Journey Through 2016

[The Solution]

The mind is a powerful tool! Don't need carbs to train hard.

[Joshua H]

The mind is a powerful tool! Don't need carbs to train hard.

300mg caffeine, 400mg green tea extract, 7.5mg yohimbine hcl also help I am sure of it!

I would not dare to say I was truly even glycogen deprived anyway given that what I ate 24 hours prior still attributes to the muscles pre workout glycogen stores, not just day of. Now had I done this 2-3 days in a row......I KNOW for a fact I would have been dragging ass!

I guess the unique part is that even after leading 3 group x classes earlier where I would need carbs to rebound from in most cases........still did not impact me much at all. That's the kicker.

[Joshua H]

10 weeks down, 10 weeks to go. shots from this am.

190lbs, 10% were the stats. kcals and macros staying the same as is cardio. down 1.3lbs so no need to change as i see it now.

great week of training again. dragging as a bit yesterday but the 4.5 hours round trip drive to and from LA from SD likely played a role in that. 6 hours sleep friday night also lead to some if it yesterday im sure. legs felt heavy mostly all day yesterday. had an amazing visit to venice beach golds gym and firehouse afterwords which are all on video in my youtube channel so go see that if you want to. i have made the pilgrimage at last! what a weekend!

[The Solution]

Seperation in your shoulders/arms looking better.

[Joshua H]

getting some not so positive but brutally honest feedback from some nattys i respect well over on t nation about not having the needed upper body size to do well or at least place well in MPD even for a natural and tested show. when 4-5 seasoned guys with stage experience and success like these guys have its hard to just ignore it as well.

trucking on and trying not to get distracted too much.....

[The Solution]

T nation is also full of non natural individuals comparing apples to oranges
there is a lot of bro science on those boards pushing the bio test products
not a big fan of that page .

Size wise for for ojysique if you nail the conditioning if the judges are looking for it you will place well

[Joshua H]

been told just the same yes. most the guys giving feedback i have met or have met someone vouching for others giving input. well known names in the natty game.

i value other natty org competitors feedback good and bad. always have. more so if i know them personally.

but yes.....9 weeks to go, things clicking well. could not ask for anything to be different right now. staying the course and moving onward full steam ahead.

adding in 1 weekly re-feed meal every 6 days now as of last week. with carbs avg 210 a day over the whole week on my daily activity levels for work and training i cant stay that low all week for another 9 weeks. weight will surely stall as it has in past preps. jason was good at seeing that and even mark was onto as well. mark had me do refeed meals, giant carb ups before bed 1x a week where as jason had me do a perhaps bigger re-feed but over the whole day vice a meal. in the end i think its the same outcome......weight loss continued week to week using them correctly.

[Joshua H]

9 weeks out yesterday. Weigh in this morning had me at 188.5lbs. 1.5lb drop in a week so not bad. Not dropped calories in 4 weeks now and still leaning up and no drop in gym progressions at all. Love it!

Just got back home to WI on leave for my brothers wedding week as well as a best friends bachelor party and my own 32nd birthday (tomorrow!). Talk about a hard time to be dieting for a show right! Not really...... once I flip the switch as in past preps, the choice is made, nothing distracts me enough to give in and break on diet. Its only 9 more week I keep saying. Foods will always be there after the show. For now, success on the stage is worth more than any 1 meal would be for 15-20 minutes. I take shit for it yes, most of it in good fun but it comes none the less. My aunt, mom and cousin already have called and asked if they can make me a carrot cake for my birthday as they know I love all of their homemade recipes. I hate having to turn it down as they enjoy making it for me and seeing me have it but again, if I let every little offer or chance slide, this 9 days vacation would set me way back in progress.

Since this past Saturday through the 12th I wont have to deal with any extra work based cardio classes at all so this will be a nice week to really go hard in the gym with only my 2 intentional 30 minute HIIT sessions to focus on.

What you guys thinking so far, you seeing the same thing I am as weeks count down? I feel good and think I see objective progress in scale and in physique but again, as my own coach, hard to stay 100% objective.

[The Solution]

Midsection and low back are shredding up.

[Joshua H]

8 weeks out this past Saturday. 187lbs. spent 9 days back home with family in WI and it was amazing! 2 birthdays (my 32nd), 2 bachelor parties and 1 wedding in that time. Crazy busy but fun as hell. Got all my workouts and cardio sessions in perfectly. In fact not having work demands in there was a treat as my recovery really took a nice rebound with some added sleep and less cardio stresses. Diet was spot on with 2 refeeds and not 1 cheat other then 2 glasses of amazingly good red wine on wedding day for my brother's wedding celebrations.

Pics from Saturday morning.





Still doing 4 meals a day as have been since 12 weeks out when cals got dropped to under 2800 a day.

Macros as follows for the week since yesterday:

lift days: 240p, 175c, 50f (-15g carb from last 2 weeks)
cardio only days: 240p, 100c, 60f (-25g carb from last 2 weeks
6th day re-feed: 190p, 500c, 30f (no change)

~75% of my days carbs are ingested post workout now in my after workout meal. the rest is trace carbs in my other 3 meals. fats i keep low to none in post lift meal as well. other meals get more fats. protein spread out evenly at ~60g in all 4 meals.

[Joshua H]

Did some shit to my right external oblique and/or QL muscle on Friday or even Thursday as it got tight an tender by Friday evening and real tight all day Saturday. Been like that since and still annoying today. The 2 hour bus ride and 4 hour flight home to San Diego did not help keeping it loose for sure. Not sure what did it as nothing in my workouts last week jumps out as the culprit?

I did do single leg bulgarian split squats and single leg bb RDL's as new movements this week in leg day and back day respectively but loads were mild and it was a deloading week so intensity was mild, form was spot on and nothing was overkill. Not sure.......maybe even the bed change I slept it did something to my hips for all I know. Crazy how much sitting and standing was impacted by a simple stiff/tender muscle that stabilizes the pelvis and spine! Not been able to deadlift or free squat since Wednesday last week as it just feels too risky to load up heavy and do more damage then good. More so at 8 weeks out now. Been doing machine based squats, leg press variations, trap bar deads etc.....to keep direct loads off the back and minimize loaded hip flexion/extension movements for now.....dont want to omit them for too long either.

Today session.....

first lift back in SD at 24 hour fitness in 9 days.....

7 minute cardio warm up.....dynamic movements, foam rolling for back.....

free motion squats, medium stance
4x15,13,11,9

horizontal hoist calf press machine
3x15

angled leg press, high and wide stance with 5s eccentric
3x15

donkey calf press
3x15

single leg horizontal leg press machine
3x13 each

BFR leg extensions and seated leg curls
4x20,15,15,15 each

18 minutes of post lift cardio, 6m bike, 6m incline walk, 6m elliptical, HR between 140-155

10 mins post lift stretching.......done!

[The Solution]

Getting tighter. Keep grinding.

[Joshua H]

Today's rundown....

45-minute ruck march class lead at 10am today


530-7pm

upper pull day:

hammer ground based deadlifts

2 pps x12 for 2 sets
3pps x10
4pps x8 for 3 sets

wide lat pull downs to chin with iso pause at bottom
6x8

chest supported tbar row
4x8

hammer high low row
3x8

pull over machine ss with smith shrugs
4x12 each

machine incline bicep curls
3x12

machine preacher curls
2x15

butterfly crunches
4x30


That's a wrap for today folks. Back held up pretty well. Im going belted during every workout as a precaution for further aggrevation of the right low back.

[Joshua H]

cardio day only yesterday, 40 mins gauntlet as always.....

today:

35-minute track run for work at 11am....

6pm chest and shoulders......had training buddy justin tonight.....loved it!

5 min bike warm up, 10 mins dynamic movement....

incline machine bench
2x15 warm ups

decline bench
4x12-8 pyramid

incline db bench with supinated press motion
3x8

hammer iso laterl press
2x8 negatives only + 1 set burn out drop set to failure 15+ reps

seated free motion shoulder press
3x10 + 1 drop set to failure 12+ reps

rear cable fly ss with seated plate front raises
3x12 each

free motion cable fly: i go, he goes, i go, he goes, changing angle each set
1x12 high to low, mid, low to high, 2 rounds through, 6 sets total

db laterals ss with kettle bell high pull
3x15 laterals / 7 reps of high pulls with fast pull up, slow eccentric down

abs:
1x20 each as a circuit:

dead bug
single leg drops
butterfly crunch
bicycles

5 minutes recumbent bike cool down

[Joshua H]

Todays lift session:

Legs!!!


5 min stepper warm up, hip mobz, dynamice warm ups.....

1x20 leg extensions, leg curls, inner/outer thigh machine

all sets stopped 1 rep shy of total failure tonight.....more for volume and TUT hitting many angles vs sheer intensity and load. legs a bit recked yesterday from ruck run.


triplex: all 3 in a row for sets then added weight and dropped reps next set

machine deep front squats x15, 12, 10
angled high and wide leg press x15, 12, 10
free motion close stance angular back support squat x15, 12, 10

hoist supine leg press:
2x20 burn out sets

single leg press machine
2x15per leg

seated calf presses
3x15 + 10 sec iso stretch after last rep all sets

prone leg curls
2x15

single leg standing leg curl
2x15 per leg

single leg extensions
3x12 with iso hold at top of each rep

6 minute recumbent bike cool down, foam roll, done! 90 minutes, drenched in sweat! felt damn good! more so in that i was dragging a bit coming in tonight. great way to end it! refeed day tomorrow!!

7 weeks out tomorrow as well! stay tuned for stats check in and pics.