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RICER88
06-21-13, 11:43 am
Whats up Fellas and Ladies, been while since I have posted on here. Was just being a spectator on the boards for a while, but any way I'm back. Its been pretty close to a year and a half since I last posted anything. That happened to be right before my first show. I ended up being the only light weight (weighed in at 148lbes) in my class at the OPA London Ontario Championships in 2011. I was a bit bummed about being the only one, but realized it was about the journey of getting to the stage that mattered and the lessons I learned along the way (Don't get fat in the off season lol) Any ways I went into a very productive off season with the goal of moving up a class. I kept things pretty tight, got up to 190lbs with a few visible lines in my legs and abs, In February of this year I started my prep for the OPA Provincials held in conjunction with the Toronto Pro show. The diet was 16 weeks long, I used the same coaches as my first prep (Why mess with good chemistry) This diet was a lot easier then the first one, but still in no way a walk in the park as you all know lol. The show was to be held over two days, pre judging friday night and finals saturday afternoon, I achieved two goals that weekend. 1) I moved up a weight class and added 10lbs to my stage weight. 2) I I was competitive at the Provincial level. I ended up placing third out of 11 in a very tight welter weight class. This qualified me for Nationals. So now the goal is to take the next 8 months and gain about 5-6lbs of stage weight to come in at the top of the welter weight class (Cut off is 164) or if its in the cards add even more and move up another class, either way I want to be competitive at the 2014 CBBF Nationals! Over the next little while I will map out my game plan as it looks now, put up my diet, and I'll post about my thoughts, how my progress is going, and everything in between.

Until then keep grinding away

RICER88

RICER88
06-21-13, 12:09 pm
So the game plan for this off season is pretty straight forward, get back to basics, increase poundage used on the basic mass building exercises, and pound lagging body parts, as well as add a few new school ideas.
The points of my physique I will be focusing on are, Arms, Lower lat width and thickness, middle back thickness, calves, and of course just overall thickness to the entire physique.
In the past I would train very instinctively, that worked for my stronger body parts, especially my delts, and to a degree it worked for my lagging parts but not to the same degree. This year I will have some what of a set routine for the lagging muscles. I will of course make adjustments as I see fit, and to keep making progress. I am also trying a new type of split, one that allows for more freedom. I took it from how Flex Lewis trains, I have my body part order but off days will be taken as needed, not strictly scheduled. the "split looks like this
Delts
Back
Biceps/ Forearms
Chest/ abs
Legs
Triceps/ Forearms
Repeat
Calves will be done every other day.

This split should allow me to really hammer away at my weaker areas (Arms/ Calves) and give me the opportunity to hit my lagging parts as well as keep my stronger body parts up to snuff.

Now for the particulars:
Delts will be done instinctively as they are a very dominant body part for me

Back: will be some what instinctively done as it is a pretty strong point, just need work on a few key areas, the majority of the program will be Reverse grip bb rows, t bar rows and deadlifts, pull down/ pull ups will be incorporated as well, and to really hammer away at the lower lats I will be doing 7's (FST-7) on the reverse grip cable rows

Biceps: 5x5 barbell curls, hammer curls, preacher curls, incline curls, 7's spider curls

Chest: will be don pretty instinctively as its a pretty strong body part, I will be focusing on pre exhausting the majority of the time with pec deck, then moving to either incline or flat presses, flys and dips

Legs: a strong point will be done instinctively, may alternate week to week doing hams first or quads first. major exercises will be squats, leg press, leg curl and sldl or glute ham raise.

Triceps: 5x5 close grip bench, over head db extensions, push downs, dips, 7's skull crushers

Calves: standing calf raise, seated calf raise, 7's leg press calf raise (toe press)

That's the game plan as laid out now, things will change as I see the need to mix things up and keep progressing

Keep Grinding

RICER88

RICER88
06-22-13, 5:13 pm
The off season, some see it as a time to relax, a time to kick back, ease up on training, and slack on their nutrition. These are the same people who wonder why their physique doesn't change from show to show, they wonder why they can't place at regional level shows, wonder why they can't place at least top 5. These are the guys that get beat by the determined mother fuckers! To me the off season isn't a time to relax, it's the official start to my next contest prep! As soon as the show is over it's time to focus on bringing up any weak points, and adding new slabs of beef to my fram. Its about making sure I look even bigger, better and freakier at the next show! I will never look the same at two consecutive shows, even if I where to win both, I would look at the second show as a failure because I did not make any progress. It is so important to keep your focus in the off season, this is where improvement happens, this is the time to grow! I become robotic during prep, eat sleep, train on the same schedule, little to no deviation. This holds true for my off season as well, you better believe that on a hot sunny day, when every one including my compitition is skipping their workouts to hit the beach, I will be in my dungeon gym busting my ass for that hard earned pound or inch added to my fram! Missing meals or slacking on my diet out side of a scheduled cheat meal will never happen! I won't cheat myself out of a victory by missing a meal, hell if I have to wake up in the middle of the night to get that last meal in, you best believe I'll be doing it. And when it comes to sleep, even in the off season there are no late ones, I may be the only 25 year old that still gives himself a bed time, and when that hour comes I'm in bed, doesn't matter what's going on.

Just a few of my views as to why the off season is so important to the competitive bodybuilder

Keep grinding

RICER88

RICER88
07-04-13, 11:06 am
Lets get into the nitty gritty of things, everyone's favorite aspect of bodybuilding....The Diet!
My off season is pretty basic, keep things clean, allow a cheat once a week, sometimes twice a week if Ifeel its needed. I make a distinction between a "clean cheat" and a "dirty cheat." A clean cheat would be going out for steak and potatos, a dirty cheat would be a burger and sweet potato fries and maybe a dessert like frozen yogurt.
So here is what my current off season diet looks like:

Meal 1: Breaking the fast
2 eggs/ 1.25 cups egg whites
1.25 cups oats
1 slice Ezekiel bread
1tbsp natural peanut butter
pak/omega/500mg atlantic kelp

Meal 2: just a snack
8 oz chicken
1.25 cups brown rice

Meal 3: Lunch
7 oz lean ground beef
1.25 cups brown rice
veggies (been doing a mix of peppers and zucchini)

Meal 4: Pre workout sludge
2 scoops iso
1.25 cups oats
1tbsp natural peanut butter
(I make this up just like Wrath does)

Pre workout drink about 20min before hitting the gym

During Workout
2 scoops bcaa
25g carb powder
25g Gatorade powder

Post workout shake
1 scoop iso
25g carb powder
25g Gatorade powder

Meal 5: Post workout put away
8oz chicken
1.5cups brown rice

Meal 6: Anabolic dreams
7oz lean ground beef
veggies

That's a day in the life of eating for myself, I will make adjustments as I see fit and as I progress through the off season.