Cassie's 2010 Contest Prep Journal

[cassiegose]

Hello Friends!

A few people have requested that I continue with journal as I'm prepare for upcoming shows this spring. I decided to start a whole new journal for next shows as I planning on a doing a different diet and training program. So here it goes...

I was kind of on the fence about whether or not I should do a show in March or simply wait until the last weekend of April. Doing the March show would give me 12 weeks to prepare.. while the April show would give me 16. I've decided to go for the March show which will be held on March 27. If i've calculated correctly this gives me 81 days to prepare. Most people do need a full 16 weeks to get ready for a show, for first show I dieted for 24 weeks. However I feel like I've managed to keep body fat fairly low in the time since last show so should be able to be ready in 12 weeks. If I'm not ready (or atleast close to being ready) i'll skip the March show and just do one in April.

I started on diet last week by simply cutting out sugar and simple carbs. This morning I took the time to put together a detailed plain and switched up workouts today. This diet plan is going to be alot different than the one I was on last March. I'm hoping it will be easier and will allow me to retain more muscle than diet for the last show. We shall see!

I'm beyond excited as I begin the training and dieting for upcoming shows. I was honestly kind of dreading getting back to the diet, however after putting plan together this morning I feel more positive about plan for the upcoming months. I think its definitely going to be less challenging than the last competition prep was.

As I set goals for myself for the upcoming year, I know that many others are doing the same by fine-tuning diets, training programs, and attitudes. As always, if i can help in any way just shoot me a message.


Now a little extra motivation....

What ever the mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve

Winners never quit and quitters never win

If think you can't, you're right. If think you can, you're right

Be the change you wish to see in the world

An obstacle is often a stepping stone

Rather the pain of discipline, than the pain of regret

Things do not change; we change

When the world says "Give up"
Hope whispers "Try it one more time”

When you come to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on

Perseverance is the hard work you do after you get tired of doing the hard work you already did

I may not be there yet, but I'm closer than I was yesterday

Only you hold the key to your life, use it

Anyone can give up, it’s the easiest thing in the world to do. But to hold it together when everyone else would understand if you fell apart, that’s true strength!

[Nokie173]

YAY CASSIE!!!!... I'm excited .... and I'll be cheering for you girl

[Boss Man]

You'll be brilliant. GOOD LUCK .

[lareinamae]

I can't wait to watch you ROCK your next show! God help the competition, girlfriend!

[ironwill]

The inspiring one returns.....YES. Can't wait...your gonna ROCK.....

[cassiegose]

I can't wait to watch you ROCK your next show! God help the competition, girlfriend!

The inspiring one returns.....YES. Can't wait...your gonna ROCK.....

Awe... you guys are sweet.

Today I'm less than 12 weeks out from first show. I had measured this morning... 17%. I must be getting pretty good at guessing body fat as I figured I would be right at 17%. goal for first show is 12-13%. goal for second and third show is 11%. I also gained about 10-12 lbs since the last show. I knew I had gained weight so was prepared for those figures. Overall I feel like the past 2 months of bulking were successful as weights and strength in the gym have gone up dramatically. I probably should spend at least another month bulking, however theres just no way do to that and cut for upcoming shows. So the plan for the next month is to keep calories as high as possible while still losing 4 lbs (1lb a month). Right now calories are at 1850 and I have a feeling I'm going to need to increase these to 2000 as I really don't want to lose more than 1lb a week. I'll weigh in again on Friday and try to figure out what to do at that time. I'm keeping water, food, and sodium intake steady each day so that when i do weigh in on Friday any fluctuations in the scale should be mostly fat instead of water.

For the past few weeks I've been planning on attending the Emerald Cup Show in Olympia Washington (April 17)to watch the show and build motivation for upcoming show in May. The Emerald Cup is hands down the biggest show in the Northwest and will have some very fierce competitors. The more I think about this show, the more I'm tempted to enter. Right now I'm just a few days short of 15 weeks out from this show. I think I'm going to go for it and see what happens.

Because I'm so close to upcoming competition(s) diet for the next 3 months is going to have to be extremely strict. Usually competitors will allow a cheat meal once a week until they are 8-4 weeks out. I've decided not to do any cheats, and instead will increase calories slightly on Saturday ( toughest workout day) to try to keep metabolism firing and help with cravings. I will do this for the first month and see how it goes. After the first month I will start cycling carbs a bit to further keep metabolism firing. I'm going to try to keep as many calories as possible in diet through this entire process as I'm determined to hold on to as much muscle as I can.

For workouts, right now i'm doing a combination of heavy weight, lower reps and lighter weight high reps. For this first month I'm doing an upper body lower body split with 4 days of weights each week. So far I really like this workout. This morning was leg day ( favorite) and it was a KILLER. Love those leg days!

I suppose thats all today. I hope everybody's diets and workouts are going well! Hit me up if I can help in any way.

"Anyone can give up, its the easiest thing in the world to do. But to hold it together when everyone else would understand if you fell apart, thats TRUE STRENGTH".

Cassie

[cassiegose]

I had measured this morning... 17%.

This is why I don't believe trainer's BF measurements. He had me at like 17.5% last month, and I'm nowhere NEAR as lean as you are. Makes me feel good, but I don't really believe it.

Could be possible. Hard to say really. How did he measure it?

[Boss Man]

Here's a diet some 19 yr old guy had prior to a contest, that got him shredded I think in 2007. He won something called Mr Cumbria.

Meal 1. 3Oz approx if I remember correctly Fried Cod or some similar non-oily Fish + Rice Cake.

Meal 2. Fish

Meal 3. Fish and Rice Cake

Meal 4. Fish

Meal 5. Fish and Rice Cake

Meal 6. Fish

Meal 7. Fish and Rice Cake

Meal 8. Fish.

This means he carbed first thing, but not last thing. He started drinking a glass of wine or two about 6-8 weeks out. He claimed he didn't like it, but it helped him flush stuff out, then about 1-2 weeks out, he changed his Breakfasts for Steak and Eggs, then Carb loaded, and possibly flushed with water, (can't be sure on that).

However he then stupidly after qualifying for Universe in Germany, forgot his water for after the show, passed out backstage and ended up in hospital for a while on a drip DUH.

I think he came 5th or 6th out of 10-12.

[cassiegose]

Here's a diet some 19 yr old guy had prior to a contest, that got him shredded I think in 2007. He won something called Mr Cumbria.

Meal 1. 3Oz approx if I remember correctly Fried Cod or some similar non-oily Fish + Rice Cake.

Meal 2. Fish

Meal 3. Fish and Rice Cake

Meal 4. Fish

Meal 5. Fish and Rice Cake

Meal 6. Fish

Meal 7. Fish and Rice Cake

Meal 8. Fish.

This means he carbed first thing, but not last thing. He started drinking a glass of wine or two about 6-8 weeks out. He claimed he didn't like it, but it helped him flush stuff out, then about 1-2 weeks out, he changed his Breakfasts for Steak and Eggs, then Carb loaded, and possibly flushed with water, (can't be sure on that).

However he then stupidly after qualifying for Universe in Germany, forgot his water for after the show, passed out backstage and ended up in hospital for a while on a drip DUH.

I think he came 5th or 6th out of 10-12.

I would absolutely shoot myself if I had to eat that everyday. Seriously. I love the sport... but not enough to live on fish and rice cakes. Gag-0-rama.

With the diet i'm on now, i'm kind of trying to see what I can get away with eating while still cutting fat to goal percentage. So many people will tell you you MUST do this and you CAN'T do that while on this diet... "absolutely no dairy" "absolutely no fruit" "no eggwhites or oatmeal in the last 4 weeks" "absolutely no nuts/nut products"... frankly I think its all bull$hit. Yeah, different things work for different peeps but the bottom line is that this shouldn't be pure torture, it should be hard, yet still manageable. I'll be honest, I LOVE to eat. I really truly love food and I really truly enjoy eating it. If being a body builder means that I have to starve myself or live on fish and rice then I'm not cut out to be a bodybuilder.
I recently looked a fellow competitor's diet (given to her by her trainer) and was pretty appalled by what her trainer was suggesting. This person's trainer has her on less than 1200 calories a day FOR THE NEXT 5 months! She also has this person on less than 10 grams of fat per day for the next 5 months. I don't think a person should have to starve themselves while training for one of these shows. I don't think that they should have to limit their foods (as in the example posted above) to only two or three different foods each day. Yes, it should be hard. Yes, the last month is hell. Nobody said it was easy... however it shouldn't be pure torture the entire time. If thats the case then whats the point? Maybe I have it all wrong though?

As i said, I will be experimenting with diet for the next 15 weeks to see what i can get away with eating. Right now i'm keeping nuts, dairy, fruit, and whole eggs in diet. I will do this until fat loss slows, then i will slowly begin to rearrange diet. We'll see how it goes! I'm measuring, weighing, tracking, and recording EVERYTHING that i can eat so hopefully I can look back and see what works and what doesn't.

Cassie

[Boss Man]

Well I wasn't suggesting you must eat like that. I personally don't think it's necessary anyway for you, as I think he needed around 6-8% from memory, which you don't.

Though he probably could have gotten away with Cracked Black Pepper and Sea Salt now and again if he wished .

[cassiegose]

Well I wasn't suggesting you must eat like that. I personally don't think it's necessary anyway for you, as I think he needed around 6-8% from memory, which you don't.

Though he probably could have gotten away with Cracked Black Pepper and Sea Salt now and again if he wished .

LOL! Oh good! I honestly don't think its necessary for anybody to go on such an extremely crazy strict diet. Even if he was trying to get down to 6-8 percent body fat, he could do it just as easily eating things like chicken, venison, elk, turkey breast, brown rice, oats, eggwhites/eggs, dairy, legumes, and sweet potatoes. Yeah fish and rice cakes are staples in many bodybuilders diets, however i cant imagine eating only those foods for anything longer then a day. I would go nutso! Different strokes for different folks I suppose though eh? One positive thing about his diet is that it would be very convienient and he wouldn't have to bother with tracking calories and macros as every day would be the same. I wonder how he would manage to go number 2 though with no veggies? Not much fiber in rice cakes or fish...

[cassiegose]

I've been told that i need to update the ole journal so thought I'd check in.

I suppose the problem with updating is that I really don't have too much to say. So far the diet is going well. I'm amazed at how easy it was go slip back into the competition diet. I think it was easy because the diet tends to start easier, then becomes more difficult as you get closer to the show. I'm sure i'll be complaining in a month or so!

I was a little frustrated this morning when I weighed in and the scale hasn't budged since last week. I'm hoping its water weight as things have felt a little off lately and i didn't drink nearly enough water yesterday. I'll give it a couple of days and try again. If nothing else i get fat pinched again next wednesday so hopefully will see some fluctuations there. Its too early to do anything drastic so i'll just keep up with what i've been doing and if i haven't made progress by next wednesday i'll be making some changes to the ole routine/diet.

I suppose thats all I know right now. I hope everybody else is doing well in these post holidays days.

[Boss Man]

Don't worry about it. This kind of thing happened one time in the last prep phase, so just keep your chin up keep pushing and dont worry. If changes need to be made, you will make them and get things on track if needs be.

I am confident you are doing your best .

[lareinamae]

Yay! Cassie! You're doing super!

We're going to have so much fun eating healthy food and working out this weekend! I can't wait!

[skully]

I may not be there yet, but I'm closer than I was yesterday

That's the best quote I've ever read. It's so true. We think about how we will be in 5-6 months, and forget that we look and feel and are better TODAY than we were the day before, the week before!