half human/half machine - downloading training data...

[Android]

Awesome progress bro, although I'm not surprised seeing how hard you've been pushing it the last week. I'm jealous your carbup is starting 2 days earlier than mine. Although it gives me time to steal some of your ideas for which carbs to use. I'm still undecided.

Nice to catch up today, my TP couldnt get over how wide your shoulders were lol. That was not an off the rack shirt obviously haha

Haha cheers mate good to catch up even though just a short time. Mate you're a tank yourself! I am totally depleted now today was zero carbs so not a good day to see me but that's cool :-) Will be full on Saturday when we go have pizza LOL.

Yeah I start tomorrow arvo carbing up will get in 2 cardio sessions before then and then there's no point in doing cardio anymore while trying to carb up.

Talked to nutro more about slin and it's only any good if you need carbs fast. It doesn't make you hold more in the muscle it just shuttles it in, all of the food, and fast. Interesting I thought it would fill me out so will take it with me but may not use unless I am still flat Friday night or Saturday morning and need to use it for the last few meals.

Will be consuming fats Friday night and Saturday morning. Fats support the blood vessels and with sugars produce a great pumped veiny look. Mark Dreyer at the NABBA Nats last weekend was eating pizza all day LOL and he was still shredded in the evening.

Friday night if I don't look dry enough will have half a diuretic (pharma-grade forget the name is a slight yellow tablet). Then half on Saturday morning if still not dry enough...otherwise I will not use if not needed as they pull water without caring from where (muscles).

I've been told to stay away from gluten this last 2 weeks (found in oats) as it smooths out the belly apparently. Also stay away from tinned fruit like peaches, and also nuts (not sure why).

So am preparing my carb-up meals tonight. I get 100g banana and 100g basmati rice and will mash it together and consume one of these every 2-2.5hrs. The rice will be easier to eat without water when mashed with bananas. Protein will be less but still just from chicken meat, plain. Not gonna boil it.

No more BCAAs and Glutamine from now on.

[Android]

Today was Chesst and Arms depletion.

Zero-carbs all day except from mixed veges. Have been drinking distilled water and bugger all. Coffee's today were all short blacks...a few of them.

This workout was crazy, dont remember much about the weights used, lost count or didn't really care how many I was doing after a while.

Felt dizzy during tricep pushdowns, and little sick during preacher curls. Someway in a set of 25 reps of curls I stopped at 15, then 5 seconds later reminded myself I hadn't finished the set. Totally not feeling it, can't look or smile at anyone, head down all the time. It's the water not the carbs, without much water we're all as weak as piss.

Did seated decline, seated incline, dumbbell inclines (17.5 and 15kg LOL) and pec deck for Chest. Reps for each exercise was still in the hundreds but much smaller sets as I got tired quicker.

Did tricep pushdowns in 2 variations for triceps. 100 rep set followed by 25 rep sets.

Did preacher curls and concentration curls for biceps. 25 rep sets for preacher and 20 rep sets for concentration curls (7kg dumbbells!)

Cardio I don't know how I got through an hour of it 110-120 BPM on the cross-trainer. Just a good TP to talk to helps and motivates you to keep going I guess. Am answerable to someone when in a weak state of mind, otherwise I might give up.

Nearly there :-) Looking forward to tomorrow arvo

[Android]

Cardio this morning.

Has been zero-carbs since Monday PM and today I get 1-1.5 litres distilled water. I don't know how I got through 1hr of cardio, from the beginning I was tired and lacked any energy.

Got home ok and had chicken for breakfast, was very dry and took a mouthful or two of water to get down. Drove to work and was more dangerous than driving stoned. Lethargic, tired, couldn't be bothered braking much, cloudy head etc...all in Auckland peak-hour traffic for 45mins.

Will skip the planned cardio at lunchtime, it wasn't prescribed to me it's just what my Nutro did for his show. Will also consider start to carb-up before lunch as I don't see the point in staying depleted without either cardio or training happening.

Will be 3 full days carb-up and that may be too long, but have never ever tried have only ever done a 1 day carb-up. I think pre-Nats is the best time to see what happens...that's what I am telling myself as I eye up one of my bananas and boxes of basmati rice and chicken :shock:

[nate225]

Solid hard mahi bro,

My teeth did grind re: backing the weights off, but whatever works for you, and I think you've found that combination of training & nutrition this time around.

Roll on carb up Andrew.

Catch you Friday arvo.

Nate

[HarryB]

Look forward to seeing the pics big man... it's been good watching the gradual progression and don't forget me when people talk about those triceps! It's all in those overhead cable extensions lol...

As to teeth grinding I don't even use weights back stage.. I might try not even training with weights from now on lol see if it works ha ha ha ha

[nate225]

As to teeth grinding I don't even use weights back stage.. I might try not even training with weights from now on lol see if it works ha ha ha ha

Do you need weights when you're just tanning others up?! :pfft: :grin: Maybe just in case there's some mirin fans huh?!

Agree tho backstage - light weights & bands FTW - my heavy weights comments were pre-comp training related.

[Android]

Solid hard mahi bro,

My teeth did grind re: backing the weights off, but whatever works for you, and I think you've found that combination of training & nutrition this time around.

Roll on carb up Andrew.

Catch you Friday arvo.

Nate

Just jokes, have been told to do heavy during carb-up since I haven't been recruiting those msucle fibres with volume training. Seems you have to do a bit of everything and not just one thing.

Friday's good, Rueben's lost 2kg in the last week and it's all just for you I think Nate :pfft:

Look forward to seeing the pics big man... it's been good watching the gradual progression and don't forget me when people talk about those triceps! It's all in those overhead cable extensions lol...

As to teeth grinding I don't even use weights back stage.. I might try not even training with weights from now on lol see if it works ha ha ha ha

LOL yeah well surprised me I didn't pick up on the stretch of the exercise which helps the way it sits when relaxed. It's a muscle that sits like the Hammy, behind the body so a stretched muscle is a bigger one, cheers

Excellent advice re: no training with weights...everyone should give that a go

[Android]

Ok Carb loading. WIll update this POST with food I eat so there aren't a hundred entries to read and I don't have to write this stuff down or remember it.

The carb-loading calculation is actually 8-12gms per kg bodyweight which is 800-1200gms. This is a total amount and not a daily one to fill the glycogen stores of a depleted body that has gone through 3 days of depletion and exercise.

Given that I am going to gym in the afternoons to push nutrients in I will aim for the 1200gms amount minimum and can back off Friday night with protein and fats instead if already full as planned earlier. Each day I will try and eat 3/4 of my allowance before the workout, then post-workout and 2nd post-workout the remaining 1/4 allowance....that's the plan

7am

200gms chicken (uncooked weight) = 40gms P

9:30am

100gms basmati rice (uncooked weight) = 30gms C

100gms banana (skinless weight) = 25gms C

200gms chicken (uncooked weight) = 40gms P

10:15am

Chocolate fruit cake slice (unknown) = 50gms C

Bowl of fresh mixed fruit (banana, pineapple, orange, apple, grape) = 30gms C

11:15am

Apple (small) = 15gms C

12pm

100gms basmati rice (uncooked weight) = 30gms C

100gms banana (skinless weight) = 25gms C

200gms chicken (uncooked weight) = 40gms P

**********************

200gms Carbs (halfway)

120gms Protein (halfway)

**********************

2pm lunch out

50gms rice (cooked in little oil) = 30gms C

150gms chicken steamed = 30gms P

250gms+ steamed veges

4:30pm Shoulders and Traps 3 sets of 12 and 6 exercises medium weight

e.g side raises were 16kg dumbbells

6pm

60gms basmati rice (uncooked weight) = 20gms C

100gms banana (skinless weight) = 25gms C

100gms chicken (uncooked weight) = 20gms P

Had drunk 800ml Distilled by this time. Was sipping mouthful and swilling it around during workout to save drinking lots.

7:30pm

Veges (cucumber, capsicum, broccoli)

Small Apple = 10gms C

250gms Peach slices = 32gms C

40gms Raspberry Jam = 25gms C

40gms Gluten-free rice flakes (cereal) = 30gms C

8:30pm

200gms chicken (uncooked weight) = 40gms P

**********************

370gms Carbs (30 to go)

210gms Protein

**********************

[Android]

Will continue with cardio despite prolly not for fat loss it means 3 things for me:

1. consistency I need for 2 more weeks to Nationals to lose more fat

2. Continue sweating out water

3. Allows me to eat more than 400gms carbs/day and not worry about spill-over

Have to watch sodium when eating foods like Jam, Peaches etc so picking ones that have like <5mg. Prefer Basmati Rice and Bananas of course but if I have to play catch-up then i have to sweeten things up a bit. Got some Fresh Dates which have same profile as Bananas low sodium high potassium.

[Android]

Good day today looking tighter again and I love the shape I have created (despite what the judges might think on the day LOL).

Cardio this morning was sweat-free I was so dry. Last Test Prop was yesterday, just 0.6ml Tren-A today and nothing else (except T3)

I had 4 meals prepared with Basmati rice, mixed veges, and chicken. Found the chicken too dry without water and basmati rice as well without warming it up in a microwave first. So I drank more water than I should today. Other foods though...I had salmon for breakfast after cardio, then seafood dish for lunch (salmon and tuna no salt I was told....yeah right), and with my dinner (chicken and veges) I had a bowl with gluten-free rice cereal, raspberry jam, and peach slices! yummy...and 2iu insulin.

Did a good Back, Shoulder and Arms workout this afternoon and then 30mins cardio at 130 BPM and sweating the excess water out. Also dropped a diuretic at lunchtime to be sure I am not punished on stage for the extra H2O. Wasn't heaps more...my allowance was 1.25 litres I did 1.8 litres!

300ml of that was a Phoenix Cola (has no sodium, 30gms sugar) and did this after 2iu insulin followed by 100gms Basmati Rice, chicken, veges, and an apple.

Then the workout. Was strong as f*ck again and loving it. Did dumbbell rows with 30kg, strict, steady, squeezing, and stopped at 15 reps, 4 sets each arm.

Then did pull-ups, lat pulldowns, seated rows (2 kinds), Tricep pushdowns, preacher curls, concentration curls.

Loved all of it today really picked things up and I drank 500ml water during workout which is why I sweated during cardio afterwards.

Will go do static posing tomorrow morning holding the compulsory poses, then some work with my soundtrack. Picked a common BB track that first lets me show my shape without hurry, then picks up where I can hit some popular poses for the crowd...that's the plan, am all fired up and ready to do this.

Tomorrow I have 500ml water and will basically suck ice rather than drink water if I have to. Measured my ice tray it takes 300ml water to fill so I can't do both. Not too fussed about water yet, if I am holding an extra litre I can run that off before the show easily. Running solves excess water and excess carbs (to a point). So does chewing gum and spitting which boxers do to make weight sometimes 2kg lighter, but I'm not ready to try that just yet...

[thatwaslight]

bro your quads look enormous!! what do they tape?

[Android]

bro your quads look enormous!! what do they tape?

Cheers dude, I'll measure after the comp I don't want to f*ck with my head about circumferences etc plus last I saw tape measure my little girl was running around the house with it....no respect! I just know the sweep is ok so prolly akes them look big, umm bulking up they were 28" but losing fat they'll be less is what I do know

Did posing in gym this morning farkkkk they look way better than that pic now. Bit wary that although they r the best I have ever had them looking...against another competitor or 2 they might look like shit lol....will see, cheers tho.

[HarryB]

It's all about the illusion at this stage big man!! I am looking forward to seeing how it all comes together some new mass and those full muscle bellies! Look out!!!!

[soundsgood]

Exactly bro!

Tape measures cant measure how good you will look, best not to touch them at this stage, what can you do about it now lol

You're looking absolutely awesome Android and you're gonna do some damage tomorrow night. Overalls will be epic!

The scary thing is you've got another couple of weeks to get even better for the Nats :shock:

Hope you're enjoying your carbs mate. I'm not up to much tonight so if you're cruising down to Hams and wanna catch up after registration give me a text.

Cheers!

[Bobsta]

All the best with your show tomorrow Android

[Android]

Cheers guys!

Was reading SGs posts and talk of wet and dry carbs. I joked to my Nutro he was fired wen he told me to stop eating wet carbs. I haven't sipped an ounce of water yet today becos of him. Told him I wud cook my chicken and rice as I needed it cos pre-cooked goes dry next day...he told me supposed to b dry...wanker

Was supposed to have pizza tonight start fats, he said what for? He said no...wanker

Said i can have sweet salty things tomorrow morning and prolly have McDs, not going to ask this time :-)

Time will tell, right now I'm chowing down on freshly cooked plain chicken and 3 servings of rice from a Chinese place, no salt, and tastes oh so good.

My current weigh-in weight is just bang on 99.8kg so next working to get up to 102kg and give those poor 90kg guys in my class a good run, let the big boys fight it out in their division.

[I Declare War]

Good luck Android!

[Android]

Last update I weighed in at just under 100kg as expected.

By this afternoon during posing practicep I can see the seratus muscle when I lift my leg off the ground. In good light my glutes have ripples which are the beginnings of striations. Happy with that for 2 weeks out from Nationals, but back to tomorrow's comp. Just realized this is my very first Open men's comp for NZIFBB. Won last time as a Novice and stopped there.

Drank zero water today, Nutro told me I can have 250ml water tonight so he's not a wanker anymore, good guy :-) said I'll lose that while I sleep.

Ive had some russian vodka, coke zero, and ice, had a ultra small small glass earlier, like 100ml total...yumm.

Just eaten chicken, rice, and asparagus for dinner and will take some cooked asparagus with me for the road trip back down. Asparagus is a water-loss food, somehow.

Haven't taken a diuretic will look later but unlikely, I don't think I need one and if I do I will take at 6am tomorrow, 5 hrs before the pre-judging.

That's all I think, changes to the plan logged and just gonna chill tonight.

[Phedder]

Really enjoyed reading your build up to this comp, Android. Great detail, and very interesting for someone like myself without much knowledge of the ins and outs of comp prep :nod: Hope you keep it up to nationals as well. Best of luck for tomorrow!

[Android]

Really enjoyed reading your build up to this comp, Android. Great detail, and very interesting for someone like myself without much knowledge of the ins and outs of comp prep :nod: Hope you keep it up to nationals as well. Best of luck for tomorrow!

cheers Phedder!

And yep sad but I'm up at 4:30am to look at my condition and if needed get an extra meal in. Condition looks nice and dry and not flat. When I look at some poses I could be drier or it could be I need to be leaner but that's just my dream goal. Bicep pose I want to see a crisp horizontal line cut across from armpit to elbow, that would tell me I'm lean and dry as f*ck and was my Nutro's goal when we started this journey...can't see that clearly. Sent him pics this morning anyway as he asked, but he's not up at this hour wtf!

Am eating carbs right now it's 100gms basmati rice (uncooked weight), some asparagus, and a 100gm banana (who the f*ck weighs bananas) to give me 65gms carbs. Prolly want 200gms carbs before 11am so 2 more meals like this to go.

Will eat Dates in the car and take more Basmati rice, asparagus, and bananas with me.

Loading up with BSN Nitrix got to take these a few hours before the show and build it up in the bloodstream for best effect (hard to swallow with minimum water).

No need for slin today, am not under-carbed and needing to force shit loads into my body. Bit wary of these ancilliaries anyway becos I don't have enough experience in contest preparation to know what it will do while I am trying my best to achieve a dry look on stage. Have read alot about it but you don't know who's behind the info online, what they really looked like on stage (they might have thought they looked awesome but they didn't...), and what else were they doing with diet, cardio, water manipulation, exercise etc).

From those that do use it I have learnt its a "use if you have to" thing, it won't make you better than you could be...e.g. use it if you wake up and are massively under-carbed and flat and showtime is 2-3hrs away.

[Android]

Shows done and dusted.

Won the 90-100kg class, Nathan ohearn won the overalls. Will wait for photos to see where I can improve, but for me it felt like it was conditioning mostly which I expected tbh, not dialled in just yet.

Although even though not lean enough I think my prep will change, I looked good early morning but by pre-judging was losing dryness...even though I was not drinking a thing. Started sweating during pump up which I didn't expect as on Wednesday I remember not sweating at all during cardio I was so dry. Gut feeling is that when I read Dorian Yates say don't sodium deplete too early, and my Nutro say do sodium deplete starting Tuesday, someone's not got it right. Body maybe does a reverse osmosis thing after too long on no sodium.

Also seeing Nathan OHearn eat fatty foods and coke zero between shows (fats and sodium) and come in fuller, looking drier, and my Nutro says stay away from fats andvsodium on contest day despite me doing that at my last successfulnshw, something aint right there either. Think I picked a great nutritionist for goal setting and should have stuck with my own gut feel for the contest preparation.

Will continue doing cardio next 2 weeks, but going back to bulking foods and bulking up for a rebound. If 5 days from Nats I look better I will prepare for it my way, if not then quite happy not to this year :-)

All the physique guys were in all the classes were in awesome shape, very few average joes at this show. Great novice group from local Hamilton gyms they should be proud of what they turned up like.

[Gym rat]

Congrats Android on winning your class at the show looking forward to seeing what you looked like on stage :clap: :clap:

[I Declare War]

Good stuff mate, that's great news!

[Matrix]

Good result mate!

One thing regarding nutritionalists is that it sometimes takes a couple of shows to get what works for each individual. Chris Aceto really emphasizes this in his blogs, the main thing is that they do figure out what works for you!

I read on here that Mark Dryer was eating PIZZA on the day of the show and he is in great condition and just seemed to get harder, so this does somewhat back up what Nathan was doing though although there are other factors that may affect this also.

I reckon picking the brains of some of your peers/other big guys at a high level with lots of experience may be the way to go to get some more insight on why this is done and what results they have had.

Best of luck for the Nationals! not long to go now!

[soundsgood]

Congratulations on winning your class and giving Nato a good run last night man. It looks like you have the right mass and symettry, you just need to dial in the conditioning a little bit more and you might take overalls at the Nats

Heres a cool pic that Matt from No Limitz photography took last night.

Your arms look insane!

Looking forward to seeing how you come in, in 2 weeks man!