[Marc]

Just got an email back due to regulations. Proforma are not longer selling Reta !!!

Have you emailed them and send you are a member of the tbjp site mate?

[Marc]

Hi guys

Switched my sessions today instead of full upper I did upper – push focused simply to get both pull and push ticked off earlier in the week with larger muscle groups, before then tapering down on Friday with one last upper session 2 days out from competing.

Session was good, still training with reps in reserve but training with a load that feels heavy enough to get good stimulus to my body.

Overall good session. steps down today from 8k will likely land around 6k instead by the end of play today.

Full session was;

Machine fly – 2 x 10-12
Flat chest press – 2 x 8-12
Cuffed cable lateral raise – 3 x 8-12
Unilateral tricep pushdown – 2 x 10-15
Over shouder tricep extension 2 x 8 -12

[Marc]

Speaking from experience with me having severe osteoarthritis in my shoulder I would look into having a hyaluronic acid which will lubricate your shoulder joint and expand the joint capsule combined with Toradol which a pain killer. Honestly I can’t say how well it is with helping with what you are describing. I’m not a doctor but I can only speak from experience, but if you go ahead with it make sure it’s ultrasound guided so it goes exactly where it’s needed. Also keep on top of anti inflammatory supplements such as osteo pro, cure coming, join in, oh mega pharma pro as these really do help too

[Marc]

Rest day for me today, training this week is 1 day on 1 day off with my last training session being Friday, 2 days out from competing this Sunday in Portugal.

With no more leg training this week this makes the most sense with still getting my 3 usual upper body training sessions.

Keeping steps at 8k for now daily with short walks between each meal and 1 light round of posing to aid digestion and nutrient partitioning.

Feeling good, chilled and I’m genuinely liking what I am seeing day to day.

[Marc]

Hey Marc just curious if you are still working with Patrick or if you are coaching yourself now?

Also if you could post what your steps/cardio along with what your diet looks like right now! 😀 you look great btw 💪🏻

Morning Nick

At this moment in time I’m not going to go into the coaching aspects as I don’t think it serves a purpose at this moment in time and it’s not something I want to get into.

Steps daily at present are 8k spread throughout the day with shorts 5-10mins walk after each meal. I haven’t done cardio the last few which was previous 6mins stairmaster post workout which I don’t think agreed with my knees and wasn’t much anyway.

Diet changes based on what I see and the look I want to bring.

My food therefore isn’t consistent but my main form of food sources are;

Carbs:
Hydro rice
Jam

Protein:
Tbjp whey isolate
Egg whites
Large whole eggs
5% lean beef mince
Chicken breast

Veggies / fruit:
Spinach
Non-starch veggies
Blueberries

Fats:
Almond butter

Salt:
10g lo salt
5g pint salt

Split between 5 meals
Water 6 litres – excluding making hydro rice low volume

Food sources / salt / water have and will remain the same this week – but food mainly through carbs is the only variable being manipulated as needed based on my look

[Marc]

Even adding in eggs / egg whites if this sits well with veggies could also help hunger here

[Marc]

Also what does your food actually look like on both days, can you write it out with meal timings

My current meal plan with timings.

I will try and split it up in 5 meals on rest day moving forward.

[/quote]

Can’t see it.

Can you type it out please[/quote]

Certainly (alternatively you can download it by opening it and clicking the 3 dot menu):

[code]

═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════

TRAINING DAY

═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════

M1 — 6:30

Whey Protein ………….. 40 g

────────────────────────────────────────────

Meal total: 154 kcal | P 29 | C 3 | F 3

PRE — 9:30

Rice Meal ……………. 100 g

Whey Protein ………….. 40 g

Raspberries …………… 50 g

────────────────────────────────────────────

Meal total: 521 kcal | P 38 | C 86 | F 3

POST — 12:30

Oats ………………… 100 g

Whey Protein ………….. 50 g

Banana ………………. 120 g

Almond Butter …………. 15 g

────────────────────────────────────────────

Meal total: 754 kcal | P 52 | C 93 | F 19

M2 — 15:30

Turkey Breast (raw) …… 120 g

Green Beans ………….. 400 g

Rice …………………. 50 g

Olive Oil …………….. 10 g

────────────────────────────────────────────

Meal total: 486 kcal | P 39 | C 51 | F 14

M3 — 18:30

Cottage Cheese ……….. 300 g

Whole Egg ………………. 2

Potatoes …………….. 300 g

────────────────────────────────────────────

Meal total: 612 kcal | P 54 | C 64 | F 16

═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════

DAY TOTAL: 2527 kcal | P 213 | C 297 | F 54

═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════

═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════

REST DAY

═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════

M1 — 6:30

Whey Protein ………….. 50 g

────────────────────────────────────────────

Meal total: 192 kcal | P 37 | C 4 | F 3

M2 — 10:00

Olive Oil …………….. 10 g

Planted Chicken ………. 160 g

Green Beans ………….. 400 g

Rice …………………. 80 g

────────────────────────────────────────────

Meal total: 679 kcal | P 53 | C 77 | F 18

M3 — 14:00

Oats ………………… 100 g

Whey Protein ………….. 50 g

Banana ………………. 120 g

Almond Butter …………. 15 g

────────────────────────────────────────────

Meal total: 754 kcal | P 52 | C 93 | F 19

M4 — 18:00

Cottage Cheese ……….. 300 g

Whole Egg ………………. 2

Potatoes …………….. 300 g

────────────────────────────────────────────

Meal total: 612 kcal | P 54 | C 64 | F 16

═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════

DAY TOTAL: 2237 kcal | P 195 | C 238 | F 56

═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════

[/code]

[/quote]
Have you considered reducing protein powder down for example meal 1 (replace with eaas) then add a whole protein source like chicken on both rest days and training days to keep you feeling fuller.

You have got a very large amount of veg in meal 2, appreciate hunger is high but seems excessive, instead get some fruit like berries and Mediterranean/ spinach split across your whole meals. Cottage cheese could be a whole protein source instead and add some veggies.

I wouldn’t class the m1 protein as a meal either, there’s not much to it. Try to get meals in where you actually chew your food as this will help you I feel

[Marc]

First gym session ticked off today in Portugal. My big evolution gym is unreal, so many pieces of great kit and the gym is huge – could literally get lost in there, great atmosphere too and friendly staff / members.

Trained with a few reps in reserve on every exercise simply because I’m not trying to deplete my glycogen stores or cause any unnecessary fatigue at this stage.

Chest supported upper back row x1
Single arm lat row x2
Single arm pulldown x2
Seated rear delt row x2
Cable preacher curl x2
Single arm bicep curl (facing stack) x2
Abductor x1

[Marc]

Also what does your food actually look like on both days, can you write it out with meal timings

[Marc]

Interested to know – what are your current calories? How many meals do you eat a day? And what were they when you finished your diet? Do you sleep well? (What times) do you Hydrate well?

Current around 2600/2300 training/restday.
I eat 4 meals on rest and 5 on training day (+ intra EAAs).

Currently, the heat is impairing my sleep a little bit (the same as everyone in europe ^^), I sleep from 20:30 to around 3:15-3:45, wake up two to three times.

I drink sufficently.

[/quote]
Have you taken your calories up much from where you ended the cut.

I’d try to eat 5 meals each day if I was you. 4 meals could feel like a very long gap between feedings.

Get your micronutrients in, fruit, veggies and bump protein up a touch if needed to help hunger.

Have you reduced output cardio / steps from where you were on your cut?

[Marc]

Travel day today, flew out with kerry today ahead of us both competing next weekend in Portugal. Looking forward to the show, some great improvements have been made since my first show a few weeks ago in France. Portugal for me is about displaying what I wanted to bring to my first show of the season. This is bodybuilding, you learn and move through things to be better.

[Marc]

Hi Phil, the exercise suggestion looks fine I would personally slightly adjust the order of the movements. I would personally for instance on a push workout, do my chest exercises first, then my shoulder exercises then my triceps exercises. Not switch back and forth. I also like to always start each workout with an isolation movement. I use this rule for all workouts.

I agree with Louis here Phil.

Of course its person dependant but looking at your push workouts for example push is two lateral raise movements needed. Could start of with pec deck, do your chest compounds then shoulder compounds, then shoulder isolation and then triceps.

But you will have to trial and error see how this set up feels / recovery / progress capabilities as you may need to adjust volume

[Marc]

Full leg session today. Was really up for legs today, this session doesn’t come around very often, 1 session out of 4 so it was good to get after it.

Higher kcals nutrition today also, so that gave some extra fuel for the session. No forced reps, but as always training with intent and intensity.

Full session was;

Lying leg curl x2
Leg ext x2
Hip leg press x2
Seated leg curl x2
Abductor x2
Toe press x2

[Marc]

I agree with Louis and hilly that’s what I also use. Lats and rear delts are my go to sites

[Marc]

Rest day today, sports massage treatment was epic. Focus was on upper body really loosened me off and was perfect because now I’m leaner i didnt need much pressure. Higher kcals nutrition again today, bodyweight was the same this morning as yesterday following a higher day so says a lot about where my body is at currently. Step target today was 8k but some bits to get done i will finish the day just over 9k. Looking forward to a good nights rest