Hey guys, so i'm super late doing this log but it's better late than never I suppose.
So to tell you guys a little bit about myself. I last competed as a teen in 2016 which was my first and only competitive season, the main reason behind competing that year was to try bodybuilding out and to see if there was a place for me, originally I wasn't looking to place just to see if I enjoyed the process of being a competitive bodybuilder. Admittedly I did better than expected and became the UKDFBA UK teen champion and then place 2nd at the WNBF worlds in LA, I also won the NAC open British as a Junior. I loved every second of that season and promised myself I would be back for a Junior British and World title.
Fast forward to now I have spent the last three years contributing every meal and training session towards that goal. My lined up shows for this year are: BNBF Midlands (25th Aug) UKDFBA Northern (8th Sep) and the national titles for both federations following, if all goes well a Worlds show too.
My competition prep started on 4th March, so i'm currently over 9 weeks deep with 16 more weeks until my first competition. My starting weight was 207lbs and my starting Macros were: (TD) C:700 F:60 P:225 (NTD) C:400 F:100 P:200. Currently I'm around about 194lbs and my current macros are: (TD) C:400 F:55 P:225 (NTD) C:275 F:79 P:225, and those numbers have been the same for the past 5 weeks after trying to distinguish a deficit that'll give me a good rate of loss for a few weeks prior. Current steps throughout prep has been 10k, and my cardio throughout prep has been 30 mins MISS twice a week with 15mg yohimbine prior to each cardio session.
So far prep has been pretty easy as expected. The initial few weeks were mainly creating a prep routine for me to get into with things such as steps, sleep, eating times, training times and getting into the habits of the actual prep itself. I find getting into good habits early on is the easiest way to get myself into my 'prep bubble'. I'm really enjoying the process atm, and I look forward to keeping you all updated on the process :)
Just to bring you guys up to speed with how things have gone the past few weeks.
The BNBF finals has been ticked off, I came third in a very stacked line up. Apparently the best junior line up they had, so i'm happy... ish, we always want that first place.
Here are the show day videos for anyone interested:
https://youtu.be/faZhYgzqMCg
https://youtu.be/XPvBPilXkMw
Here's how the peak went:
Usually we've dug for half the week then started to fill up, but my body went very flat and a little faded from digging in the start of the peak week. I believe this was a warning that the body does not want to dig anymore, which is common for someone dieting for as long I have, on top of this i was feeling very fatigued and food focused. We managed to restore the physique via loading moderately throughout the week (roughly 450 carbs a day) and reducing expenditure, as my physique improved so did fatigue and food focus.
The feedback:
I got told on the day of the show I looked considerably better in the evening show with a little bit more food in me, therefor a little bit more fullness. The day after I looked even better. What we've taken from this for the next show is we could potentially start filling up earlier by either an additional day of loading or wake up earlier on the day to start eating, or both.
The approach between shows:
Due to how my physique responded to digging by getting flat and faded, it was decided that the smartest approach was reverse into the next show. So we've taken out cardio to reduce expenditure and macros have been C:325 F:50 P:225 to up food. The physique has gotten a little tighter whilst not getting too flat which puts us in a great position to load this week following up to the UKDFBA UK finals
Shots sent over last week to AJ at 167lbs, that seems to be the weight we're floating around at.
I started back digging straight after the UKDFBA northern show to get tighter for the BNBF finals with a drop in food. Safe to say this has been quite productive with dropping nearly 1.5lbs last week.
Macros have been: TD C:275(25g drop) F:40 (5g drop) P:200 NTD C225(25g drop) F:50 (5g drop) P:200 Expenditure: 15k steps 5x30 min miss sessions
We're having 2 high days both Friday and Saturday to keep the physique from running too flat and fading, we did this last week and it worked well filling the physique up we will repeat this week before the peak for the BNBF british. Macros of these days are 450 40 180
My energy this week has been pretty poor and hunger/food focus has crept up I'm going to be honest and I've had to dig mentally, but it's been managed well especially considering moving house and being ill around this.
Hey so i'm a week or so late for this. But I've been a little busy moving house etc
So... We took the UKDFBA northern junior class with first place and an invite to the finals which will be held on the 20th October.
The approach on show day was very similar to the BNBF midlands in terms of peaking and the day itself. Even down the the meal choices, however I was rather ill on the day which was inconvenient.
I woke up with a headache, bad stomach, sore throat, the works. At first it was going to be hit and miss on whether i'd perform on stage but fortunately it didn't effect the look too much if at all and my well being picked up throughout the day enough to do my thing on stage and take the w.
So far this peak week we've been digging and prioritising fat loss,
so there hasn't been any change in food or expenditure. The incentive behind this is it will contribute toward the condition at the finals. So rather than using the whole week to peak we can utilise a lot of it as a fat loss week. This proved useful for last peak and it worked very well. We lost around 2lbs and were still able to peak effectively and take the win at the show.
Today is the last day of digging and then we will look at lowering expenditure and upping food ready to peak for Sundays show.
Here is a good comparison both at 5 days out, definitely some added detail. I'm looking forward to hopefully more detail as we introduce more fullness into the physique.
Amazing look Jack! So a question, what did you learn from that first show of the season is there anything you and @madebymorris will be doing differently or were you happy with the peak?
Here are my check in shots to Aj from yesterday morning, updates to Aj are still being done daily.
This week is being prioritised as a fat loss week this week to tighten up for the ukdfba northern. Weight is back down to my lowest weight of 169.4lbs which is awesome considering the stressors are higher. I believe we have a more detailed look at this weight too, but we still do have the cheeky post show tan lingering around.
Current Macros are TD: C 300 (25g drop) F 45 (5g drop) P 200 NTD: C 250 F 55 (10g drop) P 200
Current expenditure is: 15k steps daily and 5x30 MISS sessions (on the cross trainer to reduce leg fatigue).
As you can see very minimal increase in the deficit as that's all that's needed, we don't need to dig massively to tighten up for the next show, these past few days account to that. I see so many competitors going very hard last minute to get the condition for the show, this usually results in the looking washed out by the time they come to stage.
Hi guys I was meaning on posting an update about my show day at the BNBF midlands a little sooner, but I've been super busy.
We got the result we wanted which was the win and also the invite to the BNBF british finals. We are 9 days out from the next show which is the UKDFBA northern.
A quick run through of the poa that day
M1 - 8:00 100G OATS 35G WHEY 20G Dark Chocolate (85%)
M2 - 10:00 2 WHITE TORTILLA WRAPS 100G Raw Weight Chicken Breast 125G Mexican Inspired Rice M3 - 12:00 2 WHITE TORTILLA WRAPS 100G Raw Weight Chicken Breast 125G Mexican Inspired Rice M4 - BACKSTAGE 20G 85% Dark Choc (this aided in vasodilation, giving a better pump) 1 SERVING NON STIM PRE WORKOUT.
M5 - POST MORNING SHOW 2 WHITE TORTILLA WRAPS 100G Raw Weight Chicken Breast 125G Mexican Inspired Rice
BACKSTAGE NIGHT SHOW Repeat of non stim pre workout
Home - 150G Oats - 30G Whey, 25g Dark Choc, Bed.
Water was kept the same, just ensured not too much was had to extend the mid section
sodium was also kept the exact same
The full show day video can be found here:
https://youtu.be/lfDX5ZyQhFw
Hey man! Gongrats on your win!
I have question regarding your split in offseason. Did you follow 2 set approach like JP is preaching or lil bit more volume ? You have incredible develop arms and shoulders for natural guy
Mid Peak week update
Just to give you guys an update on the peak week so far. Atm we're running on normal training day Macros (C 325 F 50 P 200). I think we've learned that we don't need buckets of carbs as I'm gaining a dryer physique on the standard carbs. We'll top up on carbs if we run a little flat. In terms of training we're doing normal training routines (minus legs) atm but not going all out. Cardio is at 30m on the cross trainer, again not going too hard as the main aim of this peak week is to reduce systemic fatigue to lower any stress related water retention to obtain a dryer look. So far we're succeeding and it's only day 3. I believe we can improve condition constantly throughout this week whilst learning a tonne about how best to approach future peaks
169.4lbs was my weight this morning and these were the photos that went along with it. AJ said I'd have a sub 170lbs weigh in by my first show and I was sceptical of this especially considering I was 173lbs on Monday. This is even lighter than when I was a teen at the peak of my season but with a far better look.
We are being v vigilant in terms of multiple updates daily with Aj with the physique atm, then making adjustments if and when we need to.
Refeed update
Same as previous high days in terms of macros and food choices. Also pretty similar in terms of the drop in fatigue and increase in mood. In terms of the physique we are again fuller but with a loss of detail. Now, this may very well determine our approach to peak week this week. Instead of 2 days of high carbs prior to show we will drip feed them in throughout the week. The incentive behind this is to find the perfect blend of detail and fullness. If we're running a little flat we will top up with some more carbs, vice versa if we spill over a little
Training update
Push training has been mainly focused on getting a decent connection with the cuffed based exercises whilst somewhat maintaining numbers. cuffed raises are nailed in terms of execution and the cuffed fly's are improving steadily
Pull training has largely been maintained, pump has disappeared a little and so has energy for the session, but i'm trying my best to maintain session quality
This weeks legs training has reiterated that my legs and absolutely battered. With them fatiguing fairly quickly within the session. On the plus side this was the last leg session before show day giving them time to recover and look visually less inflamed
Cardio has been taken out until further notice also to reduce systemic fatigue and to help with leg recovery
Physique update
At 1.5 and 3.5 weeks out we are weighing at 172.4 which is still a decent drop in scale weight co considering high days have been put in place. Legs are looking inflamed as mentioned previously, hopefully the rest from training them and cardio brings that down
Nutrition Update
Some more high days have been put in from Thursday and Friday. I'll log tomorrow the results of those high days and how they've dictated our approach for the upcoming peak week
Other updates
Up to the point of high days, fatigue was the highest it's been throughout prep. hunger has been higher from the previous high days. Despite this both are still manageable and all the boxes are still being ticked. Also mood is still in a good place. I've naturally still been waking up earlier than my alarm.
refeed update
This was the first refeed in my 23 weeks of dieting, the fatigue peaked just prior to the high days. I believe the additional carbs were very much warranted, I felt better physically and psychologically for it.
There were a total of 2 high days and the macros of the refeed consisted of: C500 F40 P175
The food choices were:
M1: 6 rice cakes 45g jam
M2:250g mexican inspired rice, 125g chicken, 100g mixed peppers
M3: 250g mexican inspired rice, 125g chicken, 100g mixed peppers
M4:600g light rice pudding
M5: 150g oats, 1 serving of whey
M6:150g oats, 1 serving of whey
These seemed to suit me quite well digestion wise and will most likely be using these foods again in future high days
My physique seemed to respond quite well to the refeed, especially when pumped. In the mornings shots there is a small loss of detail and in some shots and a large gain in fullness all over especially in the back shots but i believe the detail is regained when pumped.
We know we respond well with this amount of food with potential to push further.
Training update
This week has mainly been fighting against the over reaching feeling in training
Pull sessions have been the best in terms of maintaining numbers despite the dip in energy. Still managed to get a decent pump also especially in pull down movements
push sessions have been altered due to my shoulder injury. In terms of my shoulder I think it very well might be a nerve issue or tendon issue. Both require rest to get better. instead of not training push sessions all together Aj has suggested taking out all pressing movements and replacing them with cuff movements. So i've been doing 6 sets of cuff fly's and 6 sets of side raises. 3x8-10, 3x12-15 for both exercises.
Leg day went well, I had a decent energy and pump through the session just with reduced load.
Physique update
At 2.5 and 4.5 weeks out from my qualifying shows I'm weighing roughly 172-173lbs. Another productive week with 2lbs drop in average scale weight last week and .75lbs so far this week. Physique wise more detail has once again creeped in but this is the flattest i've been throughout prep, especially in the upper. More specifically in the rear
Nutrition update
As fat loss for the first qualifier comes to an end, we're now beginning to mock a peak with some high days. With the being the first refeed in prep and my physique running fairly flat we should be primed to utilise these high days giving us a better perspective of whats to come in terms of filling my physique up. I'm having these high days today and tomorrow (fri and sat). Macros are C:500g F:40g P:175g
I'll keep you guys updated with the aftermath of the high days and also the food choices.
Other updates
Fatigue and hunger has been it's highest of prep so far, again making it a great time for some high days. My mood has been good though, just more quite lol. But generally quite happy :). Sleep has been v interrupted the past few days, waking up naturally hours before my alarm, maybe due to hunger or bf levels.
Training Updates So training has been a little hit and miss this week, Lets start with the positives. I've had two very good pull sessions, good energy and motivation throughout. My numbers have mainly been maintained if not progressed! At the beginning of the week my shoulder was very stiff and was painful upon wake. So I reduced the load in Mondays push session and focused on trying to stimulate the muscles as much as possible whilst being safe. I also subbed some dumbbell exercises for machines. I did however still feel like there was a drop off in strength resulting in me feeling like I was under performing. This was tough on motivation but we still got it done. I had some treatment on my shoulder and also my glutes to help them fire up properly when squatting (my leg was going in on squats resulting in me using my erectors too much) my shoulder does feel better for it. Also in my squats my glutes fired better and my leg wasn't going in as much. But there was a considerable drop off in Wednesdays leg session. I think it may be a sign of over reaching which would make things awkward having to deload this close to show. But todays pull session may of proved that isn't the case. We will see in the next sessions to come
No changes to exertion
Physique update At 3.5 and 5.5 weeks out from my first qualifying shows we are weighing at 173.6lbs. A good week of fat loss with 1.3lbs average down from last week and 1.5 lbs so far this week things are going very positively. The physique is again looking tighter, also a little flatter. There are some high days in the pipe line to see how the physique responds, but for now fat loss is still the priority This weeks check in solidifies this being the best I've ever looked on or off stage, which makes me very excited to drop the extra few lbs and fill up.
Nutrition Update
Due to how productively we're losing, to be conservative with the deficit, there hasn't been any changes made to nutrition
Here's an update to my food selection. I've started weighing my meat uncooked for more accuracy.
NTD:
M1:
140g ready brek oats
1 serving of Whey
M2:
150g chicken breast
80g mixed veg
100g mixed peppers
M3:
150g chicken breast
80g mixed veg
100g mixed peppers
M4:
2 bagels
7 full eggs
M5:
400g low fat rice pudding
12g 85% dark chocolate
TD:
M1:
120g ready brek oats
1 serving of Whey
M2:
110g ready brek oats
1 serving of Whey
12g 85% chocolate
M3:
150g chicken
62g mexican inspired microwaveable rice
50g mixed veg
100g mixed peppers
2 wraps
M4:
150g chicken
62g mexican inspired microwaveable rice
50g mixed veg
100g mixed peppers
2 wraps
M5:
200g Skyr icelandic yoghurt
Other updates
Mood, energy and hunger haven't been too different, still very easily manageable, especially for how far out I am. I'm actually surprised with how I feel, which showcases the power of an approach to a show.
Training update
Legs went down a treat, I'm progressing on everything but hack squats. numbers are dropping of slightly on this exercise which is frustrating. But on other exercises i'm progressing either by reps or load. Despite the heat energy in this session was v good
Both pull sessions were great, slightly dropping off in the second one but execution was still bang on and I still managed to keep a good pump.
Push was good in the sense i seemed to maintain numbers well and even improve execution on some exercises. Shoulder presses still seem to be on the up.
No changes in terms of expenditure
Physique update
At just over 4 and 6 weeks from my qualifying shows i'm weighing 175.4lbs. Another productive week for fat loss, a total just over 1 lbs lost on last weeks average and this week we're already down 1.3lbs. In terms of the actual physique we are looking overall tighter but flatter, mainly in the top. Legs are holding onto fullness better. Constant practice of posing has helped with my symmetry a lot and the shoulder has become less of a problem. Hopefully by my first competition it would of fully fucked off.
Nutrition
There's been no change in food this week but i thought i'd give you an update on my food choices.
I've taken the previous protein decrease mainly out of my pre and post work out meal on my training day and out of my chicken on my non training day. For satiety and digestion health I've switched chicken for beef in my pre and post work out wraps. Also for satiety I've increased my veg intake and swapped my standard oats for ready brek oats.
NTD:
M1:
130g ready brek oats
1 serving of Whey
M2:
140g cooked chicken breast
80g mixed veg
100g mixed peppers
M3:
140g cooked chicken breast
80g mixed veg
100g mixed peppers
M4:
2 bagels
6 full eggs
M5:
400g low fat rice pudding
10g 85% dark chocolate
TD:
M1:
110g ready brek oats
1 serving of Whey
M2:
110g ready brek oats
1 serving of Whey
M3:
180g 5% Beef mince
62g mexican inspired microwaveable rice
50g mixed veg
100g mixed peppers
2 wraps
M4:
180g 5% Beef mince
62g mexican inspired microwaveable rice
50g mixed veg
100g mixed peppers
2 wraps
M5:
200g Skyr icelandic yoghurt
Other updates
Towards the ends of last week and the start of this fatigue and hunger both higher. I found myself dragging myself about to places and generally was a lot less energetic. But the past couple of days I've felt a lot better with good amounts of energy through the day and no real hunger which is interesting.
Training update
Leg training has gone okay, I've maintained mainly but taken another progression in load on the leg press which seems to be my only place of progression in my leg session. The main issue i'm having is with tight glutes which need treatment, i believe that might be effecting the hack squat and the reason my back tweaked. I'll get some treatment on this soon and keep you guys updated on whether my performance improves as a result of this.
Pull training has been pretty routine, I've maintained mainly of both pull days which I have. I'm able to still get a decent pump, in fact probably better than in my off season as execution has only improved
Push training has gone well maintaining the numbers I've progressed too nicely. I've even taken further progression on the dumbbell shoulder press.
No changes in expenditure this week
Physique update
At just over 5 weeks out i'm currently sitting at 177.4lbs again productive week for fat loss detail has creeped through mainly in the side shots but is noticeable throughout the physique
Nutrition update
To keep things ticking over we've dropped 25g protein (100kcals) on both training and non training days. Protein hasn't been touched since we started prep, with being roughly 30lbs lighter it made sense to pull calories from there. So current macros are
TD: C 325 F 50 P 200
NTD: C 250 F 65 P 200
Other updates
Sleep, mood, hunger and energy have pretty much stayed the same this past week which means i'm still in a decent place for this far out.
Great log Jack, you have a very well balanced physique with great size. Excited to see your progress onto stage. Think you are doing the same BNBF show as me, (I’m not young enough to be a junior though 🤣)
Hi guys, don't worry I haven't forgotten about you. I missed my slot to update you last week so i'll give you a run through of the past couple of weeks.
Training update
My push sessions these past couple of weeks have been VERY good. Energy throughout was in a good place and I took some very good progressions in both reps and load. Especially with pressing movements. In some pressing movements I've actually gone back to the load I've use prior to prep which i'm ecstatic about being 30lbs lighter.
There have been highs and lows to my leg sessions. I tweaked my back on the hack squat in last weeks session which caused me to miss my last set on that exercise. But on the rest of the exercises i'm maintaining either or taking progressions on loads. The leg press especially has been a good exercise for progression. I'm happy with this considering I felt quite lethargic going into my most recent leg session
Pull sessions have also gone well, I've mainly maintained on lifts throughout. Execution is still a massive focus point for me on pull as I need to retain as much tissue as possible in this area. so i'm happy it hasn't slipped on these numbers
Overall a very positive couple weeks of training. No changes the past couple of weeks in steps or cardio.
Physique update
At just over 6 weeks until the first show I'm weighing at 178lbs. With 2.3lbs average down last week and close to 1 lbs so far this week these past couple of week have been very productive for fat loss. It's correlated to the physique also with a tighter look throughout.
Shoulder stiffness is still an issue and is still making it difficult to keep poses symmetrical, I will be seeing someone very soon regarding this issue.
Coach Aj came down to Strength Asylum this past week to see me in person, his feedback was positive and said we are well on track for our first show and the in person physique were true to the check in photos (if not better). With the first show being BNBF we've made some tweaks to the rear poses to better suit their posing criteria. We've also added in 3 back to back rounds of daily to improve posing stamina and the actual posing itself.
Nutrition Update
Due to a decent rate of loss the past couple of weeks, there have been no changes to nutrition
Other updates
Sleep quality has shot up the past couple of weeks, I'm currently averaging over 2 hours of deep sleep per night which is great as I was struggling to get 1 hour at the start of prep, this may of played a role in the increase of my training performance and even fat loss.
I've noticed fatigue and hunger has increased over the past 2 weeks and my mood is more irritable. But saying that i'm still in a very good mentally and i'm still willing to dig much much deeper than this. Also this isn't anywhere near how I felt in comparison to the peak of my 2016 prep although the condition is similar.
Training update
Legs was an incredible session this week, prioritising recovery in this session in terms of keeping cardio away and taking a rest day before hand seemed to of paid off as I've creeped up both load and reps . I'm hoping to regain as much strength as I can in response to the drop in performance a few weeks a go. The increased cardio intensity has definitely complimented my recovery times between sets on this day and also the higher rep sets.
Push has been up and down, but mainly up. I have taken progressions in my incline pressing on my first push day but then it dropped of a lot in my second push day, my energy was unusually low that session but I pretty much maintained everything else that day. Shoulder pressing has remained strong throughout.
My first pull session of the week was great, really good connection throughout the session. Due to sleep being off because of the heat it compramised my second pull day, not drastically but reps were down in a few exercises.
All together, i'd say it's been a good week of training.
Physique update
At 8.5 weeks out i'm weighing 181.4 lbs. A 1.4lbs average drop last week and a similar drop so far this week. This past week has been great in terms of progressing condition. Last weeks changes in cardio and food are to credit for that. Again playing around with posing and improved my back poses.
My shoulder was quite stiff the morning of my check in, so i had to get a mirror to ensure my posing was balanced for the photo's (hence why i'm looking at the floor in some of my shots). This problem seems to be only in the mornings.
Nutrition update
This week there has been no changes in terms of nutrition
Other updates
This past week I've added in 1,200mg Ashwagandha daily. 600mg AM 600mg PM
As well as this I've started to meditate too using the 'headspace' app. I've found meditation has made it easier to deal with any food focus, fatigue or irritability I feel, not that it's much atm, but it prepares me for when it progresses.
Both of these have complimented each other in the fact they have made me feel calmer and focused. I would honestly recommend to anybody.
Training update
Due to unplanned circumstances out of my control I didn't have the opportunity to complete my leg training. But numbers were on the up for most part of the session I managed to do, which is a positive.
Push sessions have been better this past week due to my shoulder injury pretty much going away which i'm very happy about.
I'm still having really good pull sessions, I trained with Vicky Mirceta (tiny titan) which ensured that factor. Due to my shoulder being better I've increased my ROM on lifts too load the latt more and that seems to connect and pump up better.
No changes to steps this week. The only change to cardio is the intensity, currently I'm on the stair master at level 10, this has been changed from level 7.
Physique Update
At 9.5 weeks out we are sitting at 183.2 lbs, a 2.9lbs average drop last week. Again a little extra detail in the physique has creeped through, I've also played around with my posing a little more and added an abs and thigh variation (see below). Posing was overall a lot easier due to my shoulder niggle going down.
After our pull session Vicky had a look at my physique to feedback to Aj about what I looked like in person and where we are at. It confirmed that we are on track, the front is coming in well. But it's agreed that the glutes and the hamstrings are the fattier areas.
Nutrition update
Changes for this week, Carbs have been dropped by 25g on training days (100 kcals) and Fats have been dropped by 10g on non training days (90 kcals) so current macros are
TD C: 325 F: 50 P: 225
NTD: C: 250 F: 65 P: 225
Here is how my food is looking:
NTD:
M1:
145g oats
1 serving of Whey
M2:
170g cooked chicken breast
100g mixed veg
M3:
170g cooked chicken breast
80g mixed veg
M4:
2 bagels
6 full eggs 1 egg white
M5:
400g low fat rice pudding
10g 85% dark chocolate
TD:
M1:
110g oats
1 serving of Whey
M2:
110g oats
1 serving of Whey
M3:
160g cooked chicken breast
62g mexican inspired microwaveable rice
40g mixed veg
80g mixed peppers
2 wraps
M4:
160g cooked chicken breast
62g mexican inspired microwaveable rice
40g mixed veg
80g mixed peppers
2 wraps
M5:
225g Skyr icelandic yoghurt