A Burning Desire to turn Iron to Gold

**musclepump** · 05-14-2006, 05:38 PM

The sequel to MusclePump: Drinking from the Cup

After getting my ass-kicked at the second show I did last year, which was my second show ever, I told myself I was done bodybuilding. Not the training portion, but the competition side. Well, that was a lie. Shortly thereafter (a few good, big meals later) I committed to my training partner and myself that I would try the Ironman competition in September. It's a natural show, drug-tested, so there should be far fewer juicers on stage with me. And since last year I was in the Jr. Division, and now I'll be in the Novice Men's class, I'll need to hope that holds true. I'm 6-feet tall and I'll probably compete in the low to mid 160's. Not a big guy. But, I love competing, so here I am.

My diet starts tomorrow. I took some "Before" pictures a couple days ago and to be honest, looking at them (oddly the mirror doesn't give me the same thoughts) makes me ready for this. I ate like a horse the last year to try to put on any size I could for the next show, and it's definitely showing in my midsection. I feel like the old off-season Lee Priest. Not good.
But, I lost 42 pounds or so on my last diet, so I know I can lose the 39-41 I'll be needing to cut off this time.

Last time I cycled high/low/no-carb days. There's no way in hell I'm doing that this time. I'll stick with moderate to low carbohydrates, but the "No carb" days are out the window until it's closer to the contest.

I plan on starting my calories-per-day at 3,200 and see how that suits me. My baseline is just over 3,800 on average, so it should be a nice start. I'll gradually introduce cardio over the next couple of weeks, and eventually as I move on I'll use different Thermogenics. Probably Instone's Leanfire and Leanfire Inferno as I have those on hand.

I can't control the competition, but I can control me. I'm one-hundred percent dedicated to this. I guarantee--anyone reading this, my friends, my training partner, myself--that when I step on stage it'll be the best package I've brought to a bodybuilding stage. I'm quite likely to be the smallest guy up there, but it'll be the best I can bring. No second-guessing, no excuses. I will be the best I can possibly be.

Here we go.

**musclepump** · 05-15-2006, 04:50 PM

First day of the diet in full swing. I finished last night off with some cheese pizza and a Oreo McFlurry from McDonalds. I generally don't have either; in fact, couldn't remember the last time I had either, but being as I won't be eating anything remotely as tasty as that in the next 17 weeks, I figured it was best to just do it.

Anyway, so mostly today I'm sustaining on chicken and rice, still keeping the carbs up for now, but bringing my daily calorie intake to 3,200. A couple shakes are in the cards, two dishes of 1 Chicken Breast + 1 cup rice, protein puddings, etc... not so bad for now. I'm still trying to find the best times to eat certain amounts. I'm thinking my six meal breakdown is going to look like this while I'm at 3,200:

600 | 600 | 500 | 500 | 500 | 500

Ah, dieting. How I love/hate/loathe thee.

**musclepump** · 05-16-2006, 01:29 PM

I've been in the process of getting Invisalign braces. Today I got my first "aligners." I'm glad I'm starting my diet when I am, but if I was still trying to bulk... this would suck. It's a pain to take them out every time you eat, brush them, and put them back in.

**fUnc17** · 05-16-2006, 07:06 PM

Originally Posted by musclepump

I've been in the process of getting Invisalign braces. Today I got my first "aligners." I'm glad I'm starting my diet when I am, but if I was still trying to bulk... this would suck. It's a pain to take them out every time you eat, brush them, and put them back in.

Yea, invisiligns suck, i had them. Good luck with the dieting, looks like you got your shit in order.

**musclepump** · 05-16-2006, 09:38 PM

Originally Posted by fUnc17

Yea, invisiligns suck, i had them. Good luck with the dieting, looks like you got your shit in order.

Thanks man.

Yeah, wearing the aligners is a pain in the ass... but for straight teeth, gotta be worth it

**musclepump** · 05-16-2006, 11:01 PM

Mmm shrimp tonight. Sure beats chicken

**musclepump** · 05-18-2006, 09:09 AM

About 201 this morning.

**musclepump** · 05-19-2006, 02:04 PM

Still 201

**musclepump** · 05-20-2006, 12:13 AM

Good leg workout today. Squats were just as heavy as usual, deadlifts were slightly off, but I think that attributes to having tried a new hamstring exercise beforehand. Oats for breakfast, PWO shake and a half hour later a berry smoothie (280calories), top eye of round 2oz patties throughout the day, closed the day out with chicken and a casein shake. Bed time!

**musclepump** · 05-20-2006, 07:35 PM

200

**musclepump** · 05-21-2006, 09:03 AM

199

**musclepump** · 05-23-2006, 08:26 PM

Already starting to get sick of eating the same foods over and over. It ain't gonna be pretty for the next 15 weeks.

**musclepump** · 05-24-2006, 01:48 PM

198

**musclepump** · 05-25-2006, 10:51 PM

My wife says she doesn't feel well, so she has me go get ICE CREAM FOR HER! Asking a contest-dieting man to go get ice cream is like asking a runner to chop off his own foot. Triple Brownie Chocolate will be in my dreams tonight.

**musclepump** · 05-28-2006, 11:59 PM

Missed a meal watching Gracie get his ass beat by Hughes... bah!

**musclepump** · 05-29-2006, 10:40 AM

195 this morning after some stomach pain last night that kept me up awhile. Yucky.

**musclepump** · 05-30-2006, 01:00 PM

Good workout today. Only real change so far in my workouts is that for my 8-12 and 12-15 sets I was using the 90lb barbell instead of the 100 and 110. That may just be from a lack of sleep last night, hopefully not a loss of mass.

Been eating a lot of sushi lately. Mmm.. a lot of carbs, so I try to keep it early in the day.

**musclepump** · 05-31-2006, 01:47 PM

195

**P-funk** · 05-31-2006, 06:14 PM

you drop 40lbs for competition? what BF% are you at 200lbs?

Also, at 15 weeks out, you don't have to be eating the exact same stuff everyday. no need to suffer that long. watch your calories and eat clean and let the pounds come off.

**musclepump** · 05-31-2006, 07:10 PM

Originally Posted by P-funk

you drop 40lbs for competition? what BF% are you at 200lbs?

Also, at 15 weeks out, you don't have to be eating the exact same stuff everyday. no need to suffer that long. watch your calories and eat clean and let the pounds come off.

I don't get my bodyfat done off season. I'm just fat

I don't find a whole lot of different foods clean enough to be considered diet food. So I basically just fall right in line once the diet starts.

**P-funk** · 05-31-2006, 07:11 PM

what does your training routine look like?

any cardio yet?

**musclepump** · 05-31-2006, 07:27 PM

Originally Posted by P-funk

what does your training routine look like?

any cardio yet?

Monday - Off
Tuesday - Chest, biceps, triceps, Calves
Wednesday - Abs
Thursday - Legs, Calves
Friday - Abs
Saturday - Off
Sunday - Back / Shoulders

Generally I'm hitting anywhere from 6-10 sets per bodypart, sticking with heavy weight, 15 at the highs and 8 at the lows.

Only doing cardio twice a week as of now for a half hour, just breaking into it. I like to gradually get into cardio because I hate it so grandly.

**musclepump** · 06-02-2006, 09:28 AM

About 193 this AM

**musclepump** · 06-02-2006, 10:54 AM

Mmm... Muscle Milk for breakfast. Now that's good stuff.

**musclepump** · 06-03-2006, 08:42 AM

Did Photography at a wedding for a friend last night (an IFBB pro, ironically), and things were so hectic I didn't eat for about 8 hours... I was so hungry I thought I was going to fall over and die. That was rough! With nothing in me, I was about 191 this morning.

**musclepump** · 06-09-2006, 11:38 AM

192

**musclepump** · 06-10-2006, 09:41 PM

Safeway just had a bonzer deal on steak. I stocked up. Fuck this chicken stuff. Steak for at least a week! It'll be a nice break already.

**musclepump** · 06-13-2006, 12:02 PM

190

Losing too much weight, adding more calories back in.

**musclepump** · 06-13-2006, 10:47 PM

I've been eating highly salted Round Tip steak for the last few days, and I'll probably eat it consistently for the next couple of weeks. I overcooked some chicken a couple of days ago and have major taste aversion to it now. That's not good at all this early in the diet.

So anyway, I'm good with the steak as I don't have a family history at all of cholesterol problems and low carbs/higher fat diets work well for me with keeping the protein up; I've always steadily packed on the fat with high carbs. So, hopefully this will work out. I need to start adding more vegetables; so far I just have the frozen broccoli and canned corn... I need to get on the fresh stuff.

**JerseyDevil** · 06-14-2006, 07:40 PM

What kind of weights are you using? During this cut, are you using anabolics?

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