Many missed logs

Terrible of me not to post in awhile. I have no excuse on this, just slack and finding a million other things to try to accomplish. I will work backwards since that is the most I can remeber right now.
-12/30 Stepmill 45 mins
-12/29 Upper raw board work. Worked up to 405x5/2 board.It felt alittle slow so I went back down to 365x5x3 more sets.
-Seated rows with the new lat assassion bar we just got in. 3 setsx8xstack-Rotatoe work with 15lb. Sets of 25 per arm continuously for 4 rounds
-Ab twists with towel strap 4x10 per side-Tricep pushdowns with same strap x 4x19 per sets.
-Cardio am 40 mins
12/28-Sled drag with 2 plates for 6 laps- 4 forwards and 2 backwards. My back and quads cramped continuously as I jump to 248lb from 233lb in 2 weeks of holiday eating.
12/27-Cardio 40 mins stepmill
-Canbered bar with blue band over plates. box with briefs. This was the 2nd week and we went up 465x2x5 sets.
-2 sets of 5 on the RDL with 315-Rev hypers 3x20-Ab side twists with bb towel strap 4x10 per side
12/26-Cardio 35 mins stepper
12/25-Masssive carb loading continued from previous 7 days. No cardio.

12.24-35 mins stepper-No training

12/2340 mins cardio

12/22-cardio 40 mins-Can't remember what we did.
12/21-cardio 45 mins stepmill

12/20-No cardioCambered bar squat with blue bands over bar worked up to 415x3x5 sets
-rev hyper 3x15
-ab work 4x8

Lots more cardio and some training for the other days I missed. I really can't remember them too much. The last couple of weeks I have started to step things up including my weight which I will pull back down some. My steady climd has turned into a tornado of fat. I still not have picked a meet but January is the beginning of the training cycle so we'll see when we get going where I may end up.

Spud

Well, after Tuesday's cardio, the sickness came back to haunt me. I thought I was on the tail end of it on Monday and Tuesday morning but as the day rolled on, all the snots and exploding head feelings started to comeback. I grabbed lots of Theraflu, Mucinex, Mucinex Dm, Advil, Alleve and even broke out the Rock and Rye with Honey to fight this thing off.

I gobbled all of them on Tuesday night and went to bed at 800pm. I did no cardio on Wednesday but even that did not help so I bailed on Wed training. I took lots more crap and Thursady it helped some but was still entrenched in my nose and head. I napped after working for 5 or 6 hours, then went and picked up stuff that had to go out Thursday night and went back home immediately adn was back in bed at 730pm after begging the mini gorilla for a Z pack which I have no idea where he got it from but Friday afternoon it appeared at the gym. I went to bed at 830pm this time and slept good.

The missing the cardio guilts got to me so Sat. I got up early and did 40mins before training.

Training was
-Box squats raw with Buff Bar and chains. Worked up to 325x3 reps each adding a chain for 5 or 6 sets then, went up to 415x2x2 with 7 chain per side.

-We then did the some strap GMs working up to 315x3x3 sets. I am going to make a Spud strap for these uses this week. It's pretty cool how it works. Nothing that will change the lifting world, but a nice compliment to training the deadlift.

-rev hypers 3x15-some ab stuff I think Sunday-40mins stepmill

Monday 35 mins stepmill

Tuesday-30mins bike.This was lazy and only burned half the usual but I did get some good reading in.

Spud

Friday Through Tuesday

Friday-Still recovering from the bug I caught in Florida so no cardio
.Sat-45 mins Stepmil
l-Raw box high with buffalo bar. I was not into putting the briefs on and going up in the weight so I worked up to 6 platesx2, x1, then lowered the pad for a set of 2, then lowered the pad agian for another set of two. Nothing great but the weight did not feel heavy on the shoulder this day as it had been lately.
-Then we rigged up some zercher type squat with a Spud Inc upper body strap. We put 10lb on the bar and then slid the strap on them to hold it in place. The regular strap works on a works on a bench bar but we had to add a jump ring strap for the deadlft bar. You have the bar on the floor like a regular deadlift but hook your arms in the straps and perform like a normal zercher squat. It worked well. I also experimented with a good morning type lift by sliding my back under the strap. This crushed my back and hamms fast so I went back to the zercher squats adn worked up to 405x3-rev hypers 3x10-ab work 3 sets
-Sunday45 mins
stepmillMOnday-45mins stepmill
MOnday pm-Raw two board with chains. Dale had the great idea to put the chainmates on the bar adn then add chain. The effect was much like the bands and kettlebells(crazy bells)You had to lower slower then usual and then the press was slow as the chain would cause whipping of the bar and forced it all over the place. Worked up to 2 platesx3 reps a set with 2 chain, 3 chain, 4 chain , 5 chain, 6 chain, 7 chain.
-band pushdowns 3x20
-close grip pullups 4 setsx8-3
sets front ab pulldowns
-Tuesday-40 mins stepper.-

Spud

Tuesday thru Wednesday AM.

Tuesday am -35 mins stepmill
Wed am-30 mins stepmill
Wed pm-We did banded jump stretch pulls off sumo board with chains. Me and Dalen Back Slapper(I will explain this later, for now, he is Just DBS) we used the minis and went up a plate this week with less chain then last week.-225x3,315x3, 405x2-added one chainx3,2 chainx2,3 chainx2,4chainx1,missed 5 chain twice at the top
-rev hypers 3x10

Thursday thru Saturday-No work

Sunday-35 mins stepmill
Monday am-45 mins stepmill
Monday Pm-Raw board work. 315x5/2 board, 405x3x2 sets/2 board
-Quarter dips mixed in with decline bench3 sets of dips, 225x8, 315x8x2 sets on the decline-rear delt pec deck 4 sets x 8 -
tues am-45 mins stepmillWed AM-40 mins stairmaster

Thursday at 530am we were off to Palm beach for the Worlds. DBS, Mike and I flew down and Karl/Barry drove down. I was going to drive but the flight was fairly cheap at 233 out of a town about a hour away. Glad we went that route as we got home around 3pm Saturday.
All of the guys lifted on Friday which made it easier on DBS and I. At first, I thought I could just do it, but they had 2 platforms rolling and of course Mike was on one and Karl/Barry on the other and almost simultainously on the squat and bench.
Subce the Masters, Mike and I had a moment where he needed some motivation on his lifting. I don't usually do this but occasionally I get the vibe that my lifters are focused on the moment of just lifting the weight and are off somewhere else-either worrying about failing, not getting through the meet, etc. In this moment, I usually react with a slap to the back of the head or the face. When I see that beaten down dog look I immediately react. I have had to slap Fatty Tatty once or twice and at the Masters in Baton Rouge I saw tha in MIke. I caught him completely off guard and cracked him good. He got very pissed and reeled around at me and gave me the worst I want to smash your face in look ever. He went up under the bar and smashed it instead and later said he needed that. We made lots of jokes about the look on his face since then. When he gets pissed his eyes almost close and he glares at you like a chained up dog that is mad at you. He also looks like a mini silver back gorilla with all the gray body hair everywhere. Weird I know but it is so.
So we get him out there and I am not feeling the smack thing so far but he looks at me and asks for it. What I think in my head?Allright I go right to it with a nice smack to the head and one to the face I think. He yells, that's enough!!!He gives me the same I hate you He goe out there and hits the lift. The second lift comes around and he changes his tune this time. He is called up and we start to prep him. He gets about 2 inches from my face and says," We are done with that!!, as he bangs me on the chestHe repeats it 4 or 5 times. It takes all I got not to laugh in his face because it is funny. I tell him well go get it then. Don't tell me about it. Go do it. It's a PR bench for him number wise. As he walks around to the bench I move a help lift off from the side and coach.
I peer over and at that moment Dale is smacking Mike on the back and it sounds like a shotgun going off or a really fat kid bellyfloppin' in a pool. Ka-ti-yowwwwww! I laugh on the inside as Dale gets the same look from the mini gorilla as I got but it's too late, the only thing Mike can do is bench. He smashes the lift and is very happy but still angry. It was perfect for the moment. He still gets in my face the rest of the day but the slappin is done.....for now.Dale's new name is Dale Back Slapper and our new theme at SCB is, "We're done with that!!!"

I didn't know mini gorillas existed till now
Spud

Monday thur Monday Am

-Sunday cardio-35 mins stepper
MOnday am -Blew off cardio and slept in and felt really guilty about it.
Monday Pm-
Incline dumbells to 100sx16 reps on last set. 3 sets total at 100lbs
-3 board close grip 3 inches off smooth. 315x8,365x5,405x5
-Ab strap pulldowns 5x8
-one arm dumbell presses jerk style. worked up to 80s on right armx5, 65lbsx4 on left.-swiss bar rows with chains I think.
-dumbell curls 3x8
Tuesday am-40 mins stepper
Wed am-35mins stepper
Wed pm-Jump Stretch band pulls(regular mini) plus chains with chainmates. Raw doubles up to 8 or 10 chains going up 2 chains per side each set. On the second to last set I only got one hard one with a reversed hand grip. It pissed me off some so I came back and hooked griped it for 3 reps. With each rep a couple of chain fell off. I thought I was hitting the grove better but not so. Anyhow, I was pleased with that.
-rev hyper 3x10
Thur am-stepper 30mins
-Thur PM
-Floor log press. Nice short press with the log. 150x6x2 sets, 200x5x2, 250x5x2,300x5
-one arm side lateral raise worked up to 100sx8 per arm
-Long ab straps pulldowns 3x25
-hanging ab 3x8
-Standing BB towel strap pulls to chest 4x8


Friday am-Stepper 35 mins
Sat--no am cardio
-MOre angry troll squatting. Briefs and belt with cambered bar. Worked up to 600x2x6 sets. I did the first three on a 16 inch box, the dropped down a inch or two on the last three. I got a white light from the only guy that has done multiple USAPL contests on depth. That was not important but stretching the left quad out was and it seemed really good the entire session.
-Long Ab strap pulldowns 5x8
-Dalethroughs with 53lbs KB. This is a pull through with the band around the neck. I added the KB in to make it alittle harder and did two hand swings with it working on the snap of the hip.-Rev hypers 3x12
Sunday Am-45 mins stepper
Monday am-40 mins stairmaster


I guess things ain't so tough as everyone makes them out to be. On Sunday, I had some Hodurans come by to look at the gym to clean it on Sundays once every two weeks. I thought for sure they would give me a fair price. I don't mind paying for good service but the quote she gave me was higher then a regular cleaning service would charge. I tell her son who speaks pretty good english I can't afford it. He then asks me how much I tell him, he then comes back with a slightly lower number but no where near where I am. I leave it at that. Just goes to show, your reality is only the perception you make it out to be. If you think it's shitty, it will be shitty. if you stay as positive as you can all the time, then you don't get caught up in the vortex and life is terrific all the time.


Going to West Palm with the guys this week for the Worlds. It's Dalen's first time on a plane and a prop plane at that. I am sure this will be alot of fun even though you never really see him riled up about anything.

Sunshine is everywhere you look
Spud

Monday thru Sat.

-Monday am -3 mins stepmill. Started pushing up the intensity and lowering the time out of boredom I think. I seem to be sabotageing myself and getting to the gym later and later in the am for cardio so I have to make it harder as the 30-35 mins goes fast.

MOnday Pm-Raw work with boards. 315x5 3board, 405x3 2 board, 405x3 1 board, 405x1 off chest. Rep stuff 315x8, 225x20x2
-Band rows for 8 repsx 5 count eccentric, 5 count concentrix x 3 rounds.
-Ab pulldowns 5x8
-Did some fat bar JM presses worked up to 250x5 I think. Tues-35 mins stepmill-Wed am30 mins stepmill

-Wed pm-pulls off boxes right below knees and 3 inches lower. Worked up to 600 sumo hook grip for 1 then two with hand reversed. The sumo wasn't feeling that great so I went back to conventional with a slightly wider stance(my old fat guy conventional stance) for 600x3, then dropped the box 3 inches and did 600x2 or3 then dropped to 500x3 I think

-reverse hypers 3x10
-Saw Dale doing something interestingly painful. He was doing band pull throughs with the band around the neck. So it was banded gm and pull through. I will call it a Dalethru from now on. Smoked me up some. 3x8

Thur am -30min stepmill level 16

Thur pm-Some lame speed presses with minis double d up worked up to 250x5
-I conjured up a way to do dips on the suspension straps using bands since I can't hold myself up like a gymnast. I attached a purple band to eanc hand and put my knees on the band for some assist. Turned out to still be hard but they smoked my delts, pecs and triceps. Several sets all day long as everyone got to enjoy the pain.
-Bent over rows using the 154lb farmer's walk with a purple band looped around the handles and under the feet to add more resistance. 4 setsx8
-Did 4 sets of machine ab crunches, hanging inverse situps and two sets on the lower ab machine.

Friday am-stepmill 35 mins, level 17 at the end.

SaturdayI am working at the store today so I had to get up earlier and get some work in. I came up with 1 round of lunging around the gym, followed by 1 lap of forward chain dragging around the gym, followed by 3 75-100 yard sprints with a 50 yard break in between them. It was a strange thing as my legs felt like they were moving on their own almost out of control. I was moving pretty good but felt I had 1 or 2 more gears I could hit easily but like a fast car or motorcycle I thought I would get out of control and wreck if I went any faster and opted out.Maybe next time.

I issued a challenge to Ross(the 400lb guy who is now down below 250lb) I didn't think he would accept it so quickly but he did. He did 5 laps with the sled with two plates, 1 lap with the 300lb chain and 3 laps with the Prowler and a 45lb plate on each arm. It took him about 1.5 hours I think. Great job on that. I should have stuck to my original plan of 10 laps sled, 1 lap chain and 3 laps prowler. That might have made it alittle harder on him. He is also trying to get on with the Fire Dept. He just did his preliminary PT test. They give you 7 minutes to complete it. I told him he would do it in 6:30. He smashed it in under 3 minutes then the next day beat it by 10 or 15 more seconds. He placed third the first day and second the next I think. Great job is all I can say. I told him he should do a BB show next year because at the rate he is going he will be there by April or May.

No wrecks today
Spud

Monday thru Sunday

Monday Am-45 mins stepmill
MOnday Pm-Shirt bench. Not that great a night as the shirt I had did not work well or Ijust sucked. Probablly some of both. Worked up 585x3 off 3 board, did 585x1 off 2 board and called it. No Spud pop on anything
.-Overhead band triceps 3x15,
-Long ab strap pulldowns 3x15
-Chest supposrted rows worked upto 4 platesx8 reps

Tues am40mins stairmaster

Wed am-40mins stepmill

Wed pmDeads off floor. Flat all night so I stuck with 5billsx3x5 sets. Alternated sumo and conventional with the hook grip. I can snap it off the floor and not loose the hook now so that is very encouraging.
-rev hyper 3x15
-ab work 5 sets x 8 reps
Thur am-45 mins stepmill. No even training.

Friday am35mins stepmill
Sat am-Some raw squatting with the Agrey Troll. He was on a roll with the election and his take on it. He pretty much had everyone pissed or aggitated all morning long no matter who you supported. I knowing the Troll as I do sat on the sidelines and watched people from all walks of life and age argue and debate with him. I think Old Dude got pissed and left early. The conversations and arguments spread throughout the gym as everyone had to throw in their two cents to make sure they were heard. He then badgered me and Dalen while we were squatting. Watch him, he can't take it, he has to do more then Dalen,.etc. Dale is going to do 6 reps to your 5, then it was 10 to my 5. I just lowered the super high box and did my 5s all morning. I thought about doing a "few" more reps, but what was the point. I could have done 20 more then likely but I left it at 5. 500x5x5 or 6 sets raw box.
-Abs off the concept two rower mixed with stabilty ball russian twists for 3 rounds of 8 each.
-No cardio today.

Sunday-10 laps with 2 plates regular sled. 8 forward, 2 backwards. Nothing hard here but time.

Huff and puff and try as you might Angry Troll,
Spud

Wed Thru Sunday

-Wed AMStepmill 40mins
-Wed PmWe started out trying to do the deadlifts from the top. I had not done them like this before. You essentially either have blocks that are removed or training partners on each side that help you get the bar to the top. We had the latter. I was thinking we would try to work up to 700 and tryt he hook grip out. After 2 or 3 sets in, this was not going to happen. We worked up to 500x2 this way sumo but after the first couple of sets dropping the wieght too fast, my hammys said no go. Dale wasn't too into it either. I elected to do a couple more sets at 405x3 and 1 or 2 at 500 then tapped out. Dale wanted to test his hook grip out on 600. I told him he wouldn't get it. I think it pissed him off as much as Dale can get pissed off and he pulled it easy. Everyone gets motivated alittle differently. He will be pulling 7 bills soon enough.
-Reverse Hypers 3x15
-Thur am -Stairmaster 35 mins
I was suppose to train some but I had to run a booth at the Columiba's Annual Picnic for City Employees. This went well. I got back to the gym about 430p and the realized I scheduled a client so I go out of training.
-Friday am-Stepmill 45mins
-SatAm-Stairmaster 30 mins-I had to work the store this Saturday so no training
-Sunday
Since I did not get anything in ON Saturday, I decided to drag the small chain(about 300lb) around the building for 3 laps. I did 1 forwards, 1 backwards and 1 lap rotating from arm to arm. This took alittle over a hour. I should have done them in reverse, but I did the easy one first,etc. After the backwards lap, my quads were blown up and the veins were sticking back out again. Ben was inside so I went in and asked him if that is the way he wanted his legs to look. He has been trying hard to get his BF down and has done a good job but he cann't ge the veins to come out yet so I make fun of him all the time for it.

Keep laughin,
Spud

Wednesday Thru Tuesday

-Wed am 45 mins stepper
-Wed PM -MOnster mini band pulls off sumo board.We ended up raising the weights up 3 inches after the first couple of sets felt crappy.-135x3,225x3,315x3,405x3,455x2(all these were hook grip then I did 455x1 regular with a hand reversed and struggled to get one.
-Rev hypers 3x10-Thursday am-40 mins stepper-Thursday PMi got the bright idea to do regular incline presses. All of the sets were cranky and painful. 135x5x2,185x5x2,225x5x2,275x7 or8
-Bodybuilder towel straps tricep pushdowns supersetted with cable machine upright rows3x10 each
-Scrarecrows and curls supersetted with upperbody strap on seated row machine 3x8 each
Friday am Cardio-35 mins stepmill
Saturday -The angry troll finally brought my briefs back so squatting went good. We did box squats with the buffalo bar. 415x3,505x3, 595x3,685x3,775x1(no knee wraps). I didn't like it much so I wrapped up and did 775(actally 785)x2 fairly decent with the Angry Troll yelling at me. The entire time Dale and I are squatting, he is yelling how Dale is going to beat me adn squat 1200lb to get me riled up. I just look at him adn say,"I hope so, that just makes me look good as Coach" He goes on yelling how I am going to kick Dale out once he breaks my total. All I can say is I hope so. He's a good kid with the desire to do so. The troll is not happy with it and continues ranting. At this moment in time, there is always somebody stronger then you. This is just the truth of it all. The question is whether or not they bring it to the table when it counts-at least in lifting anyhow. I really could care less, but it does motivate me sometimes to piss on the box and show I still got the magic. -Rev hypers 1x20-Broke the small chain out again with a upperbody strap and dragged the chain one arm laterally around the building switching arms every 10-15 yards. This sucked sort of and I may try to get 3 laps in Sunday as I have to work the store again this Saturday and will not be able to train. This also gives the boys something to strive for
.-Sunday-45 mins stepmill
-Monday am -40 mins stepmill
Monday pm-Me and the Dale did floor press with the chainmates. Loaded up 225 on the bars and atarted with 2 chains per side x5 reps, 4 chain per sidex5 reps, 6 chains per sicex3 reps, 8 chains per sidex 3reps, tried a pinky on the ring with 10 chain and only got one. Added a 11th chain and widened the grip back to the middle finger on the rings for 2 or 3 reps off the one board. Went down a chain and did 2 reps with 10 chain off the chest.
-green band ext overnhead 3x15
-Side raises 3x10
-Ab wheel 4x10
-BB towel strap pullups 3 x 5or6 reps.
-Tues am-40 mins stepmill. Got bored ans have started doing the stepmill sideways. Not bad, may try to go up backwards later just for fun.

Spud

Saturday thru Monday

Saturday am-Buffalo Bar box squats with shitty briefs.I have a couple of pairs of briefs I have been using for awhile now size 46 and 48 Aces. I leave them in the bathroom on a rack. I don't mind other dudes using them and they do. Ben and the Angry Troll have been fighting ove them for months now. When I weighed 300 I had no problem with this as they would not fit anyone but Dale. So I go to get them on Saturday as I want to go alittle heavy. I dig through the pile on top of the rack. Usually they are right on top. I keep digging, pulling off several suits. THey are not there, I go through them in case I go in a hurry. THey are still not there. THen I remember the Angry Troll was in town on Friday and trained at the gym. I call him,"Do you have my briefs?". Yes he says. Why did you take my briefs I ask. I took them just in case, he says. I say why, you are doing the meet in a annoyed tone. I just took them just in case is all I get. How the @@*$ am I suppose to squat now?He has my 46s and my 48s.One pair okay, but both of them! He just took them so Ben wouldn't use them. Little angry troll bastard. I will bring them back Wed he says. HOw the %$#& is that going to help me now! I guess I will have to have a check out card from now on like you do at the library. I ended up using some old 46s that fit like the old coach shorts, tight but zero help-sexy though
-500x3x2,600x3x2 sets-Rack pulls just below knees using the chainmates.
- Ben and Mac were doing these already so I jumped in adn did a couple sets with 315 adn 8 or 9 chains per side 2sets x 3 reps each. Ran out of time and had to train Pat.
Sunday-No cardio.Yes, no cardio!!
Monday am-Stepmill 45 mins. The dream of no cardio days end quick.
Monday Pm-Jumped in on raw board presses 315x3/3 board, 405x3/2 board,455x3/2board, 495x2/2 board
-Pinkey on rings triceps with 3 board 405x5, 455x5
-Took a upper body strap adn did standing rows on seated row machine 3x8
-Scare crow rear delts 3x8
-Standing curls 3x8

So Chauncey the Po-Po at my gym comes up to me last night and asks me how he cna put weight on. He is one of those dudes who can eat anything he wants and stay the same weight all the time. Lately, he is losing his weight though. I ask him how much he has been eating and he swears he eats all the time. I ask again because I have zero problems putting on weight and in fact it jumps on me like as tick in high grass. He then tells me he goe s7 or 8 hours without eating. I look at him with the normal, you got to be kidding me look. How can you say you eat all the time and then ride around for hours in the patrol car and not eat. They get free food, as long as they are in uniform, at Taco Bell, Chick-fila and other places. If it was me adn I were him I would only be patroling these two places my whole shift. I then tell him about the crazy eating I have been doing on this Dan Duchane program. Basically, you eat fat and ptotein all week. Zero carbs from any source not even salad or pb carbs.THen from Friday night to Sunday evening all you do is eat good carbs. I use this as a Spudize time and insert alot of cakes, cookies, reeces, ice cream, pizza-anything bad. If you do this right, then yo deplete all week and then insane carb load for 2 days adn fill back up producing quite a anabolic response.This is nothing new but my first go at tit. The first week I got down to 221lb and then by weekend's end I was 235lb. I went back down to 226lb by Friday the second week and then up to a stout 244lb this past Sunday. I am already back down to 235lb.This is the third week for me. So I look at Chauncey and say I had 2 bags of cake doughnut, half a pint of Ben adn Jerry's American COne, 2 boxes of the oreo's cakesters, a tray of of the mini doozies from foodlion, 2 small tins of their cake doughnuts, 1 large pizza, two bags of taco bell and 1 double stuff pb oreos this weekend. I ask him if he has ever done this before adn he replys a stunned, "NO" Spudyoda then looks back after a moment of thought and says, "Weight you will gain not then."

Never say you can't and yes I did get sick to my stomach all weekend but experiment I must,
Spud

Monday thru Friday Training

MOnday am-45 minutes Stepmill
Monday Pm
-Dumbell inclines worked up to 125sx10 and then back to 100sx15 or 16
-Rolling triceps Extensions 45sx10, 55sx10, 70sx10, 85x10, 100sx6 or 8 just for fun and to aggravtate Dale.
-Kroc rows worked up to 150sx15 a arm. That 's all I felt like doing.
-Hanging abs 5x8
Tueday am -40 mins stairmaster
Wed am-45 mins stairmaster
Wed Pm-Did not feel like doing much so Dale came up with bright idea to so concntric gms with the cambered bar. It was a good idea as the hips an legs are still cranky and did not want to move too far. Worked up to 405x4x2 sets.
-rev hyper 4x10
-Hack squat machine worked up to a couple of plates x8 reps
-Long ab strap pulldowns 5x20
-Thur am cardio -45 mins stepmill
Thur pm training
-Light bench with minis doubled up 5x5
-We did the bench bar pulldowns for 30 second holds with monster minis doubled. I hadn't done these in years either and was shaking like Old Dude does on a squat. 4x30 seconds
-We then did pushdowns with the same set up and addded a mini doubled up. 4 or 5 setsx 10 reps
-pec deck read delts 4 setsx10
-dumbell curls with 40sx4x10 reps
Friday am45 minutes Stepmill.


Boring, sorry

Wed am--45 mins stepmill
Wed PM-Got back late Wed night so didn't get rolling til after 7pm. Did some raw pulling. Worked up to 600x1x2 sets. Tried to do a double on each set but it was not there. Hook gripped 600 on the second set and was pleased with that. Went back down to 500x3 for the last set hook grip.No gear on this again.
-Hack squat machine. 5 sets.
-Ab work 8 sets-45 back raise with kb for 3 sets.
Thur am -40 mins stairmaster
Thur Pm
-Long ab strap pulldowns 4 sets
-Speed press 6x5 with chains
-Pull ups on blue bands. This was reallyhard. We strung 3 blues across a power rack on top of each other then did the pull ups off that. It was very hard on the forearm so we ran some handles through the bands and finished off the set. 5 sets x whatever we could get.
-Quarter dips 4 sets.
Fri am-45 mins stepmill
Sat no cardio,sort of
-Cambered bar box squats with briefs. Raw to 315x3 reps. Briefs 425x3,505x3,595x3,685x2,775x1,595x5x2 Good day.
-Rev hypers 6x10
Was not wanting to do anything else and got some guilts about the cardio so I drug the small chain around the building with a upperbody strap mixing it up forwards and backwards. It was alittle harder then I thought and took 20 mins. Enough for the day.

I had not had a real pizza in months so we decided to go to one of the best pizza joints in town called Labrascas. It has been around for decades. I have lived in Columbia for almost 2o years and never been there. Just never got there for some reason. Anyhow,it is very old and has not been remodeled ever. It has old paneling on the walls and the carpet leaks pizza grease with each step. The bathroom is has lots of great writings on the wall from some of the greatest poets in history-long black dong, for a good time call, such and such is a queaar-you get the picture. You get your drinks in styrofoam cup. I am sure they are made of cfcs. The plates are the same. The draft beer does come a cold mug and it is good. Our waitress comes to get our drinks and I think she has been there for decades as well. She has the old coke bottle glasses with a newly done perm harido. She is nice and does a good job. I get a 18 inch and the old lady gets a small veggy pizza light onthe cheese because she is on the diet now. She has done well and is down 14lbs. It is a high carb day for her. She is alittle pissy and tense and I realize that I was 20 times worse when I was dieting. The pizza comes and it is fantastic. I can't believe I have been here for 20 years and not been here. I get half way through the pizza and think I should stop and save it for later. I tell the Wifey this and she says go for it. The waitress chimes in and says she thinks I can finish it no problem. Why not? I knock it out with no problems. Even at 300lb, It would have been hard to do and I would have waddled out in pain ready to lay on the couch and groan. Instead, it was quite easy and I had to stop at Piggly Wiggly and get cookies and chocolate. I eat that too and finally reach capacity.

Today was a good day,
Spud

Saturday Thur Tuesday Am

Saturday-45 minutes Stepmill, No training as I had to work the store again.

Sunday-Heavy sled drag to make up some for the Saturday lost training. 4 1/3 mile trips with 4 plates-2 forwards, 1 backward, 1 mixed lap

Monday Am-Stairmaster 45 minutes

Monday Pm
-Heavy chain raw off three board. 225x3x4 chain,5 chain, 6 chain, 7 chain , 8 chain, 9 chain. -Off the chest `135 with 7chainx6, 185 with 7 chainx5 reps.
-Single arm KB snatches press.62sx6per arm 72sx5 or 6 per arm, 88lbx3or 4on left and 5 or 6 on right. 106sx5 snatches per arm. I could only get one press with the 106s on the left but the right was fine and I got all of the reps. Still some issues with the nerve damage. Doesn't seem to affect the bench, but on overhead and other pressing movements, it lagging some but still getting stronger.
-Tricep band pushdown mixed with band side twists 3x15 per exercise
-Took the tricep rope and put it through the blue band and did some standing ab pulldowns stretching and overextending at the top. 4x10

-Tuesday Am-45 minutes stepmill.



Almost in lifting shape now!
Spud

Sunday Thur Fiday and getting to the Church on time

Sunday-45 mins Stepmill. I have gone back to taking the Dirty(It's a local NO product with amped up caffiene then I throw another 200mg shot of caffiene on top of that) to get my cardio done. It helps out alot in the early am.
Monday AM-45 mins StepmillMonday PM UpperI am still working the store all day and then coming back to the gym at night so my focus is down but my strength contiunes to go up. My volume is minimul.-Incline dumbell worked up to 120sx15-4 board tricep worked up to 455x5-Ab Work 6 sets-Band Ext again for 5 setx15 reps-Bradford press I thinks 4 sets-Fat bar lat pulldowns. Me and Dalen had a contest here. My lat machine has a 300lb stack and it used to be no problem getting the whole thing down plus some. Now, at 225lb I don't have enough weight to get it down. Dalen pulls the whole stack down for 8 after I do 270 for 6 or 8 with some trouble. I have to at least try the 300lb. After Mac does some pullups on the bar since he can't pull it down either, I get in there. Dale asks if I want any help and I say I think I got it. I dangle for a minute flopping my legs back and forth then somehow get them under the pad and pull it down. I get 4 or 5 decent then the slinging to 8 begins. I get the 8 slopphy, then let go of my legs and get catpulted up and almost off the machine. THe edge goes to Dale with cleaner reps. -Tues-Am cardio Stepmill for 45mins all dirtied up. I try to read my book but I can't focus with the caffiene and arginine makeing me ADD.-Wed Am cardio-Same stuff. Worked the store all day to get writing done. Not much there as I lost the file with all my work from the weekend on it. I still try for 2 hours to find it and in between customers who stay for long periods of time-Wed PM Training -Not much enthuasim but Me and Dale do some reverse band pulls. We set it up so we have 200 of at the bottom and 75lb to 100lb off at the top. I hook grip all the way just for fun and I am too lazy to turn my hand around. We work up to 805lb on the bar, raw and sumo. He gets two with a regular grip. My hands are holding good today so I go for a single with a hook grip. It comes up good and I hold this for a few seconds. I have never been able to hold onto more then 550lb. I am baffled. Dale gets straps and cleans it up some and gets two more. I try to strap up and go conventional. NO GO. It won't even move!I come back and try it sumo. it will not budge again. Dale goes down a plate and gets 1 with the hook and then it pops out on the second. I decided to try it again sumo with that weight. I get three reps and call it there. Edge Spud-Reverse hyper 3 sets-Spud Inc. Hanging Abs Straps 3 sets x8 reps supersetted with Fat Bar obliques
Thur am -45 mins Stair masterThur PM Training-Fat Bar with chains. 5 setsx5. Worked up to 175 bar weight and 4 or 5 chains a sied-Fat bar tricep pushdowns 3 setsx20 reps-Hammer curls. worked up to 85sx 6 reps-Standing Tricep rope pulldowns 2 x50 reps -Bradford press again. Worked up to 125x 12 reps(6 per side)
Had to do my first of 6 meetings with the Priest before we can get married. The Wifey has been singing there for 10 plus years and we have been together for 8 almost 9 now. I have never been to the the Church. I have always had this thing about organized religions and avoided any churchs. Never really grew up going to church either, just for my friends weddings most of the time. Of course, setting out it is a dreary rainy day. The Church is richy rich and very beautiful. I walk up to the doors and tell her I feel the ground rumbling underneath me. She yells,"Stop That." I giggle. Old me would have been bitching and complaining about the whole thing especially the walking and breathing part. But I am good with it all and for this thing, it's whatever she wants.
The Priest is her favorite and a very nice man. Been all over the world and very understanding of everyone which is the way it is suppose to be. I am dressed in the usual gym attire-gym shorts, henley top and tenney's on. The veins are hanging out of my arms and legs still. He is wearing his garb and nice jacket. Talk about two different worlds colliding.
He starts out asking why we are getting married. My only response is, " I figured 8 years was long enough and she's earned it" All I get is this look like I was the Devil and he was ready to exorcise the demons from me. I am kidding of course about the earned it part. I told her later that there was no way I could have done it at 300lb unless I could sit down and get married. Then there was the whole tux thing and fat sweating and heavy breathing.
We then move on to other questions you are suppose to know about your spouse to be like middle names, birthdays, parents full names. I got two out three on that one. The quesiton I miss is the first one on middle names. For some reason the letter J was floating around in my head. I had that part right but I whispered I don't know and she says real loud, "JOHNSON". I heard the Jeapordy music playing as he asked the question then that BEEP..BEEP..BEEP when you get it wrong. I redeem myself later when asked what was the one trait about me when it comes to her. I say without hesitation, " I accept her for who she is without question" I win points back like a bonus round. That is it for the day until he mentions the weekend couple thing we hve to do before the marriage. I deflate again but only a Friday night and Satueday morning thing and we don't have togo anywhere.

I will wear and tank top and banana hammock next time,
Marc

Training Wed Thru Sat

-Wed pm-
Alittle pulling raw all sumo. worked up to 405x5x3 sets. then dale did 500x3 double overhand. i felt like trying it so i jumped in a did 500x3 with a hook grip
-rev hyper 3x10-one legged back raises 2x10 per side
-did some long straps pulldowns.
- felt like doing something else but nothing in the gym appealed at all. suddenly, i got this bright idea to pull the small chain outside. it weighs about 300 or so. i pulled it down to the end of the building and back or about 110 yards in 3 or4 sets each way. not bad and it curbed my conditioning bug for the night.
thur am
-45 mins stepmil
thur pm training
-dumbell flats worked up to 100sx12-15 x 3 sets,
-close grip pushups off pushup bars x10x5 sets. added a chain on my back each set
-green band kneeling pulldowns supersetted with standing pulldowns from right then left. 4 sets of each for 10 reps or so
-hammer row 4 setsx10
-did some more banded work for shoulders
Fri am
-stepmill 45mins
sat ams
45 mins cardio-
am training
-cambered bar box squats with lots of chains.raw to 325x3 with 4 chain,added briefs for 415x3 with 6 chain per side,505x3 with 7 chain per sled, one drop set with 405x5 and 7 chain
-box jumps 4 or 5 sets of 5
-chain leg raises 4 sets x8 rep and worked up to 4 chains
-did some interesting ab wheel type work. dale had the idea to use the concept 2 rower as a ab wheel using the seat since it floats back and forth along a track about 3 or 4 feet long. he had his client go off his knees. i tried it this way but i decided i liked them on my toes so i ended up in a plank type position. this was tougher then i thought and got a ton of ab work. did 4 setsx8 reps.

-Sunday am
- 45 mins Stairmaster

Still trying to find a peacful middleground on the diet thing. So far, I have tried a few different approaches. With a suggestion from Joe Lyons at ABB, I got Dan Duchane's book Bodyopus. It is very much like Lyle MacDonald's book, The Subborn Fat Diet. I am fusing them with Dave Palumbo's Diet plan. They are very much the same with little differences here and there. I then add alittle Spud Magic to it(binging here and there to be precise) but it is working for me.


PS Check out the websites, Sue has done a ton of work and we have a new look on the Spud Inc and Nutrition Warehouse. nuthousesupplements.com


4 days of weights, that is a record lately,
Spud

Monday through Wed am

Monday -AM cardio 50 mins 25Stepmil/25 Stairmaster-PM training. I got in alitttle late to the gym so the team was already rolling and had lots of plates and the easyloader filled up with chain so I did some football/swiss bar floor presses first to warm up. Did sets of five to 315. Then I figured I was warm enough and jumped in on the bench with heavy chains. One plate with 6 or 7 chain then I came back did two plates with the same chain for 5 off the one board. Nothing special just getting back into it some. Still holding 225-230lbs depending on how many Muscle Sandwichs I gorge on that day. Sticking to the zero carb/high fat 3 days on with one carb/gorge day. Today was a planned clean 250-300g carb day and it started that way for two meals, then the Muscle Sandwichs and Chef Jay Cookies called me and I ate alot. Then I got mad and said the hell it and went over to Chick-Fila and had 2 fried sandwichs, fries and 2 pieces of cheesecake. Of course, my stomach hurt for a hour or two and the guilts chewed on me for a minute or two. Thickening up for sure. Starting to feel like training again.
-Other stuff.-band overhead ext 4 sets x15 with blue
-blue band face pulls 4x12
-blue band standing rows 5sets 10
-one arm green band front raises
-Back supported standing pulldowns 5x12.

Tues-45 mins 25stairmaster 20 bike

Wed-Am cardio 45 mins stairmaster

220lb or 242lb?
Spud

Saturday and Sunday

This Saturday was the first time in a long time I could just train some and hang out. No BB, PL, Spud Inc., SCB stuff, just training. It was nice. I had to slow myself down all morning and just enjoy the lifting. It was also a carb day so I was in a great mood all morning.
Did some:

-cambered bar chain squats. ended up with 3 plate and 6 chains or so each side x 5 reps using the new spud inc easy chain loader. I just made the demo model and it will hold 12 chain per side. The final version will hold 16 chain per side. Pretty cool. Now you can do chain work like band work plus they just slip right on, no fishing the chain through etc. should have them available in a couple of weeks.
-next we did rev band pulls with chains added as we went. we used chris clark's chain mate. works well. we started with365 and added 2 chains per side for 4 or 5 sets of 4(2 conventional and 2 sumo)
-rev hyper 4 sets-ab work-universal trainer 4 setsx10 per side-kb abs off stability ball. as i went back i extended the kb over my head and behind me like a pull over and then came back up.


Sunday-3 laps with the prowler and 70lb for cardio and leg work.back on the 3 day protein/high good fats all day.

Thanks for reading.
Spud

spudincstraps.com
southcarolinabarbell.com

Monday through Friday Work

Monday-just cardio of 45 mins on the stepmill. Bailed on training as I was not into it at all.
Tuesday-cardio 50 mins Stepmill and Stairmaster
Wed-am cardio 45 mins Stepmill/Bike-Was not going to train this day either but the guilts got me and I went back to the gym after working the store all day. Working on 3 e books at once along with other projects so I was beat mentally but forced out a small training session of :-Leg press 5 ro 6 sets total-ONe legged hack squat 3 or 4 sets-Band pull throughs 4 sets I think-Spud Inc lLong ab strap pulldowns 5 sets-rev hypers 3 sets I felt better after this and still slept good.
Thur am cardio 45 mins Stepper and BikeI had planned on some upper MOnday for Thursday since I missed but then I remembered sometihng very important was coming Thursday that would require all day long to do. Oh yeah, 13,000lbs of Spud Inc kettlebells arrived and were scheduled for delivery. At first, we wer going to hand unload the five crates they came in at the gym, then I remembered Mr Steck has a warehouse with a forklift(Thanks a bunch, I won't call you Cheapstecky for at least a week, but it was greatly appreciated). Turned out to be a lifesaver because all the pallets and crates were broken or torn up somehow and a forlift was the only way they were coming off. I brought my trailer and we would break one crate down and then throw another on the back of the trailer so it didn't rubthe ground. I was ver nervoud opening the crates as I did not know what to expect, what I ordered or scrap metal. I was very relieved to see exactly what I wanted.
The unloading took us 3 trips between unloading at the gym and taking the rest to storage. I have never done so many upright rows. So what I am saying is I got alot of training in anyhow. Me Dale and Stefan all had the same look of death after we were done. It reminded me of the BB show and how I felt-zombie insearch of brains.
Now, shameless promotion.
We have them from 4kg to 40kg and literally tons in stock. Elite will have them soon but you can check them out at spudincstraps.com or shoot me a email at spudslifting@aol.com of you are interested in being a distributor or retailer. Great product for any gym.
Friday-45 minutes/30 stairmaster/15 bike
I also had to get strict on the diet thing as well. I found a basic Palumbo diet that was very similiar to what I was doing the last three weeks for the BB show with Zero Carb and extra fat per meal. His diet includes more fat but about about the same protein. It's a six mealer thats looks like this:1/ 6 whole eggs omega 3s2/ 8 oz chicken, 1/2 cup raw almonds3/ 50g whey shake, 2 tablespoons natural pb(i found one with omega 3s that is not that great tasting so I don't eat the whole jar at one sitting)4/ 8oz salmon(i just eat chicken or deer meat) and 1 tablespoon of macademia nut oil. I just substitued the amega 3 nat PB5/ 50g wehy shake with 2 tablespoons of the PB6/ 6 whole eggs( i added a salad with this to fill me up)
This is Day 3 and not too bad.Everyone asks me the same thing, how do you do no carbs? I have a slight headache the fist day, then it goes away and my energy patterns go up actually. Very strange. This schedule keeps me from going nuts on the carbs. They are like crack rock right now and I can't stop from eating 2 or 3 thousand extra calories when I binge with real sugar(Palumbo says it's like heroine when you have depleted so long and then binge). If I do rice cakes and honey I can slow it down to a sleeve of cakes and honey. My moderation plan did not work. The goal right now is to do three of these zero carb days and then a 250g-300g clean carb day and then have a cheat meal once a week, repeat. We'll see how it goes. I want weight but added slower. I know this is crazy but it keeps me in check and some focus. I don't do well without some focus and direction. I have also found I do lots more work when I am dieting or making a good attempt.

Saturday, Sunday and THe SCB Powerlifting Team Results

I did not get a chance to train Thursday as I intended to do. I forgot I had scheduled a client to train so that was out. I did 25min stepmill and 25 ins stairmaster Friday mornind and that was it. Saturday most all the the SCB PL Team were in a meet in Rock Hill so I had to get up at 5am to get some cardio in and some what I call getting in shape training. The whole last month of the BB show work was rep stuff and low energy work at best. So I did aoubt and hour some change of:-Spud Inc Hangin abs(these are awesome by the way. Supercomfortable and zero flex or movement/swing making it all ab work) supered with ab wheel 4x8 each-Dumbell oblique work worked from 65s to 105sx8 per side.-Incline. Did several 8 rep sets up to 275 just to push blood and get my body used to it again.-Alteranting KB floor press working up to 62sx10 per arm, then double burnouts on each set-Push up bars for some tri work 4x12-Took a purple band and ranit through and med ball with handles, then hooked it to a weight stack and did stanind rows. You have to do these slow and very controlled or the momentum of the weight stack will make it bounce to much. 5 sets x 10 reps. Each set too about 2 minutes.-100lb fat bar curls super with seated row curls to forehead(be careful on these, you will hit your self on the head the first time you do them) 3 rounds of 8 per set,
By now, it was time to get ready for the meet. I took my shower at the gym and waited for Leah and Chanusey to come get me. We know the meet director well and she wanted to lift so she sends me a text that sheis going to do the meet and they have to leave early.NO big deal. Barry and Karl are going alittle later so I call both of them while I wait. Time goes by. I got stuff to do anyhow, so I dos that. More time goes by. Now, Barry is notorious for being late to everything so I don't worry about it. Finally about 9am I call him. Oh we left early around 8am! What! You are never earlyI tell him. I was counting on a ride so I could get reaquatinted with the Capt after the benches and not have to drive home. Thi is not how I wanted my Saturday to go.
Rock Hill is only a hour and some change away so I jump in the truck and roll on up. I grab a pack of gum, my food, a nasty energyshot by NOBS nutrition(250mg of caff, b6/b12) to keep me up. It is terrible tasting and doe not go with my 8 pieces of gum that I chew at one time but its a good bump. I get up there right after 10am. The meet is slow and does not start for another hour so all is well.
We have 13 people in it and that makes up 2/3 of the meet. Usually there are 30 or 40 people in this meet, but SCB is well reprsesented today. Lots of work for me but Dale, the Angry Troll, Chauncey and Barney Rubbleand the now early and ontime Barry and Karl are there so it's is notso bad handling them all.
The day rolls on and everyone hits PRs on all or at least some events.PR totals, PR squats, benches, even PR deads! Nobody bombs out. I hae never been to a meet with some many team members all hitting great numbers. I am so proud and happy for the entire team! It was just a fun day for all and of course we took all the trophies home!Fantastic job guys!
The meet director bought pizza for everyone and it drove me insane all day watching everyone eat and eat and eat. Dalebert made up for me by eating a entire pizza by himself. I hated him at the moment but it was well deserved and someone has to carry the Fat SPud tradition on. Besides he PRed on his bench by 30 0r 40lbs. I got some Diet Coke and Capt MOrgan about 230pm I think. It was not as good as I anticipated but I pushed it down like the Champ I am. I tried hard but it was a weak effort and I could only drink a quarter of it so by 5, my faint buzz had gone and I did not want anymore anyhow. The drive home was filled with pit stops at the rest areas and thoughts of food and denying myself. I finally decided that it was not worth it and I wanted to enjoy myself I was going to. Like everything obessive complusive in my actions,it would run its course soon so I stopped at the store and got a few goodies to eat after my salad. The salad is still the one thing I really enjoy for supper. I ate alittle here and there and was quite happy about the team doing well, the cookies and the 10 hour of sleep I got Saturday night. This would be my mantra if someone asked me what was best in life like Conan. Spud, what is best in life.
-THe whole powerlifting team PRing in one day-A bag of cookies-10 hours of sleep
GOOD SPUD!
Sunday I got up early and did 7 laps of sled and some lowerbody work that consisted of:-Standing ab pull downs with the ropes supersetted with one arm cable obliques 4 rounds of 8 per set.-one arm snatches 5 per arm. started with 44lb and worked up to 72lbs.-Super setted double cleans with front squatsStarted with 36lb and worked up to 62lb. 5 reps per clean and 8 per front squat.-Did overhead barbell squat off a box for 5 sets of 8 reps.
The cardio was not over as I had to go home and cut the 6 foot graas that had grown over the past 3weeks. A extra hour of work never hurts and the reese cups made it all better.

The parting of the fat seas of bloat and some training

The seas of water fat have begun to part. I have dropped back down to 225 as of this morning. Still holding onto 15lb or so. I continue to do morning cardio with 25/stepmill, 25 stairmaster. I will do this 5 or 6 days a week until the full bloat has gone.Then I will drop it to 2 or 3 sessions a week and get back outside with the sleds.
Food wise, I am still doing high days but peeling them down as I go. From around a 1000g MOnday(if you count the last of the Moose Tracks)to probally 600 or 700 today and on down as the week goes. I will probablly run a few more next week to settle things down. I had to push the water back up to 3 gallons which is not hard but eing in the bathroom nonstop is rough. I have to yell at clients from the bathroom since I live there now. Started brewing my green tea with lemons again. I drink a gallon of this with some lemons in it. It breaks up tehe regular water.
Yesterday, I trained with the Angry Troll some as all teh other guys are resting for a meet in Rock Hill this weekend. Nothing hard or strenuous, just blood flow stuff and BSin with the Troll as he ragged on everyone. -conventional and sumo pulls 5x3reps with 315,-Hammer Strength Leg press(H squat, we calls it Legasaurus) 4setsx8 reps-Outtie machine 4 sets of 15 reps-Spud Inc Long Ab Strap pulldowns 6x12-Leg ext 4 setsx12 reps-Rev hypers 4 sets.
I will do some upper today since I will be coaching and helping all day Saturday at the meet. Karl and Mike are bringing the Capt Morgan. Some drinking will commence after the bench or sooner according to Karl. I havn't had a drink since early May and the Masters Nationals. One or two drink(SPud drinks are always half and half) should do me in quick.
On another note, the Spud Inc. kettlebells with be in mid September. Elite will carry them as well. Any inquiries,preordering or distribution questions, please email elite or me at spudslifting@aol.com.

Post week bloat

I recieved lots of warning about post meet bloat and being careful about my eating and water intake. Did I heed them? Not really.
I already mentioned being up to 220lb quickly but tuesday of last week. I continued to fight with the carb devils all week. I sort of ate good some of the days then would plow through twinkies, cookies and more oreos and lots of bars at the store. The same ones I had been avoiding for months with no problem suddenly jumped in my hands and fell out of the wrappers and into my mouth.
By Thursday, I was 230. We went to Asheville for a weekend off from the grind. We both deserved it. It was her birthday weekend and I had a big surprise other then chocolate cake. My bloat sored even higher as I ate proabablly 6-7k in calories per day with 2000 being pure sugar. When I fall off, it is bad. This was the worst ever. I continued with the cardio in the am foe 30 minutes and bumped my water to 2 gallons. This was good but I also bumped up the sugar as well. On thursday, when I ordered the cake for her birthday, they had lots of goodies including Knosh cakes(i think that is right) anyhw, they are pudding cakes with chocolate icing. I got two of them knowing I did not need them. I scarfed them down before I was out of the parking lot. I then went home a finished off some cookies and doughnuts.
We had a great dinner in Asheville topped off eith 2 big slices of cake after I proposed to her. She accepted before I could get it all out. Meanwhile, my stomach bloat continued to grow. I grew alarmed but coul not stop the carb madness. I had got a dozen Dunkin doughnuts chocolate hole and 6 misc doughnuts. When we got home, I ladi aorund in stomach pain as she talked about wedding plans. We went to bed around 10 or 11 and by 2 I was up eating the doughnut holes and two or three doughnuts. My stomach ached again but I still wanted more to eat. I passed out finally and slept great. Upon waking we went to breakfast and wouldn't you knwo it,they had mini cake doughnuts there too. Two plate later and a waffle gone I am in pain again.
We visit the Biltmore Mansion in Asheville. Its 175,000 sq feet of nothing but excess and gluttony built in the 1890s by th Vanderbilts. There are 250 rooms and we went through all of them. We take a picture there and I look drunk or high.
After that we stroll thorugh the Viilage shops and stuff our faces with Mexican and cake when we get abck to the room.
Sunday would be the same except I manage 45 mins of cardio on the stepper at th e hotel. I manage slow it down by limitign the number of meals but continue to gorge at each meal-cookies, peanut clusters, cashew clusters. Dinner is oreo doubel stuff cookies and Moose Tracks ice cream. I
Monday, i regain control and eat good all day. I whine to Dave and Shelby about my bloat. Dave's has me beat-he went from 233 to 286 in ten days. I manage only to get to 240, so only 35 lbs of bloat from the show. My ankles are the same size as my calves and my hands won't close like the old days at 300lb. I look like a fat Hulk. Both tell me it will subside after 10-15 days. Tuesday I wake up and sure enough it 's come down some. I do 50 minutes of cardio and start my diet back up. Eating clean already makes my stomach feel better and all systems begin to operate smoothly.
Damn fine week with the Sugar Devils though. I will train some Wed. It will feel good.

Final Thoughts

I have had alot of mixed feelings about the whole experience. Mostly, they are positive but the ScizoSpud sometimes comes out thinking about all I did and is still not happy. The main thing was the completion of my goals which ended up being more then just physical.

I started out with simple goals of 235lb and being ripped. The closer I got the less of possibility that became. Then, when I emailed Shelby and he gives me,"You don't know how much work 10% Bf will be and how much more 6-7% will be.” I think he threw in impossible, I can't remember at this moment. I had already decided to do it before that conversation he said I would not be able to do it but that just sealed the deal. No way I can leave it now especially from someone who had not known where I had been or what I was capable of. In my head, the doubts mounted from all the crazy Spuds talking all the time. We all get this in our lives and that is part of the problem with self esteem, believin’ in yourself, etc. There is always someone to shoot you down and tell you how impossible something is but mostly you are your own worst enemy. I guess he had seen it before so many times he just assumed. I stopped assuming along time ago. I remain upbeat whenever someone tells me what they want to do and do my best now to help them achieve their goals. I know they will fall from time to time and may quit altogether but it will not be from me shooting down their dreams(no matter what the dream is). And you never know who will rise to the occasion. This is one of biggest thrills in life. Right now, there is a guy who just joined my gym but he has been coming to my supplement store for months now. He started well over 400lb and is now around 275lb.He came in that Friday morning and saw me posing and the shape I was in. I didn't know if that triggered it or not but after the show I came back and saw him outside pulling the sled in the middle of the SC 100 degree weather. There was a look in his eye that was different and determined. I smiled inside already knowing the outcome of his suceess. He later came in and I yelled eye of the tiger across the gym I know it's corny but it was great for the moment. This is the guy who will finish or fall out doing so. I smile again knowing what has clicked in his head. Choice is the one of the greatest attributes of being human. Sometimes , we make bad ones and pay but here is always the opposite that opens any door you wish to walk through. You have to try all the doors to find it and that is what scares people the most.

Success is in actions taken. This is one of the most important things I learned from my experience. From the beginning the blinders went up and I plowed on. The first few months were easy but the weight loss was slow. I asked questions constantly of everyone, not just Shelby. He always pointed me in the right direction and the dreaded cardio that I eventually would embrace and hammer harder then I ever did in PL. Day by day, step by step I moved on. If you don't think about the future then the moment is not so hard. The mind will not allow this most of the time and we are constantly moving ahead or moving back to the past. Neither are possible in this moment. The battle waged on with this for me.

As the months wore on and the pace escalated, I found the action I had taken moved me to action in all aspects of my businesses. I bought a supplement store at the beginning of the diet with Shelby. I now had pulled myself out of my normal routine of training clients, going home to nap, coming back to train clients, and training myself. The wrench I had thrown in there was a huge one as the business I had bought needed alot of TLC and work.. work.. work. Gone was the going home and napping or if you want to look at it another way, my choice of inaction for years. I submerged myself in the store working most of the store hours myself and learning the supplement business. This would propel me in many other directions. I made contacts, I followed up, I moved other various direction with Spud Inc equipment and even my own line of kettlebells. This was one of the scarest ones because of the money and dealing with people in China I did not know. My desire to succeed and the drive from the weight loss battle pushed me to numerous places I was afraid to go to before. This would be the fear of failure and the opposite of the coin-the fear of success. In powerlifting, I talked about it a lot crippling other lifters. Well, it goes into any aspect of your life. I had overcome it in my lifting and coaching, but not in my business life, love life, spiritual life-all of it really. No matter the consequence, you have to take action to get the things in life you want. You will fall, but you will also get up and try again in another direction and eventually you will succeed.. This is one thing I want to get across to you the most.

Meantime, my leg healed nicely and I faced the reality of cardio to take the weight loss to the next level and the honing of the food intake. I began with 10-15 minutes of cardio daily on the bike. I endured the taunts of my team mates and the whole gym. Over the years, I had bashed cardio so much, that me being up there was the cat's meow for everyone. I went numb to it quickly as the fury, anger and anxiety mounted. My goal after I realized I would not 6%BF by my birthday would be set for the end of August no matter what. I had been building my cardio as I went and was up to 30/30 mins am pm 5 or 6 days a week. This changed to 45/30, then 60/30most of the time. the final one was 60/30 on med carb days and 60/50 on low days with one dayoff per week. I hated this but pushed on. I would shortly boost it to 60/50 everyday from May to August with some 3 hour total days thrown in.

It was during this phase that I had to set competition goals on my cardio to get ti done and keep me motivated. This was another great thing I learned. I had always set goals for each meet in PL but never for cardio. It was also at this time, my training would be second to my cardio and diet. Another concept I had to learn. Goals must be set all along the way. Systems must be in place to ensure goals are met. Oh, you have to actually check periodically that you are meeting your goals and if not your approach has to change.

I began to set goals on the stepmill and stairmaster. At first, I had comps with other members who were sick enough to hang with me on the stepmill. My first goals were increasing the levels and getting to 20 which is essentially running up the stepmill at full speed. I managed to get it to 20 one time until I almost fell off and had to jump off the sides. I still fought to get up there and would eventually get the 20 for about 20 seconds but my main focus shifted to time up there. First it was 45 mins, then 60 and finally it was 90mins, towards the end of it all I got 1 hour 50mins one day. This came and went fast so I moved back and forth with the stairmaster and some bike. This also went fast so I started sledding outside and challenging myself. The first one was with the Prowler for 5laps and 5 laps with the regular sled. Then it was 10 laps with the regular sled. Then it was 10 laps with the Prowler. This was totally insane and not necessary but I had to do it. It took a couple of hours. I was very proud until I decided to do 20 laps with the regular sled. This was the most insame thing I did the entire time as far as challenges are concerned. It took 2 hour 45 mins. Longer then I thought it would by 45 mins. More goals met which meant more had to be set-4 rounds comprising of 1 regualr belt pull, 1 prowler push, and 1 upperbody pull.

This was good and all but I was also not sleeping but about 2 or3 hours a night no matter what time I went to bed or how many sleeping pills/xanax I took I would lay down and pass out form exhaustion for 2 or 3 hours and then be wide awake at 130,230am. All I could do was be neurotic about the cardio and getting it down so I would jump up and haul ass to the gym to complete my cardio. This would also take it's toll on the Wife.

This is another thing I learned. You can not reach your goals without support from your friends and loved ones. They are the ones who believe in you the most. She endured alot of temper tantrums, anxiety and just plain asshole from me. I can not say enough about her. That is soft I know but it is what it is. My troops at the gym also took some beatings. They should there right beside me no matter what I did or said. I would not have succeeded without all their help and you have to recognize that. There are only so many sorrys you can dish out before you burn all your bridges. Luckily, they were all rebuilt even stronger because of the process. Thanks to all the people and the Wife for dealing with me on this Vision Quest only without the Peyote to get me high.

Details…details…details ..prep. work. I did more prep work on a daily basis then I have ever done in my entire life. Food prep, clothing prep, supplement prep.. These are all extras you are not told about along the way. You just have to do them. Two or three times a week you have to cook all your potatoes, meat , etc for daily requirements. Without this prep work, I would not have succeeded. There is no way to diet without food prep. It’s a lot of work. Cooking , packing knowing what day you are-low, med, high. Making sure you get your water in. Next, since you are doing two a days on cardio, there is no gong home to shower. You have to shower at the gym which means packing your clothes the night before-towel, clothes, razor-all of it. More detail and time set aside for prep work. I think you kind of understand the idea. Anything worth doing or having requires a lot of detail and prep work. Making it efficient is hard to do but after awhile it did get easier. This would transfers to a lot of my life. I would release the strangle hold on somethings in my businesses and allow them to be as they were. People will do their jobs if you allow them to and I increased my time and detail work on others that really mattered. I had to really. I had put them off so long or hid from them I had no choice but I also relished the opportunities as they started coming from taking action. The drive of this diet and all that went with it drove me in all directions.

The learning process. This is also one of the paramount things that I enjoyed. I have learned a lot more then I ever expected to. Not only from a nutrition standpoint but overall. The drive to finish and succeed pushed me in even more business directions. I began reading tons of marketing books, nutrition books, motivational books and spiritual books.. All of which I would not have done in the past. Reading these, require focus and action. It used to be all I would read would be training books. These applied to training of course and made me understand training much better but expanding into other areas increased my training knowledge even further then just the manuals. I know more about nutrition now which only enhances my training cycles and performance factors. I think marketing and business books have made me understand detail so much more that I want to increase my training knowledge through other outlets that before I would not have tried or pursed. I plan on doing a couple of meet next year, but I want focus on learning a new route that I have hot tried yet to get there. It will be a great process and I have already started spinning the thread for that story. There are many paths. We will see where it leads me.


So what is my final verdict. I have been asked numerous times would I do it again knowing the outcome. Being in a speedo on stage was not the goal but it was part of the process, as was several coats of protan, comp tan and Pam cooking oil to make the muscle pop out in the light, the two days of dying of thirst literally, and carb loading all day with no water and rice cakes, pb and sweet potatoes enduring 2 hours of cardio daily for months on end, no real meals for 10 months, the 30lb bloat one week out from the show, the anxiety of sleep deprivation, the constant and irritating child in my head yammering nonstop and whining about everything and throwing temper tantrums just to name a few-the answer is yes, I would do it all again. I lost a 109lbs total, dropped all my medications, my allergies all but dried up, my back stopped cramping, I can walk more then 10 feet without having to sit down., my quad and shoulder are 100% and that is related to the weight loss. My frame of mind about doing things is totally changed. As a matter of fact, my whole life is better. I guess a way to describe it would be like Dante’s Inferno. If you have read this, then you understand. If you have not, it’s something you should do. It’s a hard read but the gist is going through all the rings of purgatory, then hell itself to find his way into heaven. Along the way he endures all tortures of hell both mental and physical. He is tested continuously and there are points where you think he will break but he does not. In the end, it is just him battling himself and his own demons. This is sort of how I would describe my experience. Everything I did to myself and everything I learned was about myself. Find the journey that transforms you.

Saturday Show, the End Part 2

Lunch time and leaving is great. I am still half there, half not there but the worst is over except the wait till the night show. I report progress to Coach and get the green light for a double cheeseburger adn fries and 6oz of Coke. This is all I really want ans am not hungry at all at this point. But you have to keep shovelong it in.
The end of the prejudging takes a weight off me some and I realx momentarily as we walk to the truck. By the time I get to the truck, some of crap comes back but i breathe deep and realize it is not that important but day dream about the Coke.
We go to Ruby Tuesdays because it is right across from the hotel and they have good hamburgers. I walk in and all stop to stare but just like the tater adjustments in my drawers all morning, I don not give a damn. We sit down adn get drinks and she gets them on her side. I get a splash of water but hold off on the Coke since it is the most important thing in the world right now but stare at it like it's love at first sight and the Coke is the hottest thing I ahve ever seen.
I get my palin double cheese burger adn force it down with some fries. I have never had to force a burger adn fries down before but my stomach and mouth do not want it. I get 3/4 of it down and chug my coke plus a extra guzzle before i throw it back across the table. i get a palin burger to go for later before I head back to the show.
She drops me off nd head off for a party with her family in Edisto which is a small beach a hour away. Dalen Waylen come down for the night show adn to keep me company. We watch Olympic volleyball for as long as it is on. All we can say is how great the asses are on these chicks. I try to nod in adn out with my cpap and eye mask on but it is a no go. I am just wide awake but wanting to sleep for about 10 days straight.
I shovel more sweet potatoe in with a muscle sandwich to "keep me full adn hard" around 230 or 3pm. Then the long long wait continues on and on. Sue iss running late getting back but I call Tre and he says no big deal since I won't be going on till 930 or 10pm anyhow. Sue gets there at 515 adn we do some comp tan touch up. I have a few spots but my color is good and I am caring less and less.
We get there around630 and a another 60z of Coke. Damn that was good. Then the eternal wait is on. I BS for awhile in the auditorium with a gu from Georgia who is also right next to us at the hotel. Weird how that works sometimes. He was a very nice guy and was also shoicked it was my first show. The wait goes on..
I take my stuff back to the sauna room we are in. Bunch of dudes hanging out like a PL meet only staved, tired, thirsty and half dead. I find a spot in the back. They have a couch back there but it is turned away from everyone to discourage protan smears everywhere. I forgot to mentions the floors all around the room, hallway and pump up room all have tarps on them to prevnet slippage and excess protan from getting on everything. It is basically like a oil spill the whole show between the Pan cooking spray adn protan. I feel endagered everytime I get up which is often as time goes by like summer school or outside working with your dad all weekend when all your friends are playing wiffle ball.
I plant myself down and begin the long wait. I engage on some small chit chat because that is all you can do. I talk with tehguy who go on to win the show andtell him this is my first show. He can't belive it either and was amazed at my conditioning. I tell him two hours plus adayof cardio for 4 months will do that. I don't think he did 12 weeks worth but if you are already in shape it's alot easier then starting at 35% BF. We both go blank and i stare at the Coke machine in the back because I have no choice sitting onthe sofa. Delicious Coke...
All the chicks, bantams,teens, Masters 35 and over, Junior go first. Why didn't I pick the 35 and over catagory. Same reason I always go open in a PL meet I guess. Lay it all on the table and see where you end up. It is a long two hours and I get up every fifteen minutes and walk around. Dwon by the stage at the botttom is the exit to the back. The A/C unit is rigth there and the breeze is awesome plus it is very dark. Perfect lounging place. Almost cavelike. I come and go for teh next two hours. I hide two chairs down there-one to sit in and one to prop your legs up on. I was told over adn over to keep the legs up and rested. No problem on this one.
Finally, I see the last of the 25 catagories of fitness, figure, one piece, two piece go by adnd i begin prep for the finalle. It's back to the Pam cooking spray and oil guy. He was really nice about it all but it was still strange to me. I am glistened as much as possible and go to the pump room and do my little routine. It's mostly just practicing the mandatories because I have no routine but it's still fine as it is almost done. I go back and forth to the abck stage and the pump room and dude room in my bananna hammock. Lots of adjustments and tucking , retucking I am ready enough and get called out for the night show. I pick Diesel Power by the Prodigy which was also picked by a few other people. But that does not matte either. I bopt my head to beat and come out, stopping a t various points on stage adn hitting some poses. Nothing special but the crowd enjoys it and I get lots of appaluse for my effort. 60 seconds goes by fast this time and I am done.
Momentarily, we all come out for the light heavies(light heavy at 194, that still makes me laugh) We line up accordingly and sure enough I get 2nd place. I throw my arms up adn enjoy the moment. It is a great feeling just knowing what I have done and and hung in there for 10 months, low carb, no carb, hig carb,med carbs, not many cheat days. good days, bad days, two hour cardio, three hour cardio. It matters not the placing but that is gravy. The moment when it all comes together is one fo the greatest feelings you can ever have. I made a choice and finished the job. That is the most satisfiying thing about it all.
I get back stage and immediatley call for the water but as I am dialing I look up and Dale is handing me a quart of water. I guzzle it immediatley adnd refill in the back. I have been warned numerous times not to drink or eat to much so I only drink 2 quarts and several diet cokes. This way I will not bloat too much. the body will absord everything especially if you have been depriving it for a very long time. I did not want to bet that bloated Jerry Lewis face like I had been taking too mcuh Prednozone.
Unfortunately for me, it was about 1030 wehn we walkes out and all the pizza joint were closed except for Pizza Hut. No choice now. I get a large cheese pizaa and stop at the convienence store to get more Diet coke and a bag of Sweet 16 powdered doughnuts. It was the only ting I wanted, just plain ole sugar and more sugar. My stomach is full already from the water and Diet drinks. I only get down 3 pieces of pizza and half thebag of doughnuts. But they were good...
I am wide awake and everyone else is dead. dale cuts out adn Sue goes to bed. i stay up for about 2 hours and try to hit the bed. I wake up at 3 am and finish off the doughnuts. I am starving but go back to bed remembering th warning. At 6am, i can't sleed again and goe the Pig for more cake doughnuts and diet cokes. I munch onthis knowing that breakfast will be around 800 or 830 and letting the tired Wifey sleep is more important. The doughnuts from the Pig are evn better then the Sweet sixteen ones from just a few hours ago. This would go on all day after we ate a nice room service breakfast of omelets and toast with jelly. Shortly there after , my stomach hurt all day but everytime it subsided, I would devour more cakes till it hurt again.
By this time, I felt like I had been drinking for 3 days straight and had the most massive hangover of my life. This would go on for two days before it let up. I bloated quickly on MOnday to 210, with mostly water and 220 by Tues. I deciced to clean up my food again throughout the day and do some cardio on tues(only 20 min), Wed i upped it to 25mins. I will have to eat clean during the day and cheat some at night till I level off with the water. Apparently, the severe water depletion screws with the hormones that regulate salt and water control adn this maybe a week or two before I adjust and drop off again. Great for me.
Hope you enjoyed my quest. Final thoughts tommorrow.

Saturday Show Part 1

Alot of the same stuff rolls on into Saturday morning. I have breakfast scheduled to hit the door at 7am. Lots od pancakes, sausage links and honey for the pancakes. But that is 7 hours away. after teh 1145 feeding, I lay back down for a two hour nap and war dreams. Nothing but fighting and struggling. Wake up in a panic abot 130 and of course check to see if I flat or not.
Sure enough, I see flat in the mirror. Now this is really insane to stare and pull on skin and check and recheck. After my surmizing of flatness, I gobble teh sweeet potatoes down, rice cake with pb and additional muscle sandwich not on the menu, I am somewhat satisfied. I lay down again and promply pass out until 330 am and repeat the paranoia and eat all plus two muscle sandwichs. I am full but wash it down with a splash of water. 5am rolls around, I rererecheck it all and only take in the recommended dose of rice cakes, pb and sweet potatoes.
I manage to stay in bed this time till the knock on the door at 7am. The pancakes are huge and there are six of them. I eat 4 and save teh rest for the prejudging. I could not have finished them as the lack of wter made it hard to get them down. The sausage links were awesome though.
Off to the show. The promoter has a mandatory meeting at 830 so we get no time to lay down and besides, anxious Spud can't wait and thinks time will speed up somehow just because he wishes it. Pissed off Spud get verypissed off at the other Spuds and cusses him out and anyone inteh way. We stop at the Piggly Wigglyfor something for the show and Thirsty Spud talks the otehr Spuds's into a some Coke. The usual 6 ozs. This is one moment all the Spuds enjoy adn for those few seconds of 3-4 small guzzles, all is okay. As soon as it's over i am told to pour the rest out. I stare at the bottle for a few seconds and imagine finishing it off. I do not and pour it out adn stare like it's a million dollars I just gave away.
We get there at 815 or so and wait for over a hour for teh mandatory 830am meeting. Ths part resembles powerlifting. during the wait I hammer the other pancakes with pb ans sweet potatoes. At 930am we get the meeting like 1 minutes. Nobody wants to hear any of this. We just want to get on with the thing.
The prejudging is swapped around with the back of pack(the light heavies, heavies,etc going first. At the night show, it is the reverse so suck ass for all the Spud's. But getting through the prejudgin is all i want right now. the prejudging in most cases is where the standings are called by the judges for teh show.The night show is all fluff.
Following this is oil up and pump time. This is where some guys sprays Pam cooking oil on you to glisten you up. He wears gloves and we exchange pleasantries as he sprays me, then pats the oil to even out the sheen. This is the smelling like a biscuit part I talked about yesterday. This is also a serious test of your manhood getting oiled up and 'patted" down by a unfamilier dude. It goes well and I head off to the pump up room as it is called. It should be, don't bust your ass or drop a weight on your toe room. It like being on a frozen pond or at the roller rink for the first time. I do as mcuh as I can stand, lots of band curls, front raises, tricep ushdowns and a few other things adn that is all I have the energy for. Oh, and right before I got two reece cups. Something I had not had in months. They were goooood. This would be my final fill up against flatness before the prejudgeing.
We get out there around 1030 or so. I have never done this before so of course I am first up. They have lines on the outside where yo are suppose to go until they call you till the middle. I go to the middle and then Tre runs me over to the side where I am suppose to be. We all line up with our imaginary lat syndrome(even though we reallydo have lats), we stand puffed up ready to pretend strike whoever comes at us even though now of us have the energy to fight off Grandma whuppin on us. We do are then called for the quater turn. It is always to the right and all during practice I looked in the mirror and truned left each time. I could only hope I could remember right quarter turn means to the right.
We roll through that. I have alot more supporters there then I thought. I hear blow out, chest up, tight abs, hamstrings from all over the audience. That part makes you feel good. There was a ton on support for everyone. Then it comparasions. This is where the calls are made. I get called out twice. What this means is your postion onthe stage, center(1st), right(2nd) left 3rd is the usual call when this happens. I had no clue and just stepped in the middle and then got the look from the eventual overall winner that I was in the wrong place. He was good about it though adn I kindly stepped over some. After some more poses, I started shaking as I had wore myself out quickly squeezinf my quads too hard and them shaking my I was havin a seizsure. Luckily, they called it as I flet my legs giving out.
Next up, my 60 seconds of making it up on the fly. Essentially, I just moved from one part of the stage to the other hittig the mandatory poses all over again. Lots of support and advice from the audience and that was greatly appreciated. The end comes and all I want to do is get out. Pat one is over. I catch a rumor floating that I am second. At this time, all i could tihnk about was laying down. The Wifey says I did great but she is the Wifey and they say that if you have shit running down your leg. But that is the general concensus from everone I talk with. Nice but al lI want is a end to this.
Part 2 and the finale tomm.

Friday Hell

Woke up feeling tighter then the day before. I was defintely tighter but also flatter, which is not flattering at all. In BB terms the full was not full. with little fluid rolling in the skin empties out. From 3am or so I had started eating every 1.5 hours, two or three sweet potatoe pieces, two rice cakes with natural pb. I would learn to hate all of this for the next two days. In the am, it was sort of neat to watch all this happening. This would end shortly there after.
After alittle more mandatory posing work, I was given the go ahead with nothing more that could be done from the posing coaches. The next step was my first two coats of Protan. At first, I thought this would be the worst of it all but it was jsut weird. We(Kevin and I) went out back with me in my drawers. This by itself is odd and you have to feel strong adn confident about your manness to do this. So I am out back with Kevin in my boxers getting painted. the spray is cold and stinks. There are no showers after this, just Protan adn smelling liek biscuits for for two days. i will get to the biscuit part later. Now as if it wasn't bad enough being in my drawers out back behind the gym, all the members have to come out and watch this strange fetish deviant behavior going on. I am long past it already and don't care about anyting except the finish line so anything goes at this point. Watch on they did and commented on it-subarban housewives, gym dudes-the train wreck is on. Getting painted is a long process and take about a hour for teh two coats.Essentially, it is like staining a deck. You sprat on then use a brush to speard it around. Kevin taps out and that is it for the primer coats. The rest adn their is alot more then Protan is left up to the Wifey.
My energy was already down and I was hating it. I thought to myself if I were not doing this show, this morning is exactly what I wanted to look like since the inception of the diet. Abs all out, vascularity beyond what I wanted, skin thin and pulled back as far as this lifelong fat could could pull back. Now, the water would be gone mostly and not knowing it at the time, it would be the one thing I would want over any dessert, hamburger, fries ice cream or anything in the whole wide world.
The real suffering begins. Not the two-three hours of cardio, not the zero carb days for 5 days straight, not the no cheat meals for the last 2 months,wearing a bananna hammcock in front of hundreds of people -none of this would compare to Friday and Saturday> These two days were the most intense anxiety ridden, raging temper, no sleep days I have ever expierenced-ever. every second on these two days were only thoughts of eating,drinking and stopping the torture. Of course, your intensity and anxiety raise everyone's around you as well. You don not have any friends these two days and everyone wants to kill you as your temper tantrums get worse and worse. Every bad thought comes out as soon as you think it. there is no governer on your mouth. The ugliness in you comes out and everyone has their own no matter what you say.It is a test of how much someone cares about you that they should not have to go through but you just can not stop it. Even the Xanax stopped working. This is the only way to describe it. It also makes you realize how easy we have it here. Go without water, carbs, food for a couple of days and you will see what I am talking about. We got it made here.
I go home about 9am to finish up and lay down for a hour or two. I have to wait on the Wifey to get done at the gym and we are suppose to leave about 1230p or 1pm. This already pissed me off as we have to meet the promoter of the show who is going to help us. She calls about 11 saying the relief is stuck somewhere regitering for school. I go nuts but there is nothing that can be done. I lay in the chair sweating with the ceiling fan on, a oscillating fan on me and the a/c down to 60 something trying to nap stewing over this. No reason, stuff out of my control but anger wide open. I did not nap even though I am tried from eating 2 or 3 times in the night before adn about 2 hours of sleep. The rice cakes adn penut butter start to irritate adn scrap my mouth and I am coughing up some nice yellow allergy lougies.
She gets home about 115-130 adn we get going about 2pm with me bitching the whle time about leaving late and not getting there on time. She is mad too at the at watching people who did not want to come by and meet all the cats. It's one of her things, whoever checks on them has to meet all them and get a head count. We have 8 so trying to get 8 cats in a house at one time is not a easy job. She offers to drive and that is a good thingexcept there is a moonsoon going on all the way to Charleston adn she hates driving my truck. So basically a hour and half of Granny driving and me hollering at her about her sloew driving whach only makes her more pissed and nervous so she drive even slower. I shovel rice cakes, natural peanut butter and sweet potatoes in along with a muscle sandwich or two because I am freaking out about going flat. Yes, going flat. Constantly checking my stomach and body. This might be worse then any food addiction.
We get to Tres house and it's still raining. I start freakin out about my paint job and having to do it all over again so I run into his house gym. The next torture is putting my bananna hammock on. This is the strangest feeling. Super tight underwear like a bikini. I got a X large but they are too small. Too late now, I would spend my time in these panties tucking and retucking the taters and making sure the burlap was not hanging out. Adjustments were frequent and many throughout the weekend. There is no modesty even in the midst of several fitness adn figure girls. You just don't care. Getting back to Tres gym. We go through some of the poses again and he ehlps relax me except when he grabs both sides of my panties and hauls them up wedging me on both angles to give me that x shape as he called it-just palin old camel toe and butt floss if you ask me. I still don't really care about anything at this point. These things register but never take hold in anxiety or nervousness like they would under noraml conditions. After a half hour, we hanging out BS-in while I am in my drawer-kinis. I get the green light on everything and some great praise for the 109lb I have dropped adn where I have take it. This is nice but all I want is a glass of water. No water for me.
We take off to check into the hotel. It's a 20-30 minute haul in the moonsoon that is still going on. We get there and she has to cross the road to get there but will not go. There is enough room to driv two semis through this hole but she will not go until the light changes. This light, of course, is the longest lasting light in Charleston. Yep, I am pissed and scream for her to turn. This only makes it worse. Finally, the light changes for 2 seconds adnd we puch through. I offer to go into checkin with her but she makes me wait in the car. I shovel a extra muscel sandwich down because my schizoness says I am geting flat.
Weigh in is my next dilema and I want to get there before anyone else because i get Steak and fries for supper and that's all I can think about. For a brief second,I think I am over 205 adn would be considered a superheavy(yes Superheavy,not my idea of superheavy) I weigh in at 194lb. I have not seen this in 10plus years and this its me alittle but fades quick thinking about the steak and fries. We can't get to Outback fast enough. My thoughts then turn to cole and water. I get 6oz of coke at dinner and nowater. The Wifey orders the drinks adn has them put on her side because she knows I will down them if they are on my side. She talks about this and that-olypics, weather. All I can do is stare at the coke adn water on her side and think to myself.Please don't talk. The steak and fries come and go. I ate them without taking my eyes off teh coke and water. I try to save them for the end but I take a drink and chug 2 or 3oz of my 6oz total right away. I take a splash of water her and there. Barely enough to wet the lips. They are both better the steak adn fries put together.
We eat and head back to the room. I have to check in adn report progess. Did you drink any water is the first thing said. I say a couple of swallows. I did lie about the coke, I probablly drank 8-10oz in my frantic chugs. We get settled in the room adn start the next round of painting, only the butt has to get covered(kevin refused to do this) this time. We get 2 coats on and have to take a break. After some chair sweating, two more coates. She is wearing latex gloves because this shit stains your skin and I am puttin on more on top of that. Once it drys some, you have to put the sealer on it which is called competition tan. It is black like oil adn you have to use the gloves again to put it on. Arund 7 or so, we are all done. I get to sit down for a moment then it is eating time again. The day before, I cooked 20 or 25 sweet potatoes all cut up in 25g slices in 10 or 15 baggies. By this time they ar mushing some as cinnimon adn sweet low drip off them onto my hands blacking them even more. Thoughts race in and out about my insanity doing this ridiculous shit, but they go away as fast as they come. you don't even have time to argue with yourself or reason. I guess if you were watching it on tv it would be one of zombie movies "Dawn of the Dead or Day of the Dead, Resident Evil" or any of these movies where the zombie is eating brains or flesh. This was basically me at this point hammering the sweet potatoes and rice cakes and looking up occasionally to growl or grimace. Although I had to slow down on the rice cakes or choke.
By this time, it's 8pm and I am dead tired and try to fall asleep while staring at the 1.5 liter Smart water by the TV. I put my eye mask on and try to put the water out of my head. The Wife is watching the Olympics(She loves the Olympics and it doe not matter what sport is on). This annoys me for some unknown reason or knowing she just drank a whole Coke while I was laying there. I lay there in slience for a hour or two and finally nod off and have the most violent adn strange dreams I can remember. 1141pm, I am wide awake and hungry but not wanting eat. I get up and go to the bathroom and for some insane reason, I turn the light on to see if I am flat or not. I think I am flat so I have all the usual and a muscle sandwich to fill my muscles back up. This would go on and on throughout the night but that is Saturday, Day 2 of my own personal hell.

Morphing Again

The body is a strange thing. On Monday, I was totallly freaking out and thinking i would look like total shit. After wed and some carbs, my body morphed closer to what I wanted and I was relieved. On thursday, the carbs go way up and I get cut to one gallon of water from 3 on Mon and Tues. In the morning, I practice poses and take pics. Everything tightened up even more then Wed.
I come back in the evening to work on some more madantory pose, the skin has drawn up more with the water reduction and the muscle is beginning to push out as it fills up with carbs. I looked even tigter and more vascular then in the morning. Now, I know this is super gay but the changes in such a short period of time and what the body can do when pushed to different extremes is amazing to me.
After after about a hour and 15-20 minutes of posing, I suddenly feel totally exhausted and worn out. This is much harder then I thought it would be and my brain shuts down and I just can't focus anymore on it. We call it for the day.
Tomm am(friday), we will do another of mandatory work and get my first couple of coats of protan. This is part I really dont care for but it has to happen. I get 3-4 more coats in the pm when i get to the hotel and somemore mandatory posing work with the Tre Bennett(Show promoter). I should have the basics down anyway. Then it is steak, fries and cake time(not a whole cake yet, just enough to aggravate me but better then none. THen it's back to the carbs and pb all day Sat. The water is the only thing that will suck. After 12pm tomm, no more water, just food.
More then you guys wanted to know, but I wanted to share my misery and body shop work. I think every car needs a new paint job.

Finishing Up

Well, today was my last two hour cardio session unless otherwise directed to do more. I started working on my mandatory poses for the meet. Man, that is hard work trying to hold those positions. will work on it again tomm and friday and should be done. Did a little pump up session again just to push blood into the muscles. Nothing there really, body is dead on e right now.
Today, I get carbs back and I feel like a different person. Can't figure out if I know it's the end and then on to pizza and oreos for two days or just the carbs making me feel better after 3 days of zero carbs. Maybe it 's the end of two and three hour cardio.
My bloateness has reduced further and with the srop in water over the next couple of days should lean me down some or at least look that way. Then the carbs will fill me back out. Weird how this works but I get carbs and lots of them so I ain't complaining.
According to Shelby, I will morph a couple more times before the show. We are taking pics as we go and will post them at the end.

Dallas Supershow, bloated pig, and more cardio

Well, off to the show I went on Thurs. Hecktic trying to get out of town and make sure all the bill were paid and the house was left in some order. Scott picked me up at the airport around 6 or so and we went to Sean's house(Bad Attitude Gym Owner). He was nice enough to let me stay at his house. Thanks Sean, I apprecaite all the hospitality. YOu are a great host.
We stayed up BSin for alittle while after s a nice salad(yes, I stuck to my program all weekend, no drinking, no fatty fun stuff) Hit the sack around 11 or so I think. 5am was the first shake time. I basically ate shakes all day long on Friday and Saturday to stay in line. Went back to bed for a hour ot two. Nobody gets up early in Sean's house so I enjoyed some TV and another two shakes before he finally got up. We left the burds and head to the gym which is in a indoor sports arena. Great set up with lot of equipment. I helped Scotty Scott with his Bash shirt and did some pump up stuff inbetween his sets. We were suppose to be set up at teh show at noon but it never works out with guys, lifting and moving equipment. Sean loaned out some equipment for the show. You know what happens when equipment is being moved, guys scatter and haul ass. So I jumped in and helped out. We finally got to the show adn got everything set just in time for the 530-830 preshow. More shakes and a salad and bed time around 1am. We had to be back at the show by 730am-830pm so we were up at(or I wa) at 530. We of couse had to reset the booth up but no biggie. Right on time for the people.
This was a great show all around. Got to see some big benchs and great lifting and met a ton great poeple.. Meanwhile this was a high carb day adn the only way to do this was rice cakes and waxize maize. After 3 or 4 meals of this, the roof of your mouth is tore up but at the time they were great becasue I had not had any real carbs in days. I don't really count the shakes as they were low carb adn onlyh piss you off. I thought this was a great idea but later it was not.
We finish the show early with a great turnout at out booth. People in and out all day long. WE celebrate(Scott and I) by going to Bone Daddy's This puts any Hooters adn most stirpclubs to shame. It basically a BBQ joint with alot of hot chicks running around just about naked. Not a bad one in the house. Of course I ge salad with alot of japeno peppers. Felt that one all the next day by the way.
Another 3 hour nap and that was about it. I had to get my cardio n since I did none Friday or Sat. So at 630 am I am off to 24hour fitness. I can't believe how people are in this joint on a Sunday at 630am. I get my two hours in on the Stepmill with noo one bothering me. I listen to one of the trainers making shit up about training to some suburb housewife. I am feeling good so I ignore the two who needed a room as it looked from my vantage. I then joined the masses downstairs for abs and pump up stuff for about 30 minutes. It's all I can take.
We get to the Airport and I almost miss my plane as they have overbooked it but they get me in and off to houston we go. This was fine but Houston to Cola is not so well. We all load up and are ready to go when they inform up there is a mecahnically difficulity. We are off loaded like cattle and put in the pen for holding. They get it fixed about 30 minutes later and we are off.
Got home with a million things to do and prep for the next day when I look down and my belly has expanded greatly. i am pissed with a week out from the show. WTF happened? Well, all the shakes and rice cakes and numerous diet cokes were all loaded with sodium and bloated like a stuffed pig.I am freaking out because I don't want to go on stge with everyting looking great but the most important part, my abs. I am stunned at what my body has done. Zero and very low carb, follwed by rice cakes and waxize maize have done the opposite of what i want. I feel like I have regressed 6 weeks.
So I am up ass early for two hour cardio on MOonday am, one hour in teh evening, lunge around the building(about 500-600 reps) and then a ab pump adn arm pump up. That is about fours hours of work. Stomach, slightly better but suck ass. i have the Old Lady get me a sauna suit for the next few days work.
Tues, I wake up at the usual 230am and off to the gym wrapped in my sauna suit adn still on zero carbs adn I mean zero, just talapia fish and salad with shitty home made honey mustard(mustard, water adn sweet adn low) for a first two our session. Broke out the sled for the first hour fifteen. About lap 5 or 6, I notice the pants have blown out completly and now i have on vinyl chaps. Good thing I put shorts on beforehand. After the sled, I lay in the floor for 5 miuntes and literally pass out for 5 minutes. i Get up adn finish the time on the bike barely peddaling for 35 more miuntes. I get done, my eyes were crossing and trying to shut. i get some fish adn green tea down. It takes some time but I kinda come back to life. I am gald my clients understand as i had to lay on the floor on a MMA mat and just direct from th floor as my eyes try to shut adn cross up.
I get done with them adn then suit up again, at leat the top part. The chaps aren't my style adn hit the starmaster for a eternity long 35 minutes then all I had left was 25 on the bike and was good till about 15 minutes in when m eyes crossed. Fight through it I do and get done. More fish and cleint training or self training today.
My bloatedness wnt down considerably so that eased my pain but i also just deciced it really doesn't matter if I go in bloated or not. Just go in and do what you can. There is always next time if I decide to do so which is not likely after 10 plus months of dieting adn cardio for 500 people. Will start the other stuff sone.I picked out some music that will work. Now, I just have to practice some. Can't wait for that, already get the best posing routines from my crew. They are trully enjoying the moment.