Fitness Bodybuilding Competition/ Gary:4 weeks out

June 7th, 2008

CarlaGary8-weeksout278-1.jpg picture by fitnessforum08Gary Pascual/4 week Training

Gary is maintaining his weight/172 LBS …..With inches of fat loss we will record at the end of the month….His training program for the next 3 weeks until the show is as follows:

 Gary, We are now at the 3 weeks out….and what a journey of complete discipline & focus it has been……We must go through to completion!!!!Do your best and ENJOY….I will state that you have already arrived as a winner, and I am honored to be side by side with you…Also observing your life as a balance…I am tired at this point but constantly learning to strain, train and live as fully as I can and stay at peace….While I learn to apply myself to life goals…..Well, Here is the info for the 3 weeks…Diet- Stay with the plan you have been on….Monday’s & Thursday’s in place of one meal/High carb/ High fat…Aminos- besides the 4 Tabs/3x’s daily add 6 Tabs between meals # 1, 3 & 5….This is to keep lean muscle while you are in the strict and added Cardio training/ burning fat tissue storage….This will also keep your energy levels up!!!!Cardio- Add 3 to 4 ….  45 minCarlaGary8-weeksout217-1-1.jpg picture by fitnessforum08

CarlaGary8-weeksout298-1-1.jpg picture by fitnessforum08

ute Cardio sessions per week…Making Cardio training 5 days and 3 nights/ Remember….we want to play it by fat loss and not muscle loss…..

Posing- Every night..before bed: Perform all mandatory poses/ holding each for 60 seconds….every 3rd add another round…Practice routine 3x’s every night and do without music once per night…

10 Things you can do the final week:  Keep a journal the last week !

 Drink plenty of water throughout your contest preparation, at least
one to three gallons daily, the more the better.

  1. Cut out all leg training and cardio for the last week.
  2. Load Creatine Monohydrate (Make sure there are no fillers
    or binders) one teaspoon prior to every meal starting Tuesday
    continuing up to prejudging unless you must make weight, or feel like you are holding too much water.
  3. Use salt at every meal up until the Wednesday evening the week of
    your show.
  4. Cut your sodium intake by 50% on Thursday and Friday
  5. Cut out all fibrous vegetables Thursday and Friday
  6. Cut back water intake by 25% on Thursday (2 gallons to 1.5 gallons)
  7. Cut water an additional 25% on Friday (half of what you normally drink)
  8. Use Potassium 2 - 99 mg tablets per hour on Thursday and Friday
      (Females use 1 - 99 mg per hour)
  9. Eat one additional meal high in carbs, sugar, and fat 3 hours prior
    to taking the stage on Saturday.
  10. Friday night- Eat a meal high in Carbs, High in fat and no sodium…(Optional)

“Fitness Competition”/8-week Training/Gary

May 18th, 2008

Fitness Program/8-weeks out/Bodybuilding Competition/Gary

Gary’s Nutrition  CarlaGary8-weeksout125.jpg picture by fitnessforum08 Supplements & Training

Weight-172 Lost 1-inch in waist and kept muscle….Weight is of no interest…..The pictures tell all..When you cut out carbs weight will fluctuate depending on water retention or depletion….So the proof is in the Pictures!!!!

Meal #1
5 egg whites - 2 yolks
5 oz. chicken, turkey, or tuna
1/2 grapefruit, 1/2 cantaloupe, or 8 strawberries

Meal #2
6 oz. chicken, turkey or tuna
1 cup vegetables

Meal #3
2 cups salad containing choice of salad vegetables w/ 1 tbs. oil + 1 tbs. vinegar
8 ounces tuna or other lean protein
1 carrot

Meal #4
4 oz. lean beef or 6 -8 oz. chicken breast, turkey, or fish
2 egg whites

Meal #5
8 oz. chicken, turkey breast, or fish
1 1/2  cup vegetables
1 tbs. Flax Oil

*Every Monday and Thursday eat the following meal in place of one regular meal: 1 1/2 cups rice, 1 large sweet potato, 1 banana, 1 cup vegetables with 1 tbs. oil, butter, or margarine.

*Supplements: 4 Aminos/4xs daily….4 Liver Tabs/4xs daily……Multi-Vitamin…..6000-8000 mgs Vit C/daily…..1 Fat Burner/before workout

Meal substitute/ up to 3 scoops of  protein powder , mixed with a whole egg and frozen fruit for meal #2, #4 or both.  CarlaGary8-weeksout105-1.jpg picture by fitnessforum08

*Cardio: At 8- weeks out/we usually step up the cardio to four days per week and thirty minutes per session. Now, instead of continually trying to go hard for your entire session, use the interval training approach at two of your sessions. Here’s how that might work on a Lifecycle: Set program to Manual. L1 - 3 minutes (warm-up), L2 - 1 minute (increasing intensity), back to L1 for one minute (active rest), L3 - 1 minute, L1 - 1 minute, L4 - 1 minute (now it is getting hard), L1 - 1 minute, try L5 for 1 minute (if you can complete the whole minute at 80 rpm’s go to L6 for your next interval), L1 - 1 minute. Continue to increase intensity on alternating sets until you cannot pedal the full minute at 80 rpm’s, your remaining work sets would be at the next lower level. In our example let’s suppose you could not complete your set at L5, the rest of the session would be as follows: L4 - 1 minute, L1 - 1 minute repeat until you complete eight additional sets at L4, then do three additional minutes at L1 to end the session.

*The other two cardio days should be similar to your Phase One cardio. Do not increase intensity on these days but increase the time to 30 minutes instead of 15 or 20 as in phase one.

*POSING: At 8 weeks out /Increase your posing sessions to three days per week. Increase the time you hold each mandatory pose by five seconds per week. Remember to spend most of your time practicing on your front facing pose. This is where the judging starts and first impressions are very important. Remember, start each pose from your feet up to make certain your legs are flexed. Make a schedule at eight weeks to practice each facing and mandatory pose. Start week eight at 2 sets of each pose for 10 - 15 seconds. For the next four weeks add another “set” each week and hold each pose for an additional 3 - 5 seconds.

POSING: 6-weeks out/Start working on your individual posing routine at six weeks out if you haven’t started by this time. Remember, you need two individual posing routines. You’ll do one in the prejudging with no music and a sixty second time limit. Your evening presentation will be accompanied by music with a 90 second time limit. Don’t make the mistake of trying to cram your 90 second evening routine into sixty seconds during the prejudging. Work on a separate routine based solely on your strongest poses. Hold your poses longer during the prejudging so the judges have enough time to assess each pose. Don’t do any poses that do not enhance your physique. Show the judges only what you want them to see.

Not to detract from your evening presentation, just emphasizing the importance of your prejudging routine as well. Many competitors over the years do a routine during the prejudging that makes no sense whatsoever without the accompanying music. Start working on your evening routine at this time as well. Select your music well in advance and make a professional quality cassette. Record only the 90 seconds or less of music on which you will base your routine. Don’t record the entire song. It’s a good idea to record a posing practice cassette with your 90 second selection recorded over and over with a 30 second delay between cuts. You can practice our routine over and over without rewinding the cassette.

Cardio:6 Weeks Out: At six weeks out add a third interval training day bringing your total cardio to five days at 30 minutes per day. Try to get to that next level on your interval days. If you could only get to Level 4 on week 7, try to complete your work sets at Level 5 this week.

*Goal/Nutrition3 weeks out: “At this time carbs are between zero to twenty grams max up to one week prior to the show. The carbs consumed are of the low glycemic type. This is considered carb depletion by most people. This help to get the maximum glycogen compensation into those muscle cells which gives you that dense and full look on the day of the show. Protein is still high and fats are down to a minimum. Training is still intense combining with cardio exercise to deplete glycogen stores. Sodium is not really a bad thing at this time unless there isn’t a balance among the other minerals such as potassium, magnesium and zinc. “

Fitness Competition/Step by step Training/Carla

May 17th, 2008

Carla McDonough/8-weeks out/Bodybuilding Competition..

 Carla at 8-weeks fromCarlaGary8-weeksout030.jpg picture by fitnessforum08 show-time: NUTRITION PLAN……

Weight: 142- Lost inches and kept muscle….This is with solid nutrition & only 2-3 days per week of cardio….Now will up cardio to 4-5 days per week 20-30 minutes. (watch the transformation!!!)

Meal #1                                                                                     
4 egg whites - 1 yolk                                                       
3 oz. chicken, turkey, or tuna
1/4 grapefruit, 1/4 cantaloupe, or 6 strawberries

Meal #2*
4 oz. chicken, turkey or tuna
1 cup vegetables

Meal #3*
1.5 cups salad containing choice of salad vegetables w/ 2 tsp. oil + 1 tbs. vinegar
5 ounces tuna or other lean protein
1 small carrot

Meal #4
1 egg + 2 egg whites

Meal #5
5 oz. chicken, turkey breast, or fish
1  cup vegetables
1 tbs. Flax Oil     (*Every 3rd day eat the following meal in place of one regular meal: 1 cups rice, 1 small sweet potato, 1 small banana, 1 cup vegetables with 2 tsp. oil, butter, or margarine.)  

CarlaGary8-weeksout057.jpg picture by fitnessforum08

CARDIO PLAN: 4-5 sessions per week/ 30 Minutes/ Start warm-up on Manual setting (level 1 for 3 min)every minute change levels, Example:1 minute level 2, 1 minute level 1, 1 minute level 3, 1 minute level 1…working up to level 5—-Repeat this for 4 rounds….Remember: cool down on level 1 for 2-3 minutes…

WEIGHT TRAINING: 4-1 hour sessions per week/Stay Heavy-75/80% of Max, Legs 2 sessions per week, work on the weakest muscles….Contract & Hold each exercise….Rest only long enough to catch your breath between sets, Legs -12-16 sets, Back & Chest-10-12 sets, Shoulders, Biceps, Triceps & Calves-6-8 sets, Abdominals-150- 200 reps…..

POSING: Start working on your individual posing routine at six weeks out if you haven’t started by this time. Remember, you need two individual posing routines. You’ll do one in the prejudging with no music and a sixty second time limit. Your evening presentation will be accompanied by music with a 90 second time limit. Don’t make the mistake of trying to cram your 90 second evening routine into sixty seconds during the prejudging. Work on a separate routine based solely on your strongest poses. Hold your poses longer during the prejudging so the judges have enough time to assess each pose. Don’t do any poses that do not enhance your physique. Show the judges only what you want them to see.