Optimass

[DIANABOL]

9 days to go - carb depletion ups and downs.

Slowly building up water - now at approx 8L day. Sodium high and water weight is stable for now (109kg holding).

Cardio is tough going and would be a challenge were it now for the iPod. I'm looking harder each day now - came home last night and ate a whole chicken breast after 1hour step session - could visibly see my skin tighten over the course of 15 minutes after eating. (burning approx 1000cal each cardio session - so Im well in deficiet)

Calories still sitting around 2000 - 2400. 60-70%P 5-10%carbs - balance is fat. Fats consisting mainly fish oil caps and nuts.

Mind a bit blurry this morning during walk - in and out of focus but pulled off another 10km walk this morning and slightly quicker than a few days ago.

9 days to go .... just nine days ... I can do it :nod:

Great progress pics :shock:

Hang in there dude, youre almost there.

Look forward to seeing stage pics.

[Big john]

looked heaps sharper when i saw you on saturday bro, 9 days bro..the light at the end of the tunnel :twisted:

[Ninja]

Any updates opti?

[Optimass]

yeah - had a big day on Saturday assisting at the CAPO New Zealand event. Thought I'd put my name forward to bench only and was able to comfortably get 160kg out. Thought I'd bump my third up to 182.5kg - bit of a lottery as my strength is low having been carb depleted 4 days at that point.

Was gassed pretty much one hour after the bench comp - but hung in there to make the day complete and ref the CAPO flight. Weigh in the night before had me at 107.5kg - big contrast to a year ago @ 123kg from memory.

Have continued the sodium and water load - from 10 days out and there has been a lot of change. My skin is real loose around waist but its drying out. May not be where I had hoped but I'm really happy none the less. Some things you just cant fix with diet straight away so next years planning needs to ensure that I maintain low body fat for sometime to come to allow the skin to re-tighten.

Training this week till Wednesday consists of very light total body circuit - designed for mild pump only - cardio is maintained but limited to 1 hour as I have been experiencing a bit of cramp with the water loading flushing out the sodium pretty quick. Legs tonight after cardio were ripped and vascular - cant wait to see what they look like after carb loading a few days.

My chest and shoulders looking awesome - separation very deeply cut now - just some remaining water (vertical band centre each pec) which will be gone by Wednesday.

Have been toying with the idea of maintaining the sodium right through to show but changed mind as this is a bit of a practice run after 10 years so will just stick to a basic plan I have used before.

Took me about 20 minutes to recover after train and posing today at the gym. Water in good – looking forward to Wednesday afternoon first carbs go in. Will post up basic plan as we go – very much on feel at the moment.

Not long now – booth tan again tomorrow – base coat goes on Thursday – Friday is a day of rest aside from posing and stretching. Home straight ….. \:D/

[Android]

your attitude this close to comp is good and fair mate. not needing to qualify for a Nats with NABBA/WFF means you haven't had a chance to try out your conditioning strategy. You're realistic about it and hope it all comes together for you on the day mate, great attitude

Will be cheering you on :clap:

[Optimass]

Thanks bro - I have a habit of being the wild card lifter in pling .... now Im following suit in bbing :pfft:

today hard work but not different to yesterday - good pump session at home and posing is good now. I have veins through delts and traps now - inside lats and my legs look like a wises road map lol.

Shaved my back last night - amazing how much warmth I was getting from all that hair (I hate shaving my underarms ...... yuck feeling! .... everything else is fine though :grin: )

upped protein today - sodium v high. nearly flat line after each loaded meal. Carbing up starts tomorrow evening .... bit of an experiment .....

1 cup air popped - popcorn

1 cup parsnip -

1/2 cup kumara (3 meals) (mashed with Parsnip)

1/2 cup Pumpkin (3 meals) (Mashed with Parsnip)

180g boiled chicken breast 6-7 x day.

10L water tomorrow and next day ... going keep water in extra day with carbs.

Here we go ...

[Gym rat]

Good luck for Saturday Opti

[jimmybro1]

Good lucky mate, have shaped up well.

Might see you there

[steak]

[Optimass]

Seems like so long ago already lol. Thanks for the amazing ribute bro - what a great day that was - so happy with the finished result.

Time to plug back into the journal ...

Since the comp I have maintained low bodyfat and been working diligently on developing strength - especially in the core lifts with a view to set a compelling record in the up coming CAPO Deadlift on December 8th to be held at Coast Barbell.

As many probably are in planning mode for next year - this event will be my last comp of the year - I ready for a break which will start the next day (9th lol).

A few concrete plans I have will be to continue my support of NABBA-WFF and compete in a provincial qualifier and hopefully the National Champs again (as I did this year). I will definately be competing in at least one of the planned CAPO 3 lift comps here in NZ and hope to attend and potentially compete in a few powerlifting events in Australia in 2013 - including the Australasian push/pull in March.

I havent fixed on a weight grade as such. My current weigh in has me at 102.5kg today - I hope to lift in the sub 100kg class in a few weeks time - this will give me a good advantage against some of the old foes in the heavier classes providing I can pop 275kg+ ... (Currently pulling 260kg with reasonable ease).

My aim is to maintain sub 12% bodyfat for the next 12 to 24 months in rder to enable the excess skin around my stomach to correct. The main focus of my training over the last 12 months has been to drop into a healthier bodyfat range - now I'm there I need to round it all off. in total a 30kg drop in bodyweight.

Touch wood I have no injuries and the concerns experienced earlier in the year with my neck and elbows seem to be comfortably managed now. (little to no discomfort).

My nutrition has been much easier to maintain at a very clean but higher caloric level. My body is way more efficient at manageming carbs - so its nice to be able to indulge now without bulk ut too much.

Thanks again to all those that supported me through the last 12 months with encouragement and inspiration. I ahve missed the forum and look forward to catching up on what everyones been up to.

Awesome!

[Android]

102kg ... is that a spelling mistake?

Opti-cle illusion 8)

get it :pfft:

[Optimass]

hahaha... nope it's not a typo bro. I have a few projects on that require me to be a little more aesthetic lol ...

will catch up soon fill you in. :wink:

[soundsgood]

I find it hard to believe you've dropped another 8kg since the nationals. You must be looking sick mate! And still pulling 6 plates.... :shock:

[Optimass]

:nod: ... yup am looking a bit "crossfit" at th moment apparently :pfft: ... may hit 99kg for 8th December lift. Are you still coming to play bro ... add another trophy to the frequently expanding cabinet at home?

[red machine]

:nod: ... yup am looking a bit "crossfit" at th moment apparently :pfft: ... may hit 99kg for 8th December lift. Are you still coming to play bro ... add another trophy to the frequently expanding cabinet at home?

nz's 2nd strongest crossfitter

[Optimass]

nearly at optimal weight Red

Weigh in today .... 101.5kg.

Managed an un-belted PB of 260kg DL ..

Sub master - 90kg+ Australasian record is 270kg ..

Not far to go now till I get a rest. Has been a taxing few months with the bodybuilding and business commitments. Comes down to if I can drop the last 1.6kg by Friday next week ....

Mind good - body good - diet ok but will be sharp over the next 10 days.

If I can do it I should make the cut for the Push Pull in Melbourne next year. Haven't test bench for a while but I'm pretty sure I have a 165 - 175 in there somewhere at this body weight. Start training for it in January.

[Optimass]

Gonna be touch and go as to sub 100kg. Nutro has been very lean but have had a slight spike on the scale ... weighed in yesterday @ 103.5kg.

Have some good walks planned for today and tomorrow to help bring it back down. Start Creatine load today too so will be an interesting combination with drop in carbs until Friday.

No niggles of note - back feels good. Ready for the deadlift comp - target is over 270kg :nod:

Getting excited now.

[Ninja]

Good luck for saturday mate. Ill be lifting for the first time will be good to see how the big boys do it

[Optimass]

Awesome bro - It's gonna be a great day. Not sure I'd be classed a big boy now :grin: ... the words "freak crossfit-bodybuilder type" have been used recently to describe

[Ninja]

Haha im sure next to 88kg youll still look big at 99-100 (if you make sub 100 in time!)

[Optimass]

Update from Saturdays CAPO National Deadlift Comp.

First time competing in the 110kg class in deadlift.

Weighed in at 102.2kg open (sub Master @ 38 years old :grin: )

1st attempt 240kg WWW - was more just a look n feel lift.

2nd attempt 272.5kg WWW - 270kg+ was my target for the event

3rd attempt 285kg RRR - labored a bit early on and legs not stable enough to sit right back at the start of the lift.

So hit a PB for my new class - would have like to have dropped under 100kg for the event but my focus was a little off two weeks out - kind of felt like things were coming together but if Im honest I wasnt in the zone and cardio/nutro seemed to drag a bit. I didn't want to have to dehydrate to make the grade so went in as I had planned - carb loading.

I have benched in this grade too (160kg RAW) so would have me around 650+ raw. Some work to do to get it to 700kg total for next years Nats but is a good goal to have in maintaining my BW in the 110kg class.

....

Tentative plan for 2013:

March/April - CAPO Australasian Push/Pull (providing qualify)

Either: (dependent on needing to ref either)

April - CAPO BOP/Waikato Champs

June - CAPO Auckland Champs

.....

August - NABBA/WFF Pan Pacific Bodybuilding Champs

Sept - CAPO New Zealand Nationals

October - NABBA/WFF New Zealand National Bodybuilding Champs

Will make things a bit interesting given that weight not really important for the bodybuilding - but certainly an opportunity in powerlifting.

.....

Time now to rest up a bit for 2 weeks nutritionally - will be circuiting pretty much right through to january - with the occasional heavy compound thrown in.

Number one focus next year will be building up my squat - my pb raw is 240kg - I have done 260kg single ply equiped but my gut feeling is I want to remain RAW for all of next year. I bench strong in a shirt but it takes about 3 weeks for me to recover from it - pain in elbows delts etc mostly from the compression. Only my 2nd year competing in powerlifting so I'm still feel like I have so much to learn.

With the PANZER and RED MACHINE now floating around the same class the squat is going to be the opportunity for me. Age is not on my side either lol.

2013 Target RAW+ 700kg @ 100-109kg bw

Squat 240kg+

Bench 170kg+

Deadlift 290kg+

More to come ...

[Optimass]

way to go mate, I'll weightmyself tonight at the gym and pray I am 114kg just to keep up with you :clap:

You have the benefit of conditioning big man .... at the moment im the one doing the chasing.

I'm still doing the chasing lol!!!!! :evil: (que post from 2009 :pfft: )

[M.T]

Massive deads Opti great work :nod:

[Big john]

Awsome day for you on saturday bro, I never had any doubts you'd acheive your target and for a mean cause to bro :clap: :clap: :clap:

always a pleasure sharing the latform with ya bro 8) #team jack3d

[red machine]

solid year mate, ripped and strong = living the dream, its gunna be some fun times ahead!!