It’s hard to believe it has already been 7 weeks of dieting for this prep. Time sure is flying with weight drops, macronutrient changes, sample training day, my trip to the Yorton Cup, and reflective moments about my career.
Body Weight and Current Condition
At the end of my last update my weight was 195.5. After week 6 I was happy to FINALLY see some pretty good movement. My weight dropped from 195.5 to 194.4. I was very happy with that. This drop allows me to keep the plan the same for the following week.
In week 7 progress slowed a bit but there was still movement on the scale. The scale moved from 194.4 down to 193.9. This is a pretty good drop but it has prompted me to make some slight changes for the coming week in order to ensure I keep a good pace.
I am starting to see some visual progress. However, I am now in what I call the dreaded “in-between phase”. This is not a fun phase to be in mentally during prep. This is when your look is “in-between” where you normally would like it to be. This is where you are not quite as big as you are in the offseason and your shirts are not filled out anymore, but you are also not very lean yet. Most people, including myself, don’t really care to be in this in-between stage but it is something we all must push through. Haha!
Nutrition & Cardio
As I mentioned above, I just made a macronutrient change a few days ago at the end of week seven. Here are my new, current numbers.
- Protein - 275g
- Carbs - 295g
- Fat - 57g
I also have a high calorie day once every 7th day with these macros:
- Protein - 250g
- Carbs - 535g
- Fat - 70g
Not really any changes to my food this week. I did travel to the IFPA Yorton World finals this past weekend so my food choices weren’t the same for a few days. During this time I still hit my macros but I used foods that were easy to find on the road. This far out I am comfortable estimating some of the foods I eat when eating at a restaurant. For example, I ate a Longhorn Steakhouse twice over the weekend and had a steak, sweet potatoes, and a salad. I didn’t have the exact measurements of these foods but I was able to estimate them pretty closely.
Estimating is not something I suggest doing weekly but it can be done on rare occasions. Also, as the show gets closer this should be done less and less frequently and eventually needs to be cut out altogether to make sure everything is spot on in the final weeks.
The timing of my meals has changed a little since I had to cut my numbers. Once again, this timing can change if I need it to fit my schedule.
- Meal 1 (upon waking) - P- 55 C-35 F- 15
- Meal 2 (pre-training meal) - P- 55 C- 75 F- 12
- Meal 3 (post training shake) - P- 55 C- 45 F- 1
- Meal 4 (post training meal) - P- 55 C- 65 F- 9
- Meal 5 (before bed) - P- 55 C- 75 F- 20
Cardio
Still no cardio.
Training
A few weeks back I had changed my training program. For those that missed it here is my current split below:
- Monday - Upper Body (4-8 reps)
- Tuesday - Lower Body (4-10 reps)
- Wednesday - Upper Body (12-20 reps)
- Thursday - Off
- Friday - Lower Body (12-20 reps)
- Saturday - Upper Body (GVT day 10x10 for upper only)
- Sunday - Off
Here is a look at my exact training from this past Friday. This will give an idea of my current volume for my legs as well as my current level of strength:
- Squats - 15x225 12x295 12x315
- Deadlifts - 12x315 12x385 12x405
- DB Walking Lunges - 20 steps x90 lbs. each hand 20 steps x90 lbs. in each hand
- Leg Ext - 15x150 lbs (5 total sets)
- Leg Curl - 15x110 (2 sets) 12x110 11x120
- DB Romanian Deadlifts - 12x105 lbs. in each hand 12x105 lbs. in each hand
- Barbell Hip Thrust - 20x135 15x185 15x205
- Weighted Decline Sit Ups - 12x25 12x25 12x25 12x25
- Lying Leg Raise - 20 reps (3 total sets)
Supplementation
Still the same as in weeks 4 and 5.
Additional Updates and Thoughts
This past week I traveled to watch some of my clients compete in the IFPA Yorton World Championships. For those that don’t know, the Yorton Cup is one of the toughest natural bodybuilding shows in the world. It is extremely hard to even get to the show and once you are there the competition is so brutal that making top 5 is an incredible feat.
Those that follow me on social media will know that I typically like to place a lot of my attention on my clients, however since this is my prep log I figure it is time that I get a bit more personal about myself.
If you follow my Facebook will know that my client Kerri Bolen actually won the world title with my other client, Candice Scott, taking 2nd place to Kerri. Having the 1st and 2nd place female bodybuilders at the Yorton was sort of surreal. This is actually the 3rd world championship title that one of my clients have won. This has pretty much blown me away personally because I had never thought that I would one world champion, let alone three.
Having my clients do so well already had me reflecting a bit on when I began coaching and just how fast things have progressed. However, I had another moment this weekend that caused me to reflect on just how much my life has changed.
I was walking through the crowd at the Yorton when I hear a voice from behind me say “Cliff Wilson?”. I turned around and it was professional bodybuilder Kurt Weidner. For those that don’t know, Kurt “The Animal” Weidner is an absolutely incredible natural bodybuilder. He actually competed as a pro in the first show that I ever did in 2008. He was so massive that it almost scared me out of competing when I saw him. I am completely serious. For those that want to hear that story you can read it at this link:
Winning Mentality: Own Your Fear
Kurt approached me this weekend and told me that he had been following me for a while and that he loved my articles, and all the information I put out. This pretty much made me smile from ear to ear because I have been a fan of Kurt’s physique since that day I saw him at my very first show. I may be heavily involved in this sport but at the end of the day, I am very much a fan of it as well.
Then to top things off, Brian Whitacre, (the 2015 Yorton Champion this year) approached me backstage as well. He said hello and that he also liked the info I put out. Once again, this was FREAKING AWESOME! I had also been a fan of Brian’s for years. So just as with Kurt, the fact that these guys even know who I am was pretty damn cool.
In that car on the long drive home from the Yorton, my wife and I reflected about the day of my first show. We talked about how we remembered watching Kurt pump up to take the stage. We remembered how I first read an interview of Brian Whitacre’s back in the day in Natural Bodybuilding and Physique Magazine. I remember how much I have looked up to the guys at the top of the sport and now they actually follow along with what I am doing.
My point in sharing this is to hopefully help some of the younger competitors that may be reading this. At my first show in 2008 I wasn’t even sure if I belonged in this sport. I knew I loved it but I didn’t know if I belonged or if I was good enough to have any impact. Back then never would I have imagined that I would have such a large role in the sport that I love so much. If you are a younger competitor and you feel like your goals are too big to achieve, just remember that passion can take you a LONG way. It’s important to just work hard, take it one step at a time, and before you know it you may not even quite realize just how far you have traveled. I know that has been the case for me.
Thanks for listening to my ranting updated this week!
