Faint Spells

The last few days I've been having dizzy/faint spells... It's like the room takes one big spin all of a sudden that makes me want to just drop to the ground. It can happen walking, training, or even just sitting in a chair. I also get blackouts, where suddenly everything starts going black on me and I have to hold on to something, in case I pass out.

I have yet to completely lose consciousness, but I am finding myself grabbing onto things to keep myself up, and wait it out. The problem is, this starts first thing in the morning, and after the first one, it feels like someone poured acid onto your brain, and it's just fried, and then it feels like that the rest of the day. Which leaves me 12-14 hours still ahead of me at that point. It makes you feel like lying down and wanting to take a nap, but I can't. Not only do I have to go to work and be enthusiastic, and encouraging to the clients, but I'm spotting them on movements. If I pass out in the middle of a session, I'm fucked, and so is the client. That's my only worry. I can handle all of these unpleasant side effects of this diet and training, but I can't let it effect work either.

There are a few theories floating around right now as to what is causing it...

One is that my blood sugar levels are low, which they are. My diet currently contains little to no sugar at all. There's plenty of Equal, and Splenda going around, but not any real sugar. Nor do any of the foods contain much natural sugars.

Another is the recurring problem of low carbs. My carbs don't need to be as low as they are right now, but I have this calorie ceiling over me, and I'm trying to keep my protein levels high to maintain as much muscle as possible in this process. However, high protein foods have little or no carbs in them at all. So I'm cramming as much protein into the calorie limits I have, but am therefore sacrificing carbs.

And lastly... In my current state my brain is working twice as hard to maintain cell function in all of my various systems in my body. It's focusing so hard on this, that it does tend to let other things slip. One being my breathing pattern. My breathing could be speeding up into short breaths, and I don't even realize it. This causes hyper ventalating, and then ultimately the blacking out/dizziness. To alleviate it, I was told if I hold my breath for a minute, and burn up some of the excess oxygen, that will help level me out, and then I have to set a slower breathing pace, so as to show my brain how I should be breathing...

What a pain in the ass.

Anyway, I'm working on all of this, and trying to figure out where I need to make adjustments. This is all part of doing a competition for the first time. Figuring out what works for YOUR body, and what doesn't. If I were to do this all again, I would obviously have a better idea as to how I could do it all more efficiently.

This is all a good example of why bodybuilding competitions, are not particularly healthy for you. There are benefits... flushing your body clean of toxins, removing all the body fat inside you and starting over clean... but there are negatives obviously as well.

6 Weeks Out

Well, my father has allowed me this weekend to ignore calorie restrictions and bring my carbs up for two days. For two days I can have up to 200 carbs, and eat as much of whatever is on my diet menu as I want. Which still won't be much, as my stomach has shrunk significantly and it doesn't take much to fill me up. I'm feeling a little more energy coming back to me on account of it, but I should even more so by the end of the day. More energy would make the rest of my life so much more bearable. Imagine that feeling of complete and utter exhaustion where you could fall asleep where you stand, where you're so tired you could just cry... and it's only 10:30 in the morning and you have a full day of work ahead of you. It's rough.

Fortunately though, I love my job. If I hated my job, or my boss, I don't know how I'd get through any of this. But I am lucky enough to love what I do, and have a job that keeps you busy the whole time, and distracts you from the hunger, and exhaustion. Once I start training people it's pretty much non-stop until I go home. So I'm running around all day, training, and demonstrating movements. Then if I do have a few moments to myself, I grab a few sets of crunches, or chin-ups or something just to keep the momentum going.

I'm helping out at the Willowbrook location for the next few months... afternoons into the evenings, as well as some mornings in Naperville. So Willowbrook is about a 35 min. drive for me in mid-day traffic going there, and about 25 coming home at night. So I'm moving the whole time I'm at work, but as soon as I get in that car and am sitting there for the drive home, the adrenaline wears off and a very HEAVY exhaustion sets in. It all catches up with me. By the time I walk in the door I just go straight to bed. I've got nothin' left then.

I'm putting in a lot of hours right now, which I really don't mind as I said I do love what I do, but boy I'll love it a lot more when I can actually visit the Portillo's across the street from us that I am tortured with the smells of everytime I come in and out of work.

I weighed in yesterday at 202lbs. My Father looked at me, and had me run through my poses and he seems to think that I have about 10lbs. to go before I'm in competition state. Which is manageable. I've lost 26lbs. in 6 weeks, so 10lbs. in 6 weeks should be no big deal. If I lose 2lbs. a week for the next 5 weeks, and then maintain that last week, I'll be good. Plus when I dehydrate I'll drop a few more pounds easily. So in the end it will probably be more than 10 pounds.

In talking to other competitors about my plans for the off season after the show, they told me that putting on 30lbs from your competition weight is all you should put on to train for gaining muscle. I was originally planning on getting up to 240 but that would be more fat sitting on me than I would need. So if I come in around 190 at competition time, then I'd be looking more around 220-225 to put on this year. Which is about where I was at last year, which is good. Plus, how I put that weight on will be done smarter this year. I'm more educated on this now, and will be able to more efficiently, and in a healthier way put the weight on. I think I could throw it on within two months. My sugar intake has been extremely high the last few years, and I'll be taking it easy on that shit from here on in. I'll be eating cleaner, but on a diet that will be higher in carbs to allow me to put on more size.

So now I'm finally at the half way mark in the diet. It feels like it's been going on for 6 months rather than 6 weeks, but you can't stop the clock, and there is a definite end to this. So I just have to hang in there 6 more weeks, and then I will be able to rejoin the rest of the world.

Drained

Well, I weighed in yesterday at 204... I'm still losing weight faster than I should. In 4 days I lost 3 pounds. My carb intake is too low. But the problem is trying to keep my protein levels high, within the calorie restrictions I have, and still get the carbs I need... as most of my high protein sources are little to no carbs.

I'm drained...

Little sleep, training, dieting, and 16 hour days... I feel like I can barely hold myself up right now...

That's all I've got energy for right now.

7 Weeks Out

Well, things are a little better.... my nerves have calmed more the past few days, and things have settled. My computer is still fucked, but I'm getting by with Holly's laptop.

The diet crunches down more as of today. It's funny, how as little as I get to eat, it suddenly seems like a lot, once you get more taken away. Like, last night was my last night of have spinach, and three turkey burgers for dinner. Now I can only have the 3 turkey burgers, or have 2 and some spinach. Then you think to yourself... this is the last time I'll have 3 turkey burgers and some spinach for the next 7 weeks... as if that was what I'd go running back for as soon as the diet is over.

7 weeks still feels like a long time... especially when you consider that I'm not even half way through the diet yet. But I'll make it. The one good thing about being allowed less and less food per meal, is my grocery bill will get cheaper as this goes along. Eating good, is WAY more expensive than eating shit all time.

Things will be getting intense from here on in. My work schedule is going to be changing up this week, and I'll be up in the morning... train, come home, eat breakfast, go back for the second workout, come home, shower, eat lunch, pack my food for the rest of the day, and then work from 1 - 9, then come home, go to bed, and do it all over again the next day... for the next 7 weeks. But being busy is better than not while on this kind of a diet... it helps keep your mind off of food and eating. The downside to a diet like this, is it leaves you with very little energy. That will hang on you all day.

I'm 207lbs, as of this morning. With at least 9 lbs to go to make my weight class of 198, but odds are I'll have to lose more than that. Once I make my weight for my weight class, then you're just going on how you look. Then you'll know how much more you have to lose. At my current pace I should lose that 9lbs within the next 3 weeks... then that last 4 weeks will be fine tuning.

So here we go... 7 weeks to go.

8 Weeks Out

Well I weighed in this morning, and I'm still the same weight as my last weigh in a few days ago... 210lbs. It's ok though... I only lost 2lbs. this week, but I'm supposed to be leveling out a bit on my rate of weight loss. I did eat a little more than usual this week. I was within the restrictions of my diet, but I've been taking in a lot less than my limit most days, plus my cardio was cut in half this week. But I'm feeling good. My calories cut some more as of today, still managable though. Things will start getting heavy in about 2 weeks though. Then things will really tighten up on the diet, and continue to exponentially all the way down to the show.

I've got at least 12lbs to go to get into my weight class... but odds are I'll have to lose more than that to look the way I'll need to for the show.

I'm already looking forward to the show being over. Not because of the diet or the training or anything... I'm pretty much used to it at this point. I'm looking forward to bulking up again. As good as it feels to be lean, I like to feel big too. And I'll be shooting for 240 this year. I've learned a lot about dieting in the course of this, and this year I know exactly what to do, to get that weight. Knowing it will work, and knowing what to do with it this time, is exciting.

People ask me how big I want to get... my answer is always the same... as big as I can. I'll probably wait until after my birthday in late August. In fact I may start the bulking up diet the day after my birthday... August 27th. I'd like to look reasonably defined for the summer... so I can take my shirt of outside, and not look too gross. I'm sure there'll be plenty of baseball being played, and I do like getting the sun on me when I'm out there, but last summer, I wasn't too comfortable when I'd have my shirt off out there. This year should be better coming off of the competition. I won't let myself go completely to shit or anything.

Anyway... there it is.

Update

Well I weighed in today... 210lbs. So in 3 1/2 weeks, I've lost 18lbs. I'm still a little ahead of myself, but whatever. My weightlifting is going much better now that it gets it's own workout without any cardio. Currently I get up, I go to the gym and do my half hour of cardio and abs. Eat breakfast, and then return to the gym as soon as I can depending on my schedule that day. If it's possible to go back right after breakfast I do. Otherwise it's usually late afternoon, or the early evening. At which time I do abs again, and then whatever my weights are for the day.

Now that I've been cut down to a 5 day a weeks schedule, it goes as follows:

Monday: Chest
Tuesday: Back
Wednesday: Legs (Quads, Hams, Calves)
Thursday: Shoulders
Friday: Arms (Biceps, Triceps)

Each body part gets 4 movements each, consisting of 4 sets each, with 1 minute rest periods between sets, and 10-12 reps worth of weight.

For abs, I'm doing 3 sets of leg raises for the lower abs primarily, and then I do what I call concentrated crunches for upper abs. I have found these to be more effective than the monotonous 1000 crunches a day. Every 2nd crunch you do, hold it in the crunch position, squeeze your abs... and count 2.

So you do one crunch, come up for the second one and then hold.... 1.... 2... do another crunch, and then on the next hold... 1... 2... and so on. Right now I do 3 sets of these between 50-75 a set. Twice a week I add weighted side bends, and lower back raises to work the obliques and lower back. These don't get as much attention as they are muscles that build easily, and give you a thick core. Which symetrically speaking isn't currently in my best interest.

Other than that... things are progressing nicely. My defintion is finally taking shape, I'm getting harder (my muscles that is....), and I'm getting excited about the show. However things are about to get a step harder this coming week, as the diet is going to crunch down even more. But I shall adapt... I just may lose my mind along the way. But I don't know how much left there is to lose at this point anyway.

9 Weeks Out

Well, 9 weeks to go. My Father is of the mind that I'm losing weight a little too quickly. After 3 weeks I've lost 16lbs. So he's cutting me down to 1 cardio a day now, and only training 5 days a week. At least for the time being, until I'm more lined up with where I should be. I should only be losing about 3 - 4lbs a week. So once I'm back on track, I may or may not return to the 2 cardios a day. Otherwise I've been feeling ok. Just tired. Carbs have been pretty low, and in spite of my heavy reliance on coffee as of late for energy... it only gets you so far.

Exhausted

I'm fucking exhausted...

An unprecedented 5 cups of coffee today, and I'm still ready to pass out. My calories are down to 1700 a day, and my carbs are averaging less than 100. I've been busy as all hell, not getting any sleep, and everything is just happening all at once. I've got shit going on tonight I can't get out of which is going to only allow me 6 hours of sleep, assuming my usual sleep problems don't keep me from utilizing all 6 hours of it. I don't see any point where I'll be able to catch up on any significant amount of sleep until Wednesday... today is Friday.

Cartoons Today Suck

For someone who has grown up loving cartoons, and comic books, it's very disappointing how lame cartoons are today. Even Cartoon Network has gone down the shitter in the past few years. They were our last hope.

All the remakes of old classic cartoons suck, like the new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles cartoons, and the most recent attempt at reviving The Transformers. They've gone so over the top with the remakes, that they have taken the heart out of what made those cartoons great in the first place. Any original cartoons now are Japanimation based, and it makes me want to throw up. I'm so sick of the style. It has completely taken over, and now every cartoon looks the same.

I'll allow Cartoon Network features a little more of a diverse array of styles. But even still, there's a Cartoon Network style that seems constant in a lot of cartoons on there. Then of course they have all the Japanimation shit on at night. Japanimation can be cool, there are good cartoons out there, it's just been SO overdone that I just can't stand to see it anymore. I can't wait for the cartoon world to move on past this, and for animators, and cartoonists to show some originality.

Yeager's Music

Now, think back to that time period... 94'-98'. Everyday I'd come into Yeager's after school to train, and hang out for the evening, and all they played ever was Q101. Now between 94'-98' there was SO MUCH great music on the radio then. Alternative music was at it's peak. Every band out there had a hit song, and almost all of them were awesome. Most of the singles that were big back then are still heard regularly to this day.

In an effort to remind me of where I came from, and to inspire me throughout my training I have tried to put myself back into thatYeager's mindset as much as possible. Thus my reason on telling the story of the place, and it's signifigance. I've been doing this by breaking out my old Yeager's shirts, and thanks to the convienience of mp3 players, have compiled a playlist of over 100 songs from back then that I listen to on random every workout. The whole playlist is over 6 hours long, so it takes me about 2 days worth of workouts to get through it all. It consists of songs from bands such as:

Beck
Collective Soul
Green Day
Live
Oasis
The Presidents Of The United States Of America
Radiohead
Rage Against The Machine
Red Hot Chili Peppers
Soundgarden
The Smashing Pumpkins
Weezer
No Doubt
Alanis Morrissette
Nirvana
Pearl Jam
Stone Temple Pilots
Beastie Boys
Bush
Foo Fighters
Nine Inch Nails
U2
The Wallflowers

I'm sure there's still some I could add to the list... so if there are any suggestions do let me know. But this is what I listen to everyday in the gym. This is the soundtrack for the next 12 weeks.

Yeager's

When I first began working out in high school it was 1994. I trained at a gym that was down in the shopping center down on Finley and Butterfield. It was called "Yeager's". Named after the owner Mark Yeager. A big part of why I got into working out in the first place was due to Yeager's Gym. Picture any Balley's, or Powerhouse or whatever... then picture 1/10th the size of it. That was Yeager's... an above ground basement. About 80-90% of the equipment there was MADE by Mark himself, and it was the best shit I ever worked out with. He had something for everything there... something the clubs 10 times bigger STILL don't have.

Being such a small place, you had little choice but to get to know every person there. The great thing though, was that everyone there was fucking awesome. Everyone was your buddy, and they were all extremely supportive. It was "Gym" gym... 95% of the people working out there were competitive bodybuilders. At one time Carlton Fisk was a regular there, and a fucking asshole I might add. (side story available at bottom of entry)

I didn't really get to join any sports in high school, but I didn't mind so much, because I lived for when school would end, and I'd go to the gym. I'd workout, and then hang out. I'd spend 3-4 hours there. I'd train, and then as the other big guys were coming in after getting out of work, I'd hang out to watch them train. They'd explain to me what they were doing, why, and how. It became my hangout, I didn't have much of a social life otherwise, so I spent all of my free time there. Weekends... everday after school.

A close friend of my Father's... a man by the name of Larry Weiss, a Vietnam vet and the greatest guy you could ever know, met me there everyday after school to train with me. I'll be writing more about him, as I get closer to the show. But this placed fueled an interest in weightlifting and bodybuilding that has remained in me to this day.

Yeager's was sold in 97', and the new owner ran the place out of business within about a year. This was also in part due to Powerhouse opening in Lombard. This was obviously a sad day for me when Yeager's closed. I boycotted Powerhouse for a long time, until I finally accepted that it was the only decent place around at that point to work out at.

To this day, I don't know that I've ever had a workout like the ones I'd get at Yeager's.

(side story... Jason Holman asked me to get his Carlton Fisk baseball card autographed for him. So I said "Sure, no problem!", you know, I see the fucking guy everyday this should be easy. So I see him at the gym the next day and I asked him, if he'd mind... his response was, "$25". I was still too young and naive to realize that he wasn't joking, so I just laughed... holding the card out waiting for him to take it. He was for real. So I felt like an asshole going back to Jason the next day, and telling him it was actually going to cost him. Had I been in his shoes, I'd have said fuck it then. But he pony'd up the $25, so I took it back to Carlton the next day, and he took it... said thanks, signed the card, and walked off without saying anything... fucking asshole.)

Sunday Morning

It's a pleasant Sunday morning...

I'm sitting here having my morning coffee, chillin' online. I've got one workout out of the way, with one to go. It's fucking freezing outside, but the sun is out and that's good enough for me. Tonight is WWE No Way Out, the last Pay-Per-View stop on the road to Wrestlemania 22. The next PPV will be the grandaddy of them all, and I will be there to experience it first hand.

So I've got that goin' for me... which is nice.

11 Weeks Out

Well, the first week of dieting is now behind me with 11 weeks to the competition. Last night was a better night of sleeping than I've had this past week. I may be starting to adapt a little more now to the lower calorie intake.

Last week before I went in for my first workout of the day, on my first day of dieting before eating anything, I weighed in at 228 lbs. I weighed myself this morning to see where I am a week later, and I weighed in at 219 lbs. So that's 9 pounds right there. I have a feeling the rest won't fall off quite as easily, but it's a nice to chunk to get out of the way.

A Sollution To The Knee Issue

I consulted with my chiropracter about my knee, he checked it out and said that there wasn't anything majorly wrong with it that he could tell. The meniscus, and ACL seemed fine... He said that taking time off from using it would cause it to atrophy more than heal itself. It needs to be stimulated so that it will heal. He suggested that I try using the elliptical rider to get my cardio in and see how it feels, and ease my way back into lifting with it. I rode the elliptical twice yesterday, and then again this morning, and so far it seems to be holding up ok. I'm burning enough calories in my half hour on there too. So that's a relief.

In the meantime, the diet has been a bit rough. It's not so bad during the day, but at night is when it's really kicking my ass. After I have dinner, I feel hungry again within a half hour or so. Then I'm hungry all night, and can't sleep on account of it. Add that on top of my sleep issues I've had already going into this, and I'm just not getting enough rest right now. I had a feeling this would end up being an issue, but I'm dealing with it the best I can. Part of the problem was how fast we dropped my daily caloric intake, it was faster than my body could adapt to.

But I'm toughing it out for now, and we'll see where things go from here.

Late Night

Well, it's almost 3 am right now...

I'm starving my ass off, and I can't sleep. Having sleeping issues going into this is bad enough, throw on top of that sheer hunger, and now sleep may become even more of a rarity. I don't know... it's still too early to tell. I may get used to it. But for right now it's almost 3 am, and I have about 5 hours before I can eat.