Slow Steady Progress

This is an article I had written for Scivation, but they decided it was too long, so I figured i’d just post it on my blog

Slow Steady Progress

                When I was in my twenties, progress in terms of muscular development and strength was easy to come by. For instance, I would have periods where I was able to set PRs every single week in the gym. There were several factors that contributed to this. First, as a young amateur competitor, there was plenty of room for improvement. Second, my body’s recovery capability at that point in my life was exceptional. Lastly, I had not yet sustained as much long term wear and tear on my tendons and joints, so nothing was ever interfering with my ability to train with maximum intensity. In other words, it was easier to enable muscle growth regardless of what approach I took, as long as I maximized my input.

                At 37 years old, having trained for over 20 years, improvements to my physique come at a much steeper price. I once taught Economics and I can therefore parallel this idea to the Law of Diminishing Marginal Returns. This law states that with other inputs fixed in the short run, as you increase the variable input, total output will increase, but at a decreasing rate (this is typically used to analyze the effects on output of an increase in labor in the short run while capital remains fixed). This can otherwise be termed as declining marginal productivity. This is similar to what I have experienced over the course of my bodybuilding career. As I have continued to allocate more resources towards the relentless pursuit of excellence in improving my physique, greater and greater inputs have yielded smaller results over my sixteen year bodybuilding career.

                There are, however, two things to realize here. First off, even though progress increases at a decreasing rate over time, it still continues to increase as long as you’re keeping up with input. Second, the Law of Diminishing Marginal Returns is specific to the short run where other inputs such as capital are fixed. In Economics, this can be offset by changes in physical and intellectual capital, technology, etc. in the long run, which enables greater output with the same level of input. This means periodic enhancements of the capital infrastructure can reset the equation.

                So how does this translate to bodybuilding and making progress with one’s physique? In the long run with training, more inputs become variable as well (rather than fixed). These include: access to new information, implementation of new training and nutritional methodologies, use of new equipment and implementation of new exercises or new approaches to the same exercises. Just as companies must adapt in order to increase the production possibilities frontier, we as physique athletes must adapt our approaches to continue pushing the limits of our genetic potential.

                There are two important points to recognize here: First, long run total output is the product of consistent input over a long period of time. Second, one must recognize when short run output potential has been maximized (marginal cost = marginal benefit) and be open-minded enough to adapt and manipulate other variables (implementation of new methodologies, exercises, etc). The bottom line is that while effort is important, it is not enough to make you a successful competitor in the second and third decade of your career. It’s not always about training harder…sometimes you need to train smarter. Applying ridiculous levels of effort with the same old methods will not only stop yielding positive results, but can actually detract from total output (consistent with the Law of Diminishing Marginal Returns, which states that at a point increasing input in the short term will yield negative returns). It’s easy to make progress in the early years of your career. Continuing to make gains in the later years, when you’re approaching your theoretical genetic potential, requires periodic innovation.   When you look at the upper echelon of competitive natural bodybuilding, the margins that decipher between the top pros get smaller and smaller. The great ones are those who find a way to continue to improve!

June 8, 2013 | Categories: Uncategorized | Leave A Comment »

The Recipe with No Name

I really do not have a name for this recipe, but they taste good and they are convenient.

Here are the ingredients:

4 cups Liquid Eggwhites, 8 Whole Eggs, 2 bags frozen (total of 24 oz) Asparagus, 1 cup Oats, 1 can black beans (this is a new addition to the original recipe…first time i’ve used black beans), Mrs. Dash Southwest Chipotle, Black Pepper, Cholula Hot Sauce

Slightly thaw and chop up asparagus, drain and wash black beans in a colander…mix all ingredients together in blender

After thoroughly blending ingredients, I poured even amounts into eight 500 ml Pyrex dishes (I coated with nonstick cooking spray first)

Because of the amount of water in Asparagus, these will need to bake for about an hour at 350 degrees

Each muffin has about 25 grams protein, 18 grams carbs (5 grams fiber), 5.6 grams fat

January 6, 2013 | Categories: Uncategorized | Leave A Comment »

Optimizing Your Contest Prep

Optimizing Your Contest Prep

At the request of Richard Gozdecki, the 2011 WNBF Pro World Overall Champion, I was inspired to write a piece outlining my approach for a successful transition from off-season to contest prep in an effort to maximize both strength and muscle retention during the process of eliminating bodyfat. I also wanted to highlight the fundamentals of how to optimize prep so you can look your best onstage.

Let me start by saying I am a firm believer in staying lean during the off-season. You want to keep yourself within striking distance.  I compete at around 198-200 lbs. During my off-season, peak weight is usually 218-220 lbs and more often I stay as low as 212-215 lbs. This means I typically am not carrying more than 10% above my contest weight. I realize that this will vary from one individual to another and I know some very successful pros who will allow themselves to carry a significantly higher percentage above stage weight and they have shown progress year to year doing so. You have to figure out what works best for you. I personally find no benefit to being more than 15-20 lbs above stage weight and even find it detrimental (decreases my energy level and increases joint pain) when I go above that (without any gains in strength).

So Rule #1 is to stay somewhat lean in the off-season. I realize you probably want something more definitive. Based on a 7 point skin caliper test I prefer to stay between 6-7%, but I see no reason for anyone to get above 8-9%.

Rule #2: Being ahead of schedule is being on schedule! You can always slow things down, by adding calories or reducing the amount of cardio you’re doing, but you never want to have to speed things up…that’s when you’ll risk losing muscle, flattening out, becoming fatigued, etc.

While you want to be somewhat lean as you shift gears towards contest season, I actually recommend elevating calories to your highest off-season level during the last 4-6 weeks prior to prep.  The idea behind this is to get your body acclimated to more calories in an effort to up-regulate your metabolism, so that when you make your initial reductions (at the beginning of prep), not only will your body be more responsive, but it also gives you a higher starting point and thus more room to cut from during the entire process.

Rather than going from this state of elevated calories (peak off-season) to contest prep, I suggest a two week transitional phase. During this time you start shifting gears with a prioritization on eliminating bodyfat and acclimating the body to performing under conditions of caloric deficit and increased activity level. This would include cleaning things up…if you include cheat meals and cheat foods during the off-season, get rid of them during this time frame. Start reducing portions and shift towards the macronutrient targets you’ll use during the first week of official contest preparation. This transitional phase might also include an increase in cardiovascular exercise depending on how much you’re doing during the off-season.  I personally don’t have much of reduction in cardio during off-season…I tend to perform cardio most days year round regardless of whether or not I’m competing. For someone who is only doing maybe 3 days of cardio in the off-season, I would bump it up to 4 or 5 during the transitional phase.

While i’m on the subject of cardio, there are a couple things that need mentioning. First off, I strongly advise separating cardio from your workout (my only exception to this is hill sprints that I do directly after my 2 lower body workouts). If you workout in the morning, then do your cardio later in the day. If you do your workout later in the day, then do your cardio in the morning. Off-season or contest prep, when you finish your workout you want to get vital post-workout nutrition in your body immediately…no delay. Under conditions of caloric deficit during contest prep, if you extend the duration of the workout by adding cardio to the end you greatly increase the risk of muscle loss. Second point on cardio, if you perform your cardio first thing in the morning DO NOT DO CARDIO ON AN EMPTY STOMACH, unless you like burning off the muscle you worked so hard to gain. At a minimum, take in some whey protein prior to morning cardio.

For determining the official start of contest prep, give yourself plenty of time. Using my guideline of  6-7% off-season bodyfat level, I would suggest a minimum of 20 weeks in order to be ready. For someone carrying a little extra (8-9%), I would probably suggest 22-25 weeks, depending on bodytype (some people are more responsive than others to caloric deficits). Realize that progress in the initial weeks will always be most considerable, but as you lose more bodyfat, the body becomes more resistant and you are more likely to stumble upon plateaus. You have to allow yourself adequate time to figure out how to manipulate the appropriate variables in order to burst through those plateaus and continue progressing. This is why it always pays to be ahead of schedule. You should set a goal of eliminating all subcutaneous bodyfat by 4-6 weeks out from your show. This then gives you time at the end to start rebuilding your metabolism and gives your body time to adjust to mild increases in carbohydrates in an effort to fill out and tighten up during the remaining weeks. Going into a show being extremely carb depleted in the final weeks can leave you flat, while you also risk spilling over (result of being overly carb sensitive from aggressive caloric deficit and carb depletion), because you did not allow enough time for your insulin sensitivity to adjust. By giving yourself plenty of time and taking it slow, you can also allow weekly carbohydrate refeeds to avoid overdepletion. This periodic elevation of calories will help you avoid thyroid issues and will also help maintain normal insulin sensitivity (reminds your body how to handle extra carbbohydrates). The periodic spikes in calorie levels will also help keep strength and energy levels sustained.

I suggest breaking your contest preparation diet into 3-4 week phases during which you make only the amount of changes needed to maintain slow steady progress.  You always want to leave another gear to pull for, especially during the first half or two-thirds of prep. Give yourself goals and checkpoints to reach along the way. I keep meticulous records from past contest prep along with progress pics, so at any point I can go back and see where I was in terms or weight, bodyfat or appearance at any stage of prep. I compare this with the present to make sure I’m staying on track and AHEAD OF SCHEDULE! Your goal should be to maintain slow steady progress, allowing  your body time to adapt to minor modifications and avoid shocking your body with drastic changes that include excessive cardio and/or extreme consecutive days of caloric deficit. By gradually eliminating bodyfat over an extended period of time via minor modifications you’ll likely have much better strength and muscle retention and will also likely experience higher energy levels. I want to reiterate that progress in the beginning of prep will always come easier than at the end. It’s much easier to go from 8% bodyfat down to 5% than it is to go from 5% down to 3%. It might take 4 weeks to lose the last percentage of bodyfat, while in the beginning you could easily drop from 7% down to 6% in the first week or two. This needs to be taken into consideration when determining your checkpoints and time allotted to reach contest condition.

I would also suggest that there is a point, when you put the pedal to the metal and take all measures to get as lean as possible. Generally speaking, for me this is between 10 weeks out and 4 weeks out. This is usually the most grueling period of the entire prep. The first 10 weeks are easy…if you struggle during that time, you might want to choose another activity or refine your approach. The last 4 weeks should actually get easier. If you did things right at that point you don’t have bodyfat to lose, but you are making minor refinements to see what works best in terms of food types and amount as you approach the last week.

In terms of training, one suggestion I would make is to utilize glycogen depleting style workouts in the earlier phases of prep when you are taking in more carbohydrates and you have more bodyfat to lose. Performing high rep sets on compound movements (15-20 rep sets of squats or deadlifts), giant sets, etc. are more beneficial when you have more reserves in the tank. These methods can be very beneficial to help force your body to shift energy sources to it’s fat reserves after you’ve burned through glycogen stored in the muscles. Performing highly exhaustive sets in the later part of your prep when you have little to no bodyfat and are running on limited carbohydrates can be more detrimental. At this stage glycogen reserves are likely already depleted (or can be depleted rapidly) and there are no fat reserves to turn to. At this stage exhaustive glycolytic training can result in muscle loss, impaired recovery and extreme fatigue. You have to know when to switch gears. When you get to the point where your bodyfat is extremely low, I would recommending emphasizing muscle tension, especially on the larger compound movements (squats and deadlifts). Performing pauses, slow descents, and use of things like band tension all with higher weight for less reps will help further visually enhance the fibrous details in your muscles and prevent over depletion (flat muscles don’t look hard…they look small and soft). Think about what you’re doing onstage…your putting your muscles under constant tension (even in the so-called relaxed poses, which don’t really allow you to relax)…the longer you pose, the harder you look. Why not allow your training to mimic and enhance what you are required to do onstage. As an example, pausing at the top of a leg extension or squat simulate how you flex the thighs in the front relaxed position…forcing a paused squeeze in your chest at the end of a cable flys or d-bell fly will make your most muscular look that much better.

My last piece of advice is how to handle the last week prior to the show, which competitors like to refer to as “peak week”.  Countless number of competitors seem make the most costly mistakes in their effort to get dialed in during the last week. While I’m not going to give overly specific advice here (you would have to hire me for that), I will simply say to avoid anything drastic. Ideally at 2 weeks out, when you’re practicing your posing you should be comfortable with your conditioning and appearance even if it were show day. If you think there is some magic formula that is going to make you look extra dry and tight, think again. There are some minor adjustments to carbohydrates, sodium and inclusion or exclusion of food types that might be able to help you optimize, but drastic methods will only result in one thing…disappointment! Every year I hear from some competitor who decides to drastically increase/decrease sodium, water, carbs during the last week or suddenly introduce a new food during the last days (or even the day of the show), because their friend Joe Bodybuilder who competed in the local hometown bodybuilding show back in 1986 told them to do so. If you look great 2 weeks out…you’re full, you’re hard, you’re vascular and striated, why are you suddenly going to do something in the last week that you haven’t done during your entire prep??? Competitors who regularly drink 2 gallons of water and several grams of sodium a day will suddenly eliminate water and/or sodium  the days prior to a show. If you utilized carbohydrate restriction to get lean and were able to look full and hard during posing practice on limited carbs, then why are you going to super carb load the day or two before the show. Some may also decide to suddenly throw in something like simple processed sugars the day of the show, when there body hasn’t seen these things for half a year. In the weeks leading up to the show, you manipulate the variables to figure out what works and don’t start throwing ridiculous curveballs at the very end. You should know optimal carbohydrate sources and amounts that enable you to look full and dry and you should know the approximate amount of sodium and water that enable you to look full and vascular, yet not too much to cause water retention. Be smart! Avoid anything drastic in the last week. Don’t ruin 6 months of hard work by experimenting during the last week. Whatever you did to get you into contest shape is what will make you look your best on show day.  Observe your body carefully during the last 4 weeks and figure out how to optimize, then go into the last week with nothing to guess about.

September 27, 2012 | Categories: Uncategorized | 1 Comment »

Traveling

I’ve had people ask me before what I do when I travel in terms of food. The answer is simple: I take everything with me, keep the same meal structure and eat the same exact stuff as when i’m home…just requires some prep.

I went to the beach for a couple days this past weekend, got a place with a kitchen and took all my food and supplements with me

Last year when I traveled 3 times to compete I obviously had to take all my stuff with me

Hotel pics from 2010 (staying in NJ for WNBF Universe in NYC)

NO EXCUSES!!!

August 14, 2012 | Categories: Uncategorized | 3 Comments »

In Memory of Taylor

In Memory of Taylor

November 26^th, 2000 – March 7^th, 2012

 Last week I was faced with one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do…I had to say goodbye to Taylor, my 11+ year old female Rottweiler. Taylor has been my loyal companion for over eight years. I adopted her from Northeast Rottweiler Rescue (www.rottrescue.org) in October of 2003, a little over a month before she turned three years old.  I was living and working at an all-boys private prep school in New York, called Trinity-Pawling…I lived by myself in an apartment on campus and I was financially independent.  While I have lived with dogs my entire life, Taylor was the first dog I ever owned. Having a dog is no different than having a kid…you have another being who is dependent upon you to provide  food, shelter, care, mental and physical stimulation, and love. With this newfound responsibility comes a new sense of purpose.

                Over the last eight years Taylor was a beacon of consistency in my otherwise transient life. Through a move from New York to Virginia, a career change, occupation of numerous homes and involvement in different relationships, one thing  always remained the same…Taylor was always at my side as my loyal companion. 

                We all have days when life seems hard and we stop to question our purpose or direction. Sometimes it’s the simplest things that keep us going…Every day, seeing me when I got home was the most exciting part of Taylor’s day. I always reminded myself of this. Life gets busy…but for a dog it’s very simple…they can’t wait until you get home, because you’re all they have! They always look to you for love, affection and attention. No matter how busy I ever was, I always stopped to recognize Taylor and what she meant to me when I got home.  I knew that Taylor wouldn’t live forever and I wanted to always make her know how much I loved her and how much I appreciated her in my life. It takes very little to make a dog happy and they offer so much in return for your love and affection. When everything else in life sucks, a dog can still bring a smile to your face.

                In the first few years I had Taylor, she used to suffer  very bad separation anxiety when I left for more than a day or two. My parents would take care of her while I was gone and she would go to the window every time a car passed, thinking and hoping it was mine. When I finally did get home, she was beyond happy to see me…pretty good feeling to get that kind of welcome from someone.

Some of the things I will always remember about Taylor:

Taylor loved to go for rides…this was about equal to biscuits! If you left the car door open, she would jump in, thinking she was going somewhere, even if you had just returned home. In the last couple of years Taylor was alive, I had to lift her up into my truck, because she was no longer able to jump up.

Taylor on her 10th Birthday

 Taylor liked to demand biscuits…certain times of day (before bed, after she had gone outside), she felt she was entitled to treats. She would let you know with her intense stare in conjunction with her woofing at you. If you didn’t give in, she’d start to throw a fit, stomping her feet, pointing at the biscuit jar, looking back at you and then woofing louder. Taylor tried to use her Jedi mind tricks to persuade people into giving her treats…it usually worked!

I will never forget Taylor’s smile! Taylor had the best smile!

When Taylor wanted affection, she would bury and rub her giant head into you and practically knock you over.

Taylor’s favorite place was the front deck…she could see and hear everything and she enjoyed being outside, taking it all in, feeling the breeze, watching the birds, picking up the different smells in the air.

Taylor was always a stop to smell the flowers type of girl…she loved being outside and just had an appreciation for life and everything that was going on around her.

Over the years, Taylor had several playmates. ..it was fun to watch her goofy personality as she got to play with other dogs, including some she lived with.

Taylor was a couch potato!

Taylor liked water, but only if she could touch the ground with her feet

                 In the end Taylor still had the same exuberant look in her eye. She was still coherent and attentive. Unfortunately, she outlived her body. Her hips deteriorated in the last couple of years leading to instability at times when she walked.  An injury to her foot, trying to stand made her limp with her front right leg. Having only one strong limb led to a secondary injury to her shoulder (x-ray could not confirm what the exact issue was), no longer allowing her to compensate with the front legs. This left her immobile for the last eight days she was alive. I did everything I could to help her overcome this. We tried laser treatment therapy on the shoulder…I carried her to my truck numerous times to take her to the vet in the hopes that I could get her to walk again. I tried to assist her in standing by using a towel under her ribcage and having someone else support her back end. Not only was Taylor unresponsive to the laser treatment therapy, but days of immobility were causing her back end to further atrophy. Even if she could overcome the shoulder issue, her hips were too weak to support her body weight. She was becoming increasingly uncomfortable, even taking pain medication twice a day. On Saturday, March 3^rd, I came to the realization that I would have to say goodbye to my little girl. The thought of losing her tore me apart, but I couldn’t watch her suffer any more. Taylor was always so full of life…this was no way for her to live. I know she felt trapped in a body that didn’t work anymore. She needed to be set free.

                From that point, knowing I only had a few days left with Taylor, I did everything I could to make her comfortable and happy.  I wanted Taylor to leave feeling loved. I wanted her last days to be peaceful. Wednesday, March 7^th was Taylor’s final day. I made sure to spend extra time with her. It was absolutely gorgeous outside, so I pulled her bed (with her on it) out onto the front deck, so she could enjoy her favorite place one more time. In the final days Taylor was visited by several people who knew and loved her. Wednesday evening Dr. Jones of Blacksburg Animal Clinic came to the house to set Taylor free. I insisted this was done at home. I wanted Taylor’s final moments to be at home being held by me, surrounded by love in an environment she was familiar with that would leave her with happy memories and thoughts. As I watched her take her final breaths, I cried my eyes out. It was very hard for me, but I knew it had to be done and I was able to ensure that Taylor had a good last day.

                Taylor’s condition deteriorated very quickly in the last two weeks of her life. While I wasn’t prepared to lose her, I know it was somewhat of a blessing…she lived life to the fullest up to the end. I did not drag things out and let her suffer. While it was extremely hard for me to let her go, I know that I was able to give her a good life. It’s hard for me to put into words what Taylor meant to me…the simplest way to put it is for those who saw the smile she brought to my face while she was alive and for those who saw the tears from my eyes at the end, you know.

                Taylor will always have a place in my heart and I will cherish the memories of when she was still with me. Her spirit is free and she has found a new home amongst others who have passed before her (Maverick, Addie, Schultz, Wolfy). She’s probably demanding biscuits from a greater power with her Jedi Mind tricks, woofing and foot stomping…hopefully she’s going for rides and playing with old friends.  I can only hope that someday I get to see her again. There will never be another Taylor. I love my little girl and I miss her!

March 12, 2012 | Categories: Uncategorized | 14 Comments »