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Merc_enary
04-22-13, 7:21 pm
It is often said that "You are your own worst enemy". Here on the forum countless articles continue to emphisize on this. And no other statement can be truer. I am creating this thread for it to serve as a log of all the things that will happen from this day forward. I will be participating on my first bodybuilding show late August 2013. Everything from daily food intake, training, mistakes that will occur along the way, to ,maybe, feelings and emotions that will come along. With all this being said... let's wage war...

DANO
04-22-13, 8:07 pm
It is often said that "You are your own worst enemy". Here on the forum countless articles continue to emphisize on this. And no other statement can be truer. I am creating this thread for it to serve as a log of all the things that will happen from this day forward. I will be participating on my first bodybuilding show late August 2013. Everything from daily food intake, training, mistakes that will occur along the way, to ,maybe, feelings and emotions that will come along. With all this being said... let's wage war...

Good Luck!

_subbed!

Merc_enary
04-23-13, 2:49 pm
First day of this journey. Can't say that much has changed physically. Diet basically stayed the same other than replacing starchy carbs with fibrous carbs at night. I've had a lot of thoughts running through my head. This is the one sport that every single desicion will/can impact the total/overall outcome. Being my first official competition I want to make sure that I do every single possible thing that I can in order to succeed how I want to. I know that from here on it will be a battle of thoughts/wills. This is not a sport/lifestyle for anyone. Simply put, it's not easy. If it was everyone would do this. Outsiders to this lifestyle will look with disgust or just stare you down like you don't belong. Others simply can't seem to understand why you would willingly go through the stages that you do. It is a very, very selfish, demanding, plain hard sport.

It was national chest day. Threw in some calves as well.

Concentrating more on movements rather than weight...Below are my max weight and total reps...
BP = 225 x 15
IPB = 205 x 15
DPB = 215 x 12
Pec-Deck = 150? x 15
Decline Fly's = 60 x 10
PullOvers = 85 x 15

Although the amounts of weight were not something out there the way the reps were being performed generated better pumps than when performed at a heavier weight sacrificing the form.

Until the next...

Peace.

-Merc.

Merc_enary
05-06-13, 12:05 pm
Been a while since I last updated this profile...

Had a few things, in a professional as well as personal fashion, go on...

Starting this journey I had an idea of the "what it's going to take" to achieve my goal, but as days come to an end, as early as it is on this journey, I've asked myself...

"Is your 100% good enough..."
"Are you doing everything you can..."

Reality starts to sink in and makes you realize that you can never be complacent. Always have to to keep pushing forward, to make every effort shadow the one prior...to overcome...

Trying to balance it out with loved ones and simple daily tasks have become a full on endeavor... Even having dinner out of the house has to be so carefully planned and thought out that in a sense it takes the "fun" out of it...Bringing your own meals to restaurants because you still have to "accommodate" to those you care for...Definitely not for humanly deemed sane...

Training...

Although at this point the diet has not drastically changed, I can already feel it... Certain lifts are not the same...either weight or rep range and although everything is being carefully thought out and planned I can feel these small changes collecting their toll...

One thing remains certain...Just like everyone else here we are not doing this for second place...

Merc_enary
05-09-13, 1:25 pm
Days keep going by, progress keeps trickling in and the realization that all the hard work, the compromises, the arguments with loved ones and other sacrificies are paying off. The extra set, the extra rep, the help, the advice, all the new gained knowledge that I've gained on this journey, although barely starting on it, it's making it worth than worth sacrificing the above mentioned.

Diet...

Here although meal consistency has been kept, the modifications made to the previous one has definitely shown. Starting to lean out, vascularity has somewhat starting to surface so progress is showing. I will have to say that this aspect is the hardest part of it all. No Sunday brunch with the girl, no night out with the boys, starting the day at 5:00AM, work until 4:30PM train from 6-8PM and then having to meal prep while dealing with school makes it challenging as I just can't stop on the way home and get a burger or anything related... Will definitely get worst as the weeks draw in...

Training....

Weight still the same and in some days, by periodization, going heavier on weight and higher on reps, with less fuel in the tank makes it extremely challenging. But when you feel like the weight is crushing you, you push back harder...at least that's how I've been recalling it. There is too much at stake, investments being made to simply be happy with 2nd place.

Merc_enary
05-15-13, 1:27 pm
Automated. Going through the motions perhaps? Maybe to early on this journey to make such a claim. Although, yesterday as I was having a conversation with a really good friend of mine, she said "You have become boring, you're not fun anymore. We can't do anything. You can't drink, you can't eat delicious food. For god sakes last weekend you brought your cooler with you to the beach bar". Usually I am not one to care much for what other think say or may do. However this got me thinking, more so right then and there confirmed what I, and many others, are about here at the FORVM. When we take on this lifestyle we leave so much behind and sacrifice so much that it proves to be beyond belief to the masses. She then continued to point out how I don't come out because I have to be in bed by 9:00PM in order to get the prescribed hours of sleep; how I can't do anything else because of the precedence that the workouts take. Also my schedule... how it is work and then gym then food prep then sleep then repeat. Feels like I am alienating people of my life because of how focused and determined I am. Comments like "It is just a contest". Even though I am in such an early stage, the ripple effects of all my decisions have been taking a toll on the personal side. We, NO ONE HERE, does this to come in 2nd place. 2nd place is 1st losers. Not here.

Diet
Diet has remained constant. Change is noticeable. Small striations on my chest, shoulders are the biggest change at this point. Very pleased.

Training
Keeps getting heavier. Not much of a change. Rest periods are shorter.

Merc_enary
05-22-13, 4:17 pm
Push back. This was what my trainer yelled while I performed what it has been the heaviest bench press I have ever successfully attempted. 350 x 2. Although this amount and repetitions does not even compare to what some do, to me it was a major milestone. This lift put so many things into perspective. That lift happened because I wanted it to. Thinking back on days that I would've ingested maybe 3-4 times the amount of food that I am ingesting now and never even got close to the amount. But thinking of what I have put in to this point and all that is left I am not in this to be complacent with an effort. I want it. All. To become the standard.

DANO
05-22-13, 11:01 pm
Awesome brother! That is a great accomplishment,.

Merc_enary
05-23-13, 12:01 pm
Awesome brother! That is a great accomplishment,.

Thank you very much DANO. It felt great. Awesome sense of accomplishment.

Merc_enary
10-21-13, 1:36 pm
Did abandoned this thread for quite a while....but we are back now. Been a month and some change since my very first INBA show here in San Digo. The outcome was not what I wanted and personally I think I did much better than the guys I went against, but hey, it happens. Changed my traning routine completely, diet and have made overall modifications to everything that comes with it. I will leave no stone unturned this time around. Competed at a skinny 178 lbs now walking around 220 definitely looking WAY better than the last time i was this heavy which means the adjustments are paying dividends. Will keep the tread alive for as long as I live, like many, I will be "At War with Me".