Contest Cadre Chronicles - 2010 Stage Stratagem

[ironfreak250]

I am right along with you bro. I am 14 weeks out from my shows....gonna love it....eating every 3 hours, training like a freak, and getting some major zzzz's by the end of the day.

[Ivan Drago - aka Arny/Dolph/AM]

Hi everyone

I'm finalizing the proceeding 2-week road map that will navigate me to the 8wk out point, nutritionally speaking. Phase 2 is being revamped to include some details regarding roughage use, fat content (also on a slide-rule associated with carbohydrates/protein) and also some new protein source foods (carbohydrate sources will remain steady and strict to the original blueprint laid out in the initial post - changing carbs mid-race, lol, is never a great choice when trying to attain normalcy within the confines of water retention, digestion, and overall balance).

Some noted changes that will be seen:
- The beginning of daily BCAA supplementation when performing cardiovascular activity and resistance training (supplied by MUSCLEBASIX, musclebasix.com/
- Essential Fatty Acid inclusion on a measured scale
- Raw almond and natural peanut butter inclusion on a measured scale
- The ongoing/heightened use of vegetables including baby spinach leaves (a delicious omelet additive), asparagus, and broccoli.

As time passes, I will begin evaluating the macro-nutrient profiles in red meat as well, in order to calculate daily fat content at a more precise level, rather than simply abiding by the rule thus far of "1-2 red meat meals per day."

As always, egg yolks, ketchup, teryaki sauce, and so forth will not be used in any amount during these forthcoming months of contest prep; and cardio has already been readjusted to 40min as of last week. I will never exceed either statistic of 150bpm or 45min during cardio through the entire process, relying on founded science that advocates certain BPM and intensity to initiate lipolysis but not break the threshold and elicit atrophy or catabolism.

More to come comrades... I am gonna go all Liam Neeson on this Harrison Ford contest prep; you can just call me the K-19 Executive Officer, I'll usurp the power soon enough!

[Ivan Drago - aka Arny/Dolph/AM]

I wanted to post the most current 2010 Contest Schedule document I have so far, so I can come back to this post and edit, add, or delete as needed.

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March 20
2010 NPC Natural Ohio (Not Competing - just spending time with Jay here)
March 27 (12wk out = Jan 2nd)
Executive Productions Toledo Glass Scepter (Promoter: Ryan Rollinson)
Email: [e-mail] (Email got sent back – not a good sign)
Web: www.mydreambodies.com
Location: Toledo, OH // 162mi 2hr 38min
NPC Beverly Int. Northern Kentucky (Promoter: ??)
Email: [e-mail]
Web: www.bodybuildingworld.com/contest
Location: UNSURE // 251mi 3hr 59min
April 3 (13wk out = Jan 2nd)
NPC Cincinnati Championships (Promoter: Rick Ruether)
Email: [e-mail]
Web: www.bodsquad.us
Location: Middletown, OH // 242mi 3hr 54min
April 10 (14wk out = Jan 2nd)
MuscleMania US Air Force Base + Civilian (Promoter: ??)
Email: UNSURE
Web: www.musclemania.com
Location: Wright Patterson Air Force Base – Dayton, OH // 205mi 3hr 19min
Natural Pittsburgh (Promoter: Dean Tortice)
Email: [e-mail]
Web: www.deansfitness.com
Location: Franklin Regional High School – Murrysville, PA // 146mi 2hr 25min
April 17 (15wk out = Jan 2nd)
2010 INBF Natural Buckeye Classic (Promoter: ??)
Email: [e-mail]
Web: www.naturalbuckeyeclassic.com
Location: OSU’s Ohio Union – Columbus, OH // 142mi 2hr 21min
May 1 (17wk out = Jan 2nd)
NABBA Mr. Canton; might not compete if we go to Pittsburgh (Promoter: ??)
Email: UNSURE
Web: UNSURE
Location: UNSURE
NPC Pittsburgh Pro/Am (will not be competing - Jay will be there Guest-Posing)
May 8 (18wk out = Jan 2nd)
NPC Mike Francois Classic (Promoter: Mike Francois)
Email: [e-mail]
Web: www.mikefrancois.com
Location: UNSURE // 137mi 2hr 21min)
May 15 (19wk out = Jan 2nd)
INBF Tri-State Bodybuilding/Fitness Championships (Promoter: Delbert Hickman)
Email: [e-mail]
Web: www.gemcityclassic.hostjava.info (Website DOWN or Invalid)
Location: Dayton Convention Center – Dayton, OH // 218mi 3hr 28min
May 29 (21wk out = Jan 2nd)
NPC Julie Palmer Ultimate Championships (Promoter: Julie Palmer)
Email: [e-mail]
Web: UNSURE
Location: UNSURE
CANCELLED NPC Upper Ohio Valley (Promoter: Rick Bayardi)
Email: [e-mail] (Emailed me show is cancelled 1/10/2010)
Location: Weirton, WV

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If ANYONE has any INFORMATION regarding the above shows and the many "UNSURE" entries I was unable to find on-line and through e-mailing the promoters, please feel free to let me know and I will complete the schedule. My head builds up a Vesuvius amount of pressure when in 2010 with hundreds of forums, websites, magazines, and millions of competitors, members, and subscribers across the United States... we still can't get a detailed snap-shot of a show without painstaking investigation. You buy a domain for $9.99 on GoDaddy.com, you put up a page that says "The Muscle Head Classic 2010" with a couple bullets below regarding when, where, and fees; IT'S NOT QUANTUM MECHANICS!!! And every promoter complains about not having enough butts in seats or posing trunks on stage... go figure.

[Ivan Drago - aka Arny/Dolph/AM]

Preliminary 10-Week Out Update (Entire Nutritional Recalculation soon to follow, supplemented by Addendums and an eventual/imminent Official Contest Schedule Selection)

Please check back here, for the additional information and 10wk Revision

PS: I am wearing different shoes, AND pants this week!!!

Attachments:

[themagician]

Jan 16, 2010 12:25:18 GMT -5 Ivan Drago - aka Arny/Dolph/AM said:

Preliminary 10-Week Out Update (Entire Nutritional Recalculation soon to follow, supplemented by Addendums and an eventual/imminent Official Contest Schedule Selection)

Please check back here, for the additional information and 10wk Revision

PS: I am wearing different shoes, AND pants this week!!!

Thank God for the pants and shoes!


[glow=red,2,300]T[/glow]

[Ivan Drago - aka Arny/Dolph/AM]

Jan 16, 2010 16:39:19 GMT -5 themagician said:

Jan 16, 2010 12:25:18 GMT -5 Ivan Drago - aka Arny/Dolph/AM said:

Preliminary 10-Week Out Update (Entire Nutritional Recalculation soon to follow, supplemented by Addendums and an eventual/imminent Official Contest Schedule Selection)

Please check back here, for the additional information and 10wk Revision

PS: I am wearing different shoes, AND pants this week!!!

Thank God for the pants and shoes!


[glow=red,2,300]T[/glow]

Ah yes, thank you! When given the opportunity to show off a fresh (fresh, as in 3 years old) Shox's I will never shy away! Ha, I have (and wear daily) Shox from JUNIOR year Varsity Track practice I used when running on the rubberized 400m circle; and another pair of shoes I wore for Basketball at the aforementioned institution of higher learning

Oh, while I'm on this subject - in case there is a soul out there throughout the expanse of the Internet who cares, lol - I have shirts from, READY... 6th grade, that I still wear today (and actually wore last night to the mall). Frugal... is an understatement for Mr. Smith; I automatically have 70% (seventy, not a typo) of every paycheck deposited into savings every week and pretend the account doesn't even exist. Alright, boredom-inducing expected moment of ADD from yours truly has officially ended

Sunday... January 17th, unreal. What happened to the past 16 days!? I can vividly recall almost every minute of our New Year's get-to-gether with our friends from church, and somehow the month is half exhausted. Sure I'm at work right now, and admittedly in a more contemplative and perhaps dejected mood than usual, but I am still in shock at how time truly 'flies' as they say. If I didn't know better, time is more like a G5, or better yet an Ares I-X, than a gently floating Segal coursing and floating through the salty ocean winds.

[Ivan Drago - aka Arny/Dolph/AM]

Phase-2 Nutrition Plan (10wk from Show-1)

Continuation of a carbohydrate/protein/fat sliding-scale for the duration; with an unchanged minimum protein intake of 250g/day (H) and a revised carbohydrate-minimum of 30g on very-low (VL) days - as outlined in the nutritional regimen below.

Some earlier noted addendums are as follows:
-Fat intake will be a macro-nutrient calculated consideration now, opposed to the initial 1 week (Phase-1) diet which consisted of the loose rule of having no more/less than 1-2 red meat meals per day. Whole raw almonds and natural peanut-butter (as well as EFA omega-3 capsules) will be the only extraneous source of fat calories (with red meat being the principle source). Fat ingestion will be on the ascent during lower carbohydrate days, and on the descent (down to 0g/day on (H) day).
-The Carbohydrate Cycling Slide-Rule had been adjusted and slightly lowered, no drastic measures are being taken as it is still quite early in the overall protocol, only a small percentage decrease will be implemented to ensure metabolic adaptation is not encountered. Body fat continues to be oxidized, so anything aside from a meager reduction is not necessitated yet.
-Cardiovascular exercise has been increased to 40min 4d/week (no cardio is being performed on leg day, or on the (VL) carbohydrate day in order to circumvent catabolism).
-Grapefruit/Blueberries (and Raisins, plausibly) have been added in small measured amounts upon rising to take advantage of some intrinsic anti-oxidant and metabolic enhancing + fiber content properties.
-New Protein Sources have been added to the Approved List: Pork Loin & Turkey Breast; whereas carbohydrate sources (aside from the above specific fruit inclusion) will remain the same and constant throughout the regimen.
-BCAA's (as alluded to earlier in another post) will be added now for two reasons: 1) Cardiovascular workouts, 2) Resistance Training workouts - the amount will be 10-15g each, sipped throughout, and they will be purchased from MUSCLEBASIX LLC (www.musclebasix.com) A very solid GMP Certified company with some upcoming product releases I look forward to

Key (Revised for Phase-2)
(VL) = Very Low @ 30g/d
(L) = Low @ 75g/d
(M) = Medium @ 175g/d
(H) = High @ 375g/d (Minimal/conservative reduction here, as this is a necessary replenishment and metabolic reset day)

Weekly Carb Schedule (Week Starting on Saturday) // Week 3 Jan 16-22 / Week 4 Jan 23-29
Sat-(M)
Sun-(VL)
Mon-(M)
Tue-(L)
Wed-(H)
Thur-(VL)
Fri-(M)
Phase-3 will begin @ Week 5, on Saturday January 30

NOTE: As carbohydrate fluctuations are implemented throughout each week, protein intake will react accordingly starting at the minimum 250g in order to compensate for the reduced muscle glycogen and stave off muscle wasting through heightened protein pools (amino acids) and subsequent support of positive nitrogen balance.

The Protein Shuffle (Remains Unchanged through Phase-1 & Phase-2)
(VL) = 350g/d (60g/meal)
(L) = 300g/d (50g/meal)
(M) = 275g/d (~45g/meal)
(H) = 250g/d (~45g/meal)

Protein Sources & Content (g):
Steak, Top Loin hand-trimmed (1oz) 7g (9g fat)
Chicken Breast, hand-trimmed (1oz) = 6g
Turkey Breast (1oz) = 6g
Pork, Loin hand-trimmed (1oz) 8g
Ground Beef 95% Lean (1oz) = 7g (4g fat)
Egg White (6 Lg) = 20g
EAS 100% Whey (1 scoop) = 23g
Low-Fat Cottage Cheese (1/2c) = 15g (will be deleted @ 6wk out)

Carbohydrate Sources & Content (g):
Oatmeal, Rolled/Old-Fashioned and Raw (1/4c) = 15g
Brown Rice, Cooked (1/2c) = 22g
White Rice, Cooked (1/2c) = 20g
Rice Cakes, Quaker plain (1) = 7g
Grapefruit (1/2) = 10g
Blueberries (1/4c) = 5g
Raisins (1/4c) = 28g
Asparagus (4 spears) = 3g

Fat Sources & Content (g):
Almonds, Whole & Raw (1/4c) = 15g
Natural Peanut Butter (1tbsp) = 8g

Daily Meal Breakdown Carb/Pro/Fat Consumption
(VL) 30g (60g/meal pro & 40g Fat)
- WO Days = 30g PWO (try to avoid working out on this day + No Cardio)
- Non WO Days = 15g M1/2
(L) 75g (50g/meal Pro & 30g Fat)
- WO Days = 15g M1, 60g PWO
- Non WO Days = 25g M1-3
(M) 175g (40-45g/meal Pro & 20g Fat)
- WO Days = 50g M1, 25g Pre-WO, 100g Post-WO
- Non WO Days = 50g M 1/2, 25g M3-5
(H) 375g (40g/meal Pro & NO Fat)
- WO Days = 100g M1-3, 75g Post-WO
- Non WO Days = 100g M 1-3, 75g M5



-A. Smith

[Ruehs]

Any chance we could get an in depth down the gram freakishly detailed nutritional plan of yours?







Oh wait.....

[Ivan Drago - aka Arny/Dolph/AM]

Jan 17, 2010 22:43:39 GMT -5 Ruehs said:

Any chance we could get an in depth down the gram freakishly detailed nutritional plan of yours?







Oh wait.....

Yeah... I'm just sort of a lazy throw it into the wind and see where it sticks types of dude

[Ivan Drago - aka Arny/Dolph/AM]

A Good Day
Typed but not dictated, by Aaron Smith

I was unexpectedly reunited with an old friend of mine for Biceps/Triceps today - my very own Best Man, J. Tallman (formerly known as Shoguns on Building Mass). Of course my bride also joined in the muscle-myo-may-lay (I was seeking out a way to breach the current forum record for hyphenation use in one word).

Ah yes, the sweet succulent seductive serenity to savor, High Carb Day My carbohydrate (375g) cornucopia was comprised of oats, raisins, and sweet potatoes... a festive feast fit for a king.

I was also able to share in some amazing news a friend of mine from out of state telephoned me to announce - CONGRATS Ben! An excellent person, cherished hombre, and proficient salesman and ardent worker is he; and it all paid off as just a few short hours ago, after multiple interviews, and an ambition months in the making - it all came to fruition and pen was put to paper! Ben will be the newest management member addition to the highly hallowed and distinctive ranks of the Gaspari Nutrition Empire. With the recent addition of talent AND product revisions/releases we have seen spring from the life waters of Rich and co., there is no defense the rest of the industry can concoct to slow or trip up this official power player group on its way toward total dominance! SizeON MP (which I have authored a detailed write-up on) will be the high water mark for all other companies to attempt to achieve and mimic. (Stealth, was given higher marks then SO by the entire panel comprising the Committee.)

With good news, good company, and good eating... I felt it was an undeniably successful day, and I was lucky to share it with my better half as well as my honored pals! Although a bit premature in my overall perspective (and accurate ability to react to or create any clairvoyant hindsight) I still must make mention that this contest diet and preparatory endeavors have all synced and aligned flawlessly thus far. There have been, and will be, exceedingly low carb days, continued 45min sessions on a droning conveyor belt, hunger pains, and total exhaustion that are unmatched and unfathomable by the plurality of all human beings - but having traversed these pebble laden paths many times before, I can only comment and take some cautious joy on and in the fact I find myself pleasantly surprised at the seamless seeming ease of navigating through the hills and valleys that have quickly brought me through 3/4 of a month's time.

I am weary and expressly hesitant to ever use the word 'easy' as any true verbal measurement of what a contest planning protocol demands from every morsel of yourself - but I nonetheless find myself hovering about that same plane of vernacular when disseminating on my cumulative toils that have brought me to this 9 week 3 day out mark on the map. I shy away from ever making any overly confident brash and bold statements inflated with arrogance and puffy pontification such as "It's only seems simple or easy, because once that switch is flipped, the voltage flows wide-open until I'm clipping that number onto my posing trunks."

In reality, I believe it is a melting pot of various factors that have been forming this stew I find myself slowly steaming in right now. The past year has given me a new-found (perhaps overly dramatic, but nah I don't think so) passion for nutrition and strict adherence to a meal plan and macro awareness, as well as a reborn heightened love and drive for the labors within the gym... these ingredients, strewn about with a few additional years of development athletically, mentally, and emotionally, have all added their own spice to the simmering soup of progress and proteolysis.

I'll close this chapter for the evening, as one will assuredly be opening tomorrow; which I will attempt to share with all of you. There have been some resurfacing thoughts and fuzzy edges of an old recurrent evocative ambition forming once again throughout my conscience stream... which I will delve into the dilated discourse (lol, yeah... dilated discourse, as in expanded elucidation - but with a bodybuilder twist on it) of very soon - for now goodnight.

As my insolent anti-heroic time-traveler antagonistic prognosticating flat-top virtuoso would say, "It's time to make like a tree, and get outta' here!"

[All American Dave]

W O W > > > I logged on to catch up on everyones journal and start one of my own......... but now I'm exhausted from laughing my butt off. You are one funny hombre! Loving the journal A, good work

[themagician]

Jan 21, 2010 1:46:38 GMT -5 All American Dave said:

W O W > > > I logged on to catch up on everyones journal and start one of my own......... but now I'm exhausted from laughing my butt off. You are one funny hombre! Loving the journal A, good work

Don't you just love all the constant detailed metaphors and highly colorful uses of alliteration?! ;D



[glow=red,2,300]T[/glow]

[Ivan Drago - aka Arny/Dolph/AM]

Jan 21, 2010 1:46:38 GMT -5 All American Dave said:

W O W > > > I logged on to catch up on everyones journal and start one of my own......... but now I'm exhausted from laughing my butt off. You are one funny hombre! Loving the journal A, good work

Thank you - SO MUCH DAVE: I really do try to make this journal comprehensive AND entertaining, attempting to somehow transcend the far too often limiting confines of what a stereotypical bodybuilding chronicle might contain.

Everyone's visits, remarks, and hopefully ongoing discussion, is a huge pillar supporting the cornerstone of my excitement in penning my return to the stage after a three year hiatus. Now that we're buds on Face Book Dave, you can 'enjoy' the extra super special photo uploads I post from my phone It is truly your lucky day, haaa!

I hope you still have enough of a butt to bring on back to my journal after your laugh session, because I still have a winding and wavering battle of wit and strength laid out before me, and in a large way I depend on you, and the others I've become friends with over the years here, to offer their reaction and opinion on anything/everything I write. (Or I might have to create a journal at MD, or elsewhere, hahaha!!)

Talk to you/all soon

[Ivan Drago - aka Arny/Dolph/AM]

Jan 21, 2010 3:33:50 GMT -5 themagician said:

Jan 21, 2010 1:46:38 GMT -5 All American Dave said:

W O W > > > I logged on to catch up on everyones journal and start one of my own......... but now I'm exhausted from laughing my butt off. You are one funny hombre! Loving the journal A, good work

Don't you just love all the constant detailed metaphors and highly colorful uses of alliteration?! ;D

(Is that the blushing face? I am still on the 'conveyor belt' so typing and replying is slightly more challenging @ the highest incline, lol!)

Speaking what I love... I woke up with a deep biceps soreness that invaded those rare usually dormant (lol, remember Aplodan?) fibers at the base of each bicep-belly. Last night, my workout with James and the wife, must of really taken care of the business of warfare I declared on those two appendages hanging from my shoulders; although they had to contemplate the prospect of surrendering, the white linen flag was bleached and pressed, by the time I arose from my slumber on this otherwise unwelcome Very Low (VL) Carb Day.

I have you now biceps... I have you now!


[glow=red,2,300]T[/glow]

[jona67]

Hey

In your post about your macros, are the protein amounts listing as "cooked" or "uncooked" protein amounts?