The Time Has Come....

[Joshua H]

Hope to be relocating for a job in the next 2 weeks pending call backs from 4-5 different agencies, colleges and institutions of which I recently interviewed with. Assuming one or more calls back for a job offer I may end up in Houston(NASA) NY(RPI) Green Bay(Aurora Hospital) or Baton Rouge(LSU).

Untill I know for sure who and where the hell I will be living and working for the next few years of my life I cannot pinpoint a contest to compete in. My plans for this year was to compete in November some place in the uppermidwest region but with job relocation being the priority, that is now on hold.

I intend to find a INBF contest some place local or within 100 miles of where I end up being placed that is marked for November or at latest April 2010.

Right now I am 213lbs at 13% bodyfat, standing at 6'2'' and just 3 days from my 25th birthday (and yes unemployed at the momment):mad:

I have started a "tapper diet for about 10 days now with the intent on progressing into a honest cut diet in late September if I do find a November show within the INBF/OCB/NANBF that works out to be at a local venue.

I will more then likely enter as a light-heavyweight for the contest as well.

Its been 3 years this April since my last contest in Appleton, WI which was an NPC contest where I got 7th in the same weight class out of 10 men.

I will get some pictures up tonight to be used as my September 2009 progress pictures as well as my starting pictures for this jounrey.

Looking to garner the interest and support of all the members here as I start this road back to the stage.

My current diet is attached so take a glance at that.

I also use ZMA and a B-Complex supplement daily which is not listed there.

The shotgun is taken immedietly before workout but I include it as part of post workout in the attachment just for simplicity.

[Joshua H]

Sorry for missing the picture upload last night. My camera battery was almost dead when I got to the gym and so that put the cabash on any pictures!

I will try and get some taken outside today in my backyard since its perfect out here in Madison, WI today! 76 and sunny, could not ask for more!

[Joshua H]

Taken today before the workout.

Any feedback is appretiated.

Again, the exact show has not been chosen untill I know for sure where I am moving to for a job and when I am moving. Late November is the earliest I would compete and thus a tapper diet is what I have been on with 3 days of cardio on my none workout days, same as offseason.

[Joshua H]

Todays workout- Upper Body Repetitive Effort (UBRE)

930AM

Power Bench Press
10 sets of 3 as fast as possible @ 195lbs w/60s rests

Decline Close Grip Smith Press
3 sets of 8-10 @ 140lbs

Free Motion Seated Cable Rows
3 sets of 12 @ 290lbs

BW Med Grip Pull Ups
4 sets of 6-8

DB Bench Pull Overs
2 sets of 12 @ 75lbs

Kneeling Smith Shoulder Press
3 sets of 12 @ 70lbs (3 sec drop/explosive up)

Tourniquet Style DB Curl
4 sets of 15-20 @ 20lbs w/60s rests

Tourniquet Style DB Kick Backs
4 sets of 20 @ 20lbs w/ 60s rests

All sets utilized a 2 minute timed rest unless noted.

Great workout overall, numbers were up, energy high and pump amazing!

[Joshua H]

TGIF once again!! Yeah Buddy!

Todays workout - Lower Body Repetitive Effort (LBRE)


930am

Warm Up....

Box Squats
10 sets of 3 up to 245lbs w/60s breaks

Depth Jumps
4 sets of 5 w/90s breaks

Unilateral Leg Extensions
3 sets of 15 each up to 90lbs

SLDL
6 sets of 10 up to 265lbs

Tourniquet Style Smith Calve Press
4 sets of 25-30 @ 90lbs w/60s breaks

Cool down......stretch.....done!

Last workout I ever do at age 24........hope my metabo slows down at 25!!

[natron]

TGIF once again!! Yeah Buddy!

Todays workout - Lower Body Repetitive Effort (LBRE)


930am

Warm Up....

Box Squats
10 sets of 3 up to 245lbs w/60s breaks

Depth Jumps
4 sets of 5 w/90s breaks

Unilateral Leg Extensions
3 sets of 15 each up to 90lbs

SLDL
6 sets of 10 up to 265lbs

Tourniquet Style Smith Calve Press
4 sets of 25-30 @ 90lbs w/60s breaks

Cool down......stretch.....done!

Last workout I ever do at age 24........hope my metabo slows down at 25!!

Really??? Things that make you go hmmmm...Not trying to sound rude, but judging by your pics, your not all that lean, and the appearance of a slow metabolism, just sayin'

[Joshua H]

[/B]
Really??? Things that make you go hmmmm...Not trying to sound rude, but judging by your pics, your not all that lean, and the appearance of a slow metabolism, just sayin'

Looks are one thing I agree, I was dunk tanked at 13% just 3 weeks ago and since then have gained 1lb.

Just a note, I was 193lbs in early January this year, I was 7 site skinfold tested at 11% back then. I have been between 3700 and 4200 kcals a day from then till now. To have gained 20lbs in 8 months with a 2% increase in bf does not seem to reflect a slow metabolism at that calorie intake in my perspective, thats with 3/30 min LISS sessions per week as well.

[The Big Sexy]

What do you think your weight/bf % is now?

Also, have you looked into a posing coach and/or do you have someone who can look over your nutrition and maybe offer some suggestions?

[Strikerrjones]

What's your split like? Your workouts seem... unique.

[Curt James]

Hope to be relocating for a job in the next 2 weeks pending call backs from 4-5 different agencies, colleges and institutions of which I recently interviewed with. (snip)

Its been 3 years this April since my last contest in Appleton, WI which was an NPC contest where I got 7th in the same weight class out of 10 men.

Best wishes on the call backs! :beerbang:

Do you have any pics from the Appleton show?

[hulk7280]

Looks are one thing I agree, I was dunk tanked at 13% just 3 weeks ago and since then have gained 1lb.

Just a note, I was 193lbs in early January this year, I was 7 site skinfold tested at 11% back then. I have been between 3700 and 4200 kcals a day from then till now. To have gained 20lbs in 8 months with a 2% increase in bf does not seem to reflect a slow metabolism at that calorie intake in my perspective, thats with 3/30 min LISS sessions per week as well.

unfortunatly, no one is going to check your bodyfat on stage.. its all how you LOOK.. and right now you dont have the LOOK of an ecto.. you actually have some VERY endo charatistics with you holding most of your weight around your mid section....

and i would quit with the "fancy" workouts and get back to basics.. bench, squat, and deads... in the 8-12 rep range..

[AVBG]

Although you have improved since last time on stage (I remember seeing your last comp pics at MD) I don't think that competing or at least cutting right now would be in your best interest Josh. I most definitely wouldn't suggest going on a bulk maintain the current BF.

Just my opinion but I think you're over thinking the workout and not really focusing on bringing up your weak points.

[Joshua H]

I had Layne Norton design my workouts and my diet from late Jan till now.

He is the reason why I gained the 20lbs over the past 8 months actually. Prior to that I would gain weight but in equal amounts of fat and muscle. Ended up losing most the muscle I added when I would cut or tapper down. Thats why I went to him. His workouts are really interesting in that they have me hitting muscles with far more frequency then I had done before. It all based on core lifts and basics lifts like deads, squats, benches, rows, chins, and military press. My strength has never been where it is now thanks to him.

My split is as follows:

Monday - max effort upper body
Tuesday - max effort lower body
Wednesday - 40 mins cardio
Thursday - repetitive effort upper body
Friday- repetitive effort lower body
Sat- 40 mins cardio
Sun- 40 mins cardio

-max effort days use 4-6 reps to failure with slow rep speeds
-repeat effort days use 2-3 reps for power movement and 8-12 reps on other lifts

I cant lay out the whole plan due to Layne's intellectual property laws in that his program/diet was made for me and me alone, to post the whole thing would be shady, sorry guys. I like having Layne as an allie, not an enemy...:yep:


NOTE....The diet I started 2 weeks ago is designed by myself, prior to August 22 I was on Layne bulk plan.

[The Big Sexy]

I had Layne Norton design my workouts and my diet from late Jan till now.

He is the reason why I gained the 20lbs over the past 8 months actually. Prior to that I would gain weight but in equal amounts of fat and muscle. Ended up losing most the muscle I added when I would cut or tapper down. Thats why I went to him. His workouts are really interesting in that they have me hitting muscles with far more frequency then I had done before. It all based on core lifts and basics lifts like deads, squats, benches, rows, chins, and military press. My strength has never been where it is now thanks to him.

My split is as follows:

Monday - max effort upper body
Tuesday - max effort lower body
Wednesday - 40 mins cardio
Thursday - repetitive effort upper body
Friday- repetitive effort lower body
Sat- 40 mins cardio
Sun- 40 mins cardio

-max effort days use 4-6 reps to failure with slow rep speeds
-repeat effort days use 2-3 reps for power movement and 8-12 reps on other lifts

I cant lay out the whole plan due to Layne's intellectual property laws in that his program/diet was made for me and me alone, to post the whole thing would be shady, sorry guys. I like having Layne as an allie, not an enemy...:yep:


NOTE....The diet I started 2 weeks ago is designed by myself, prior to August 22 I was on Layne bulk plan.

LOL - sorry, you mean that you and Layne have an agreement to not post or share publicly his nutritional information? I've seen/heard about that before... I don't think it would be shady, it would be an outright violation of you're guys agreement! LOL so, good not posting it all up here.

Is there a general concept behind the program you could share?

[Joshua H]

With all that said I am willing to take helpful advice on the diet plan I have above from anyone who can reason or back up their suggestions. I need sound logic to except what is being offered, just as I do with my clients, makes you feel better when you understand the why when you see the how more clearly.

[Joshua H]

As a strength and conditioning specialist (CSCS) myself, I can see that the program is based on a concurrent training scheme in which maximum strength is being built as a priority along side hypertrophy as a secondary goal.

The power movements enhance rate of force development and motor unit recruitment in all major muscles (you cant flex it or use it if you cant stimulate it after all....)

The max effort movements using compound lifts is basic, get fucking strong as shit to develop more muscle fiber density, rate coding, recruitment, and neural drive and lastly better muscle synergy/less antagonistic muscle involvement. You get stronger = you lift more, you lift more = you use that in higher rep hypertrophy days = you get bigger.

The repeat effort days is basic bodybuilding, TUT basis using isolation movements with compound movements done first to hit smaller muscle groups that are not getting direct stimulation in the other lifts.

Thats how I read into it......hows that sound....?

[Tre]

I absolutely hate to destroy a young eager beaver's dream, but let me break it right down for you:

bodybuilding is not your thing

Now, maybe it's a bit of transference on my part, but when I was about 22-23, I realized that I didn't have what it takes to be a champion bodybuilder...or even a really good one.

The smartest move I ever made was to let that dream go.

Point blank, you simply don't have the base. Your clavicles are way too narrow and there's no way for you to fix the fact that your shoulders are so close together.

Yes, you'll be able to build some muscle and get lean, and maybe that's all you care about, but all the muscle in the world wouldn't look good on a bad frame.

That said, you can keep the current program in your files, but I'd suggest you take some of the good advice here and forget about cutting right now and just focus on building muscle.

Also, as stated by Hulk7280, I would definitely recommend doing some heavy lifting with real, basic exercises. Machines and the fancy stuff are great for the occasional 'break' or for your 'shaping' workouts, but spend the winter months moving real iron and you'll see results. Hell, that even works for an old schmoe like me.

Good luck.

[Scoobysnacks]

Tre is right man, as much as I hate to say it. You have dedicated what the last year or so to put on muscle and you really dont look any different from your MD pics from the past.

I remember your lean pics, why dont you just get lean and focus on your career and continue to train.

Those numbers are off you have not added 20 lbs of muscle, weight maybe but muscle no way all muscle you would look like a new person.

Ss

[Curt James]

Do you have any pics from the Appleton show?


Although you have improved since last time on stage (I remember seeing your last comp pics at MD)

Okay, never mind on the pics request.


I don't think that competing or at least cutting right now would be in your best interest Josh. I most definitely wouldn't suggest going on a bulk maintain the current BF.

Just my opinion but I think you're over thinking the workout and not really focusing on bringing up your weak points.

Josh, if the technical workout keeps your interest - I'm betting you're a genius with an ADHD bent - then more power to you. Anything that keeps a person interested and motivated to hit the gym has got to be a good thing, barring injury, of course.


unfortunatly, no one is going to check your bodyfat on stage.. its all how you LOOK.. and right now you dont have the LOOK of an ecto.. you actually have some VERY endo charatistics with you holding most of your weight around your mid section....

and i would quit with the "fancy" workouts and get back to basics.. bench, squat, and deads... in the 8-12 rep range..

I don't think you're holding weight around your midsection as much as you possess wide hips with short clavicles and not much mass in the arms department. That's life. Doesn't mean you should not compete. That's utter bullshit. But I'd agree with hulk7280 that it's all about how you look and so I'd pass on competing this year.

Otoh, I applaud that you had the courage to step on stage. I'm 47 and have never competed. I'm a coward like Tre. lol


As a strength and conditioning specialist (CSCS) myself, I can see that the program is based on a concurrent training scheme in which maximu(snip)

Kudos on the CSCS, too. Very cool.


I absolutely hate to destroy a young eager beaver's dream, but let me break it right down for you:

bodybuilding is not your thing

Bodybuilding is for everyone, Tre. You should know that. Will everyone be aesthetically pleasing or possess the mass that is required to be clearly seen as an Olympia or Mr. Universe favorite? Of course not.


Now, maybe it's a bit of transference on my part, but when I was about 22-23,

Definitely transference, imo. And I'm not attacking you, Tre, just as you're not attacking the OP.

Your choice or assessment of your own physique doesn't have to be his opinion of himself.


I realized that I didn't have what it takes to be a champion bodybuilder...or even a really good one.

The smartest move I ever made was to let that dream go.

Has the OP's "dream" been addressed? I missed that.


Point blank, you simply don't have the base. Your clavicles are way too narrow and there's no way for you to fix the fact that your shoulders are so close together.

Yes, you'll be able to build some muscle and get lean, and maybe that's all you care about, but all the muscle in the world wouldn't look good on a bad frame.

Phil Heath has been slammed for having short clavicles. Tom Platz was always "bottom heavy". Many bodybuilders have no calves. Markus Ruhl criticized his own "lack" of triceps.

Is the OP in their league? No way, but where do you draw the line on who belongs on stage? I don't get those "competitors" who step on stage looking like bags of garbage. No color, not shaved, no posing routine practiced whatsoever, no conditioning, Wtf?

They just walk on stage and do a "most muscular" (cough) and then take their trophy for being the only person on the stage in their age class or weight class. GTFO!

But this guy was 7th of 10 at an NPC show. What he looks like in the pics in this thread don't have a direct connection to what he'll look like in 20 weeks.

And the hips are a bigger problem, from my perspective, than the clavicles.

http://forums.rxmuscle.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=29968&stc=1&d=1252007843
The hip structure determines the V taper and you have a big problem on that count.

I'd trade for narrower hips before broader clavicles.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v108/curt_james/BodySpace/MT09/br.jpg
Mother Nature can be a real b...


Tre is right man, as much as I hate to say it. You have dedicated what the last year or so to put on muscle and you really dont look any different from your MD pics from the past.

I remember your lean pics, why dont you just get lean and focus on your career and continue to train.

Those numbers are off you have not added 20 lbs of muscle, weight maybe but muscle no way all muscle you would look like a new person.

Ss

Agreed. Even the genetically gifted don't normally gain 20 lbs of lean tissue in a year, do they?

I'm sure the OP realizes his aesthetic and mass deficiencies.

Not everyone will look like you, Scoob... http://forums.rxmuscle.com/image.php?u=938&dateline=1245790128

Still, cut it, tan it, have a perfect posing routine, and see where the chips fall.


That said, you can keep the current program in your files, but I'd suggest you take some of the good advice here and forget about cutting right now and just focus on building muscle.

Cutting might be the best thing. A rebound after a severe cut is a beautiful thing. :D Tre, have you ever cut?


Also, as stated by Hulk7280, I would definitely recommend doing some heavy lifting with real, basic exercises. Machines and the fancy stuff are great for the occasional 'break'

Heavy is a relative thing. Maybe he already is "doing some heavy lifting with real, basic exercises."

Ten sets of 3 reps on box squats sounds real to me.


Machines and the fancy stuff are great for the occasional 'break' or for your 'shaping' workouts

There's no such thing as a shaping workout. That's why you placed it in the single quotes, right?


spend the winter months moving real iron and you'll see results. Hell, that even works for an old schmoe like me.

Good luck.

X2 :beerbang:

[AnglicanBeachParty]

Point blank, you simply don't have the base. Your clavicles are way too narrow and there's no way for you to fix the fact that your shoulders are so close together.

I have this problem, too, and I realize that it severely limits what I will be able to accomplish. Still, competing forces me to be better than I would be otherwise.

Joshua, your pictures will come out looking better if you set the camera up higher. As low as you have the camera set for these shots, it is making your upper body look unnecessarily small. (Of course, that is closer to the angle that the judges would see you from, so maybe it was intentional on your part.)

[DAVIDHARDY]

Holy shit Curt, that's one hell of a reply lol. I agree with a lot of the criticsm and encouragement in this thread. I think that you shold wait to compete for a few reasons.

1- Even though you have plenty of time on your hands to prep, because you are unemployed, you are still unemployed and prepping takes money and you shouldn't waste it at this time. I'm not trying to insult you or tell you how to manage your life, but do you see what I'm saying? You don't want to have to skip rent like Kai did, because you damn sure aren't going to be getting paid like he did.
2- Since you don't have a job, stress is probably going to be a factor and you def don't want that at all. I know that there is no way that I could sucessfully prep with the stress of unemployment, but that's just me, maybe it really doesn't effect you the way it would me.
3- I think that you need to focus on putting on some more size before you consider competing again. A good clean bulk for at least another 6 months would be a very good option for you to consider.

Now with all that said, I don't believe that you should give up on competing alltogether just because of some small clavicles and lack of posing skills. The posing can be improved with practice and you should compete if that's what you want to do, but make sure that you look like you belong on the stage when you don the trunks. Don't just do it to say "Hey I'm a competitive bodybuilder". If you do decide to compete, which I don't recommend this year, then put your whole heart into it and bring the best package that you can possibly bring to the stage! With that said, you need to treat your offseason just as important as your pre contest regimin and pack some good muscle on!

I hope that you find help in my post and do not get sdiscouraged, because help is my intent, not discouragement or offensiveness.

[hulk7280]

Okay, never mind on the pics request.



Josh, if the technical workout keeps your interest - I'm betting you're a genius with an ADHD bent - then more power to you. Anything that keeps a person interested and motivated to hit the gym has got to be a good thing, barring injury, of course.



I don't think you're holding weight around your midsection as much as you possess wide hips with short clavicles and not much mass in the arms department. That's life. Doesn't mean you should not compete. That's utter bullshit. But I'd agree with hulk7280 that it's all about how you look and so I'd pass on competing this year.

Otoh, I applaud that you had the courage to step on stage. I'm 47 and have never competed. I'm a coward like Tre. lol



Kudos on the CSCS, too. Very cool.



Bodybuilding is for everyone, Tre. You should know that. Will everyone be aesthetically pleasing or possess the mass that is required to be clearly seen as an Olympia or Mr. Universe favorite? Of course not.



Definitely transference, imo. And I'm not attacking you, Tre, just as you're not attacking the OP.

Your choice or assessment of your own physique doesn't have to be his opinion of himself.



Has the OP's "dream" been addressed? I missed that.



Phil Heath has been slammed for having short clavicles. Tom Platz was always "bottom heavy". Many bodybuilders have no calves. Markus Ruhl criticized his own "lack" of triceps.

Is the OP in their league? No way, but where do you draw the line on who belongs on stage? I don't get those "competitors" who step on stage looking like bags of garbage. No color, not shaved, no posing routine practiced whatsoever, no conditioning, Wtf?

They just walk on stage and do a "most muscular" (cough) and then take their trophy for being the only person on the stage in their age class or weight class. GTFO!

But this guy was 7th of 10 at an NPC show. What he looks like in the pics in this thread don't have a direct connection to what he'll look like in 20 weeks.

And the hips are a bigger problem, from my perspective, than the clavicles.

http://forums.rxmuscle.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=29968&stc=1&d=1252007843
The hip structure determines the V taper and you have a big problem on that count.

I'd trade for narrower hips before broader clavicles.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v108/curt_james/BodySpace/MT09/br.jpg
Mother Nature can be a real b...



Agreed. Even the genetically gifted don't normally gain 20 lbs of lean tissue in a year, do they?

I'm sure the OP realizes his aesthetic and mass deficiencies.

Not everyone will look like you, Scoob... http://forums.rxmuscle.com/image.php?u=938&dateline=1245790128

Still, cut it, tan it, have a perfect posing routine, and see where the chips fall.



Cutting might be the best thing. A rebound after a severe cut is a beautiful thing. :D Tre, have you ever cut?



Heavy is a relative thing. Maybe he already is "doing some heavy lifting with real, basic exercises."

Ten sets of 3 reps on box squats sounds real to me.



There's no such thing as a shaping workout. That's why you placed it in the single quotes, right?



X2 :beerbang:
I never said he shouldnt compete.. i would never tell anyone not to compete.. if thats what they truly wanted to do.. i just gave him my two cents.. and yes he has wide hips.. and he holds a ton of fat around his waist!

and i was just saying he needs to give the box squats a rest and try doing real squats or some front squats.. and maybe some hacks or leg press instead of the jumping stuff he is doing.. thats more explosive type stuff is for power lifting and athletes.. not bodybuilders.. we want to look powerful.. not actually be powerful :)

[Curt James]

I never said he shouldnt compete.. i would never tell anyone not to compete.. if thats what they truly wanted to do.. i just gave him my two cents.. and yes he has wide hips.. and he holds a ton of fat around his waist!

That was directed at Tre who said "bodybuilding is not your thing" which I assumed was meant as a suggestion to not compete.

I don't know how much fat is there. I believe the appearance is not from a ton of fat, but the way his tissue drapes over the bone structure.

Bone structure is key.

[Tre]

That was directed at Tre who said "bodybuilding is not your thing" which I assumed was meant as a suggestion to not compete.

I don't know how much fat is there. I believe the appearance is not from a ton of fat, but the way his tissue drapes over the bone structure.

Bone structure is key.
I'm bad.

I mean, it seems like he really, really wants to be a competitive bodybuilder and it seems like he really, really thinks he qualifies for the title 'bodybuilder' already.

The problem is that, at 6-2, 213 lbs, he's smaller and less muscular than I am...and I'm a little guy with almost no muscle who just started working out a few months ago!

That's not a place to start preparing for a show, even on the beginner level. I'm saying he should pack on 15-20 lbs more at a minimum before even thinking about it.

I know that stripping his body down for 10-12 weeks would give him a nice anabolic boost on the back end, but he's gotta put on some more muscle first.

Not that this thread is about me (see pic), but I see so much of myself in him...it's scary. I don't have any triceps either!

I just don't want the kid to be disappointed, I guess. Maybe I'm not so bad after all and it's the rest of you enablers who are poisoning the young man's mind! ;)

I do wish him the best with the job search, though...that's far more serious.

[Curt James]

^Rockin the Species shirt. :bowdown:

[Joshua H]

WOW! That is all I can really say about the rapid and well though out responses I have got here so far. I will be the first to say that I thank everyone of you for the feedback and honest suggestions you have provided me with.

Most of what has been said has been said to me before by fellow competitors and close friends who follow the sport alike. So its nothing new on that front.

Let me clear up a few things real quick to give some insights....

I have done 4 shows before, between August 2003 and April 2006 I did 3 INBF contest and 1 NPC contest. I always placed midddle to bottom of my class (LHWT).

Nver did I think or do I think I will be a top notch bodybuilder, I just do not have the genes or the build/frame to make that happen. I spent far too much time in high school as a wrestler making weight and then 3 years in college doing Judo also making weight classes. I think that somehow trumped my true potential to get bigger as both my younger brothers are close to 280 at my height.....go figure??

I compete and choose to compete because I somply love the sport for what it is period. I am very competitive however and would not choose to enter a show to have the bragging rights of "bodybuilder" thats not my style. I want to be a good bodybuilder that people remember and look up to, not just "#5 who never places".

The remark on 20 solid pounds of muscle was taken wrong, or maybe I stated it wrong. By no means do I assume I packed on 20lbs of beef in 8 months as a natty. Not happening. I am just spitting out what my numbers have shown me via university/clincal standards of measurement for objective based assesment. My strength has truly sky-rocketed in the past 8 months so something is working no doubt about it.

As for my goals now with finding work and what not, I agree with many of you, my job search takes priority, mainly because without that I cant afford to diet and prep the way I need to prep.

As hard as I have been working to find a job (over 45 applications as of last week to jobs that actually have listed openings) I have had one interview so far.....really sucks ass big time! I still have 5 prospects to here back from this coming week for interview set ups, fingers crossed right??

Given my career and the demands it places on me physicaly I feel I need to look the part as well as talk the part. This is the prime reason I look to lean up a bit and tighten up. I will not likely be a 230lb guy with 18" arms but that wont stop me from trying to get there. Just because I am not bigger and stronger then the athletes I will be training does not mean I cant be a succesfull strength coach (most of the best ones now are not what we would call huge) but you must damn well better be able to demo everything your teaching if you want to hold your job, be it O-lifts, traditional powerlifts, agility drills, or bodybuilding type exercises.

I am still planning to lean out for now (tapper as I call it since its a not a hardcore cut with tons of cardio/thermos) when I get my abs back and hopefully get a job somtime very soon, I will better be able to estimate doing another show. As I said before, no date or time has been set for doing so, when I can make it happen I will get more selective.

But once more, to all of you, scooby and curt james inparticular, thanks for the words and suggestions!

[LuckyDog]

Josh - really nice perspective. Bodybuilding to me never is and never will be about having the perfect physique - its about the journey toward obtaining something as close as YOU can get. Perspective is key, the quest is wonderful if you realize your own limitations, remain realistic and then push to blow all of that out of the water. Kudos for having that perspective and appreciating well meant feedback.

Also kudos to everyone who laid it out there and told what they were seeing instead of blowing smoke up his ass. Shooting for the stars while grounded in reality may sound like an oxymoron but leveraged the right way can be very very empowering and how great people become fantastic!

[Joshua H]

Goes to show how helpfull and supportive most of the members of this message board are. The backgrounds and diversity everyone here brings to the table is helpfull and constructive which all leads to the benevolence of the members (such as myself in this case). Somtimes you have to be frank with people and say it like it is as long as its coming from a genuine concern for the persons short and long term goals.

This whole thread has been very supportive and constructive for me in that I have not got this much direct and well explained/reasoned feedback from anyone to date.

Wish I had more people like all of you around when I was in college first competeing....hindsight is always 20/20 of course.

[Scoobysnacks]

Josh - really nice perspective. Bodybuilding to me never is and never will be about having the perfect physique - its about the journey toward obtaining something as close as YOU can get. Perspective is key, the quest is wonderful if you realize your own limitations, remain realistic and then push to blow all of that out of the water. Kudos for having that perspective and appreciating well meant feedback.

Also kudos to everyone who laid it out there and told what they were seeing instead of blowing smoke up his ass. Shooting for the stars while grounded in reality may sound like an oxymoron but leveraged the right way can be very very empowering and how great people become fantastic!

Nice post. And to Josh, you are a level headed guy, so many people would have been like "f*** you all." I remember when I was 19 my dad who did bodybuild, told me, why you eating so clean its not like you are going to be a competitive bodybuilder; I was small underweight and to that point relatively lazy if something didnt come easy to me. But, that pissed me off internally, more than I think he knows, and maybe more than I realized at the time. From that point on I was like, bullshit, I will be, and Ill actually be good. So Josh, take our words as constructive, but also so you can shut everyone up, not in a bad way, but through your accomplishments.

I wish you luck in your job search its a tough market to get a job. And I think being leaner would actually help you once you do find a job to get that respect I think you are talking about from those you are teaching. I do recall your lean pics form your show and you look better leaner as your midsection streamlines much better. I think you will garner more respect in your field, which is why I was saying clean up the bodyfat and then see where things fall, which is what you seem to be doing.

Ss

[Joshua H]

I have reason to at least speculate that I am not geared to be much over 215lbs as I tend to get soft quick once I hit that mark or higher, I lose any traits of symmetry and balance as fat seems to find a nice layer of existance around my midsection and love handles. Despite eating clean 90% of the time and doing all the diet stuff right, keeping some level of cardio in my plan all year, I still get soft when trying to bulk too aggresively. However when I take a more conservative approach and eat more of a maintainence/bulk combo diet with a touch longer cardio sessions, I stay leaner and then display a more athletic look which I really like.

But yes, looking the part is the goal for now, when these job interviews start coming in soon I want to have that strong first impression via my looks, eye contact and handshake, that alone can be powerfull influences on people.

Also, I attached my slightly modified workouts, the diet is still above in post 1 so look there for that.

[Joshua H]

I wanted to get some feedback from ya all on how much 3 weekly jogs would hurt my progress in terms of strength sustainment. Research shows that pending the form and duration and frequency of the sessions as well as its relative timing to resistance training, it can and cannot hinder strength gains and muscle size. The factors above are the variables that dictate such events happening or not happening.

I ask because I know for sure at some point I will be required to take groups of teams for longer runs (2-3 miles) for regeneration days, I have had to do this in the past as well as a grad assistant for a wrestling team. I feel it would be to my benefit to at least stay up to par on this distance a few times a week to be sure I can hack it when a job comes along the line here (I hope).

Is 2-3 miles that bad (I would do it on days I dont touch weights).

Thoughts?

[DAVIDHARDY]

I stopped jogging a long time ago. It hurt my lower back and gave me chin splints, which didn't help me come back and leg day. Also, it's gonna burn up too much muscle(unless you're really putting away some food), a brisk walk would be better.

[Joshua H]

See thats how I see it, a long 2-3 mile walk at a good clip has the same effect cardio wise as a slower easy jog as I see it, hell, I can get my HR up to the mid 140s just power walking, dont see jogging being helpfull in keeping the knees, hips and ankles at 100% for leg day.

[DAVIDHARDY]

Yeah man, jogging is too hard on my damn joints that's for sure. I am missing cartlidge in my right knee really bad, so low impact is the way to go for me. Plus, jogging makes your body freak out and release too much cortisol, which I'm sure you know is terrible for fat loss. I like to walk and use the rotating stairs for my cardio. If I do run, it's usually in the offseason and I do HIIT for like 20-30 min with a 10ish sec sprint and 30 sec to a min walk rotation. I rarely do that and its even less common that I run hills, but I like doing that sometimes in the offseason too.

[Joshua H]

I guess HIIT might be my best bet then. I dabled with it for about 12 weeks earlier this year and I liked it but I seem to have a hell of a time keeping weight on when doing even 2-3, 25 minute sessions a week. I can do 3, 40 minute low intensity walks and be fine with weight and body comp.

[Joshua H]

2 weeks progress pics, 204lbs here.

http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z210/oregonpanthers/sept16a.jpg
http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z210/oregonpanthers/sept16c.jpg

Still on the same plan as listed in my first few posts.

PS.....Got an interview lined up for the position of fitness/wellness coordinator with Quad-graphics in Sussex Wisconsin on monday and then tuesday with RPI via phone inerview for the spot of assistant strength and conditioning coach in Troy, NY. I would die for either job so will see what happens!

[DAVIDHARDY]

How's it going? Did you decide if you are competing or just going to get a grip on your bodyfat?

[Joshua H]

Actually after some long in depth talk with some close INBF/WNBF competitors friends of mine I have been pursuaded to give powerlifting a show for the next couple years to sustain the strength I have built and bolster it further yet. Basicaly they feel I need to ride out my metabolism till it decides to slow down and let me put on lean muscle at a rate better then 13lbs in 3 years. I have to agree with them.

At 25 I am in no rush to compete just to compete. I am a very competitive person and going into any show with less then a 100% shot at winning does not sit well with me.

I am now going to shoot for one powerlifting meet every 3 months starting with early December this winter and throughout 2010. I am going to do the 198.25lb weight class. I am 200lbs even right now.

I have revamped my workouts, my cardio and my diet to better suit powerlifting training and competition performance.

Why fight a losing battle by trying to add mass on a frame that is not in any way ment to do so at this time? I love getting stronger every week and love having a goal with my training, now I have that again.

Right now my max lifts are at-

500lb dead
400lb parallel squat
261lb bench

On my 3rd week of powerlifting based training now. In the meet I hope to have-

520 dead
420 squat
270 bench

Perhaps a little conservative but I would rather be 100% realistic and succesfull in my first ever meet that fail and be turned off by the experience.

[DAVIDHARDY]

Good luck and good decision.