only 1pm. I was really dehydrated and it was literally a sauna outside (not just sayin that...it really felt like a sauna when you opened the hotel room door to go outside) but we were in the Bahama's and figured we should do something, so guess what genius idea I came up with. Lets go to the beach. So dehydrated and exhausted we walked down to the beach, then decided a swim would be refreshing. Swimming in salt water in the hot sun without being hydrated and not being able to drink water = very bad idea..lol. After about an hour I was knocked out, we sluggishly made our way back to the room and I tried to crash until the phone rang ten minutes later. Time for your spray tan...lol

I got up and got ready, we got to the event and I couldn't believe it. The auditorium was full and the usher was running around grabbing chairs from wherever he could to let people sit down. Then it was just standing room only and the place was packed and live! I was getting more and more nervous/anxious, I wasn't sure how I'd be received. They called me to come out, I stood behind the curtain as my music started and I walked out and I could not believe the crowds reaction. The loudest crowd I have ever heard, the welcome they gave me was unbelievable, something I will never forget. Those people really know how to express themselves...lol.

Afterwards I stayed out front and hung out with a lot of them just talking about bbing and life on the island. I signed photos and took pics with everyone there, men, women and little kids (gotta love the little kids, they get so excited). It was amazing.

The next day we had a few hours to kill but I just couldn't take the heat anymore. I decided I was going to rehydrate and park my ass in front of the air conditioner all day (i know not that fun but it was HOT). When it was finally time to leave, Maurice picked us up and dropped us at the airport. I gave him a few DVD's for himself and some athletes and said thanks for everything. The girl at the airport counter in the Bahamas had the same feeling for that imaginary person sitting between me and Paul so she took care of us just as well as far as seating goes. Luckily no one had to sit next to me and I didn't have to be squished in my seat, I guess sympathy for the small is international...lol

All in all, it was an amazing experience and as for guest posing's it was one I will never forget. I have a couple more coming up in the next little while and all I can hope is that I can put on a good show for the crowds there all the same.

Goals start out as dreams and sometimes those dreams seem crazy. People tell you that its not possible, not worth it, not gonna happen. I firmly believe that if you want something and you are willing to work hard for it and keep it in the front of your mind at all times it will happen. Your dreams will become real life goals and will be realistic even if only to you. Your belief in yourself is the most important thing and when your dreams come true your friends, family and people around alike will all begin to have that same belief in you. Sacrifice for that dream.....

Fouad Abiad

Too Much Info?

I have been at this BBing thing for a while now. Even though I started BBing late in my life (20) I think I have seen and heard it all as far as training techniques, supplement strategies, diets, vitamin and mineral regimens, ect. I have read all the major mags at one point or another and am constantly online trying to learn more. I think learning as much as you can about what you are doing is a great thing and you always have to be open to learning more. There is only one problem with that.

In the last couple weeks I have realized I am a product of the information age at its best. There is so much info at my finger tips I have become consumed with trying to add it all in. I realized that my training program has become similar to a cluttered closet with the important things tucked in the back where you can't see them. Okay, I'll explain.

When I started training back in the day, things were simple. Eat protein and carbs, lift weights from A to B and make sure you get some rest. Sounds pretty easy right?...it was. It was simple and without complexity and best of all it worked. The problem is over the years I have learned too much and I think this happens to a lot of BBers. I have done everything, I have done, low volume/heavy weight, high volume/moderate weight, rest pause, negatives, supersets, strip sets, drop sets, forced reps, giant sets, century sets, you name it I have tried it.

Of course we have to try new things to get ahead in the sport because that's the only way you'll know what works for yourself. Thing is I have forgotten where I started....until now. I forgot that squats and deads, very heavy, with lots of food was the key then and is still the key now. In the last couple weeks I have cut out all the crap and different things that make BBing complex and just decided to eat and train.

My training has been heavy and basic. Not a lot of sets, usually 9-12 for small body parts and 12-15 for large body parts. More rest between sets, lifting heavier and mostly all free weight. It has felt so much better than the 25 set workouts I was doing with minimal rest between sets. It feels like BBing, not aerobics and this heavy kind of training is what I am used to. 25sets a body part might work for guys like Cutler and Priest but its just not for me.

Bottom line is, its okay to try new things and its important to always keep learning but in saying that, always remember what got you to where you are. Keep it simple, don't try and reinvent the wheel. Train hard, train smart and always remember the foundation and building blocks that really build great physiques.

Sacrifice Without Regret,

Fouad Abiad

Living the Life...

As the old saying goes, 'Be careful what you wish for, you just might get it'. As a pro bodybuilder one of the things that sets the successful pros apart from the average pros is being busy. My entire career I haven't been busy...lol. I have been a bodybuilder now for twelve years and a pro for three and I have always asked myself, 'is this all there is to it'.
Throughout my career I have spent my days working, working out, eating, sleeping and getting ready for the one or two shows a year. I thought, there is no way this is it. I started to see other pros traveling from state to state or country to country and I realized what I was missing. The life of a successful pro can be measured not just by placings but also by how in demand he is. After realizing this the dreams started to flow.
I decided, I wanted that, I wanted to travel from country to country and guest pose, make appearances, interact with bodybuilding fans....live the life....be successful. Well all my wishing has started to come true. This is my first day home in my own bed in about a week and a half and right about now I am just happy to be here. I was in NYC last week for a seminar, from there travelled to Toronto to see my therapist and from there travelled to Sudbury, Ontario to see my clients take home some much deserved hardware.
I have to admit and I am not complaining at all because this is the life I chose and I want it, but it is hard to be away from home week after week and really make gains as a bodybuilder. Being away from your kitchen, your gym, your training partners, it all takes its toll. I guess this is what the top ten in the world deal with all year round and for me its only the next month or so. Definitely something I welcome but also something I will have to adjust to. After all becoming good enough to win the big shows is still the top goal at hand.
I have to congratulate Valerie Richman and Misha Ristic who busted the f;ing ass for 14 weeks to realize their dreams. Val has been working with me for a little over a year now and at our second show together and a good offseason we were able grab a 1st place in figure. Mish just started training not too long ago and although he could only manage third he did weigh in 12lbs heavier than his last show meaning things are only going to get better with more hard work. I can say this, if he can gain 12lbs a year who knows where he will be by 30, the kids only 25 years old!
As for the people of Sudbury, Ontario, I honestly can not say enough about how great they were. Thank you to all of them who came up to me and supported me with kind words and great respect. I have to say for every person who came up to me it will help motivate me to do that one more rep or set and keep kickin ass in the gym. I also wanted to thank Ron Hache for his hospitality at his show, he really put on a great event with quality competitors.
I think a lot of pros stop going to some of the local shows after they gain success. Personally I get a lot of satisfaction out of going to all the shows. I enjoy watching competitors getting ready to hit the stage, it reminds me of when I was starting out. I see some of these guys and girls go from show to show and improve and move up the ranks and it actually gives me a sense of motivation to work harder.
At the end of the day there is nothing better than interacting with bodybuilding fans for me. There is also no better feeling for me than knowing that I might possibly be able to help someone achieve there goal with a little more help or a tip that might make all the difference. There was one guy yesterday pumping up and getting ready to go onstage and he said to his girl, "I can't take it anymore, just give me that bottle of water". I think he was going to chug it all...lol. I looked over and told him to hold out, its just a little longer, work just a little harder you're almost there. He passed on the water and continued working. Watching that made me realize how hard all these guys work, no matter what level, how big or small, we are all realizing our dreams.

'Sacrifice Without Regret'
Fouad Abiad