Believe to achieve - 2012/ 2013

[GazM]

Well, after a trip to the Nabba World Championships in Brazil this last week, as official bag man and tanner for 5th in the world of trained figure athletes, Linny Gartside ...she has shown me a whole new level of determination and drive in the quest of achieving our goals...and she is living proof that a person is only limited by the limitations we placed upon ourselves. If we believe, then we can achieve...hence i am starting this lil journal on my QUEST to achieve my goal of success in 2012/ 2013 competition.

Previous Comps:
2008 - Nabba Welsh Championships - 1st/ First timers.
2008 - Nabba British Finals - Did not place/ First timers.
2009 - Lakes Classic Open event - Did not place/ Inters.
2009 - Nabba Welsh Championships - 2nd/ Class 2 (173cm).
2009 - UKBFF North West Championships - 2nd/ Intermediates light heavies.
2009 - Nabba North West Championships - Did not place/ Class 2 (173cm).
2010 - UKBFF Welsh Championships - 1st/ Intermediates light heavies.
2010 - UKBFF British Finals - Did not place/ Inters light heavies.

I have been weight training since 2007, going from 140lbs to as i stand now at 234lbs. My goal is to get to the British finals and get a placing in the top 6, and build from there but as you can see from my above history, i have fallen way short once i have gotten to the finals, being totally oversized by my competitors. I step onstage at 188lbs at my heaviest thus far and against guys who are around 196lbs shredded minimum, even though my condition in the past has been pretty good, my size has let me down and i am lucky to even get a call out once i get to the big stage. My plan right now is currently to work with Skip in my off season (8 month into it) to get some much needed size to stand toe to toe with the best in my class and mix it up :club: and get myself a top 6 placing. I believe i have the conditioning potential to achieve this, and with SKip in my corner, i believe i can get that much needed size to my frame to step up to the plate...and with Linny as my inspiration, i keep myself positive and keep my eyes on the prize. I took a little set back recently in attending the British finals to support Linny as she became overal female trained figured British champion. I kept a close eye on the category i will be in, the class 2 men and saw that they were all weighing in at a minimum 210lbs and in awesome condition :eek2: ...so i am letting Skip and his knowledge guide me on if he feels i can make the necessary progress based on what he has seen from me thus far, in the next 6 months, to mix it up with those guys and be in with a shout, or delay my stage return for a further 6 months and aim for october 2012 or another year and May 2013. :decision:

So, the journal starts here, i have recently began DC training also and what an awesome change it has been. Only the past 5 weeks and already i can see a change. My strength is increasing with each session, :showoff: showing by the reps/ weight lifted and i love the variety each session offers.

So, all in all, i am looking to the future for positivity and success and to make TEAM SKIP proud of another of its members, just as we all are already proud of so many of you guys who have hit great success...onwards and upwards.

Believe to achieve guys

[GazM]

My main priorities on this off season are to bring up my back width and thickness and my arms. Both weak points for me. I have been deadlifting my ass off but found they were hitting more on my glutes and my hams as i have compressed a disc in my back previously doing these so find i am protecting my back by driving more with my legs. Due to this i switched to wrack deads, taking the bar to just below knee level and really found these started hitting my back and traps good, as long as i concentrated on the correct muscles i needed to utilize. I really do thinnk my thickness has come on well and am now working at bring my lats down closer to my waist to create that lat spread that has been lacking for me in the past. As for my arms, i have tried everything. Low volume, high volume, low intensity, high intensity, light weight high reps, high weight low reps, not training them at all, training them with other body parts, training them on their own, they just dont seem to budge. So now i am swtiching to DC traiing having read and heard some awesome feedback from this and will look to see if this can ignite some growth. WIll keep you posted.

[LG1]

Good luck man!

[GazM]

Cheers LG, really appreciate it. Love the feeling of being up there on stage knowing i've brought my best possible package and feel this year with a full off season and prep in Team SKip, it gives me my best chance. But alot of work to do yet eh.

[ch3v3ll3]

Good luck Gaz!

140 to 263 holy shit! Mind giving a breakdown on your training history, progress pics, etc. That's quite the transformation.

I'm working up from 140 as well. :llama:

[GazM]

Hey chevelle, the weight i am at now is 237lbs. I used to kickbox at under 140..sometimes i squoze down into 135lbs if i really smashed cardio and sweat before my fights. lol. Funny thing is, sometimes i look in the mirror and can't see any change...crazy but true.

I will route out some earlier pics from my first days of weight training. Lol. Thanks for your comments though my friend...they are greatly appreciated We do it cos we love it eh.

[GazM]

Weight has dropped this past week some 5 lbs. My water intake has risen so i find i am pissing alot in the night, and feel a little leaner so i am guessing (and praying) it is simply fluids.:rain:

Training is going well, DC is really switching things up for me. Have found half an inch growth on arms, one inch on quads and two inch on calves (thanks to the brutal short and sharp calves workout instigated by Linny Gartside...she is one insane muva chuffer!

Cardio is going well and with the high calorific intake, it feels a breeze :tread: (as opposde to the dieting cardio where i can hardly lift my feet)

Chest triceps and delts today...should be fun. :funnies:

[GazM]

Well, a cracking session yesterday:
Chest - Incline press machine for 4 warmup sets working my way from free bar up to 80 kg aside for 10 warm up reps. I then hit one rest pause set on a suitable weight (dont profess to be a strength man so i use 3 plates aside that does me suffiently). I hit 10 reps, then have a rest for ten deep breaths, then hit 5 reps with another ten deep breaths then hit 1 rep (and a half lol....before there was a cry for and my spotter Linny Gartside stopped the bar dropping on my head).

My second chest exercise was incline hammer press, three working sets followed by one straight set where i reached 13 reps. Next session on the hammer strength will be aiming for a minimum of 14.

Third chest exercise was unfortunately pec dec as all the benches were taken by dick heads using their mobile phones or chatting to their mates for ages between their sets, about where they were going to go this weekend and piss all their time and money up the wall (i am surmizing as i was very naggy at not being able to hit incline flies). Pec-dec was for three working sets and again one straight set to 12 reps. A total of three working sets on chest.

MOving on i hit behind the neck military press. Again three warm up set moving from free bar upwards to get a good flush of blood into the muscle before hitting one flat out set of 15 reps, adding 5 kg to the bar and hitting a rest pause set that went 9 reps, rest, 4 reps, rest, 1 rep...fried.

Moved onto rear dumbell flies to hit my rear delts. two warm ups as i was burning from the military press, and onto one working set where i managed 12 reps. Delts done.

Triceps to finish with. Close grip EZ bar press to start, with three warm ups as i like to get a feel for the movement and the weight increasing. Then onto one working set of a straight 13 reps to failure. My triceps had been worked with the pressing on chest and delts so i tend not to rest pause them, just straight out slam them. I then hit two warm ups on rope push downs and one working set to finish. And that is my DC style training for Chest delts and triceps.

Obviously the next session i switched the movements. I have three main movements for each muscle group and rotate around these each session, so next chest workout being tuesday, i will be hitting decline moves. Delts i will hit single arms dumbell pressing (something i have recently incorporated but really find it gives me the best pump of all delts exercises, and tricep i will hit something i believe skip has introduced, his own version of Skull Crushers, which brutalize even the hardiest of triceps. Lol.

Each session i aim to improve on the rep count hit the previous session, or if i hit 15 reps, i aim to add to the weight and hit a 12 rep count. Always moving upwards and forwards. I am currently utilizing a four day training week but with the working sets being minimal, my recovery is quick and it means i am ready to burn the muscle again within 5 days. DC definately seems to be giving me a bit of added thickness. My legs have improved an inch, calves two inches (one of my weak points) and my arms by half an inch within a 6 weeks period so i will keep check and see if they continue to progress. (this has all been between cycles too so hopefully on cycle, the recovery will be quicker and gains will be more fruitful.)

Till next time guys.

[GazM]

Bit of a hectic week for me last week finishing with a set of night shifts over the weekend. This is always a bit of an issue for me as i go from finishing early shifts on Tuesday, two days off and back in on Nights on friday which really throws my eating off sink. I woke on Friday morning at 10 am and basically dont sleep then for 24 hours, meaning my food bill for that day goes through the roof, but also that my body goes bezerk as it gets so fatigued as the night goes on, i will either lose a load of weight no matter how much i eat, or i will gain a load from water retention. Training is hard to negotiate over this period also, as i need a crane to drag me out of bed after my first sleep on Saturday morning.:yawn:

Anyways, Training was is as always on my current DC plan, a four day week monday (legs), Tuesday (back/ traps/ biceps), wednesday (off), Thursday (chest/ delts/ triceps) and Friday (legs). Training wise, was awesome, feeling strong in the gym, reps and weights always improving. I have currently spent alot of time away from my regular gym at 'Gymaholic' and have been using the new gym i have joined called DW. This is more of a corporate gym and a bit clean and nice but does the job when i have to train early morning. However, i have recently regotiated my time and moved back up to Gymaholic where i have a regular partner Dane (man mountain). THe gym is proper old skool run by Mair Roberts, a top female bodybuilder from the 80's and the gym encapsulates this. It is just where i need to be to really get the iron moving and in turn, my muscles thickening again. Get myself a bit lazy in the posh gyms. Lol. Get my ass kicked by Mair or Dane if i laze about in Gymaholic. Any mobile phones seen in the place get taken out of users hand (even mid call) and a heavy dumbell dropped on it (the new guys soon learn it is a costly text or phone call. Lol :hysterica:hysterica:hysterica

So, i digress....last week, weight dropped by 0.7lbs although since coming off gear and GH, as much as i have tried, my weight has declined slightly by 4 lbs over a period of 8 weeks. I am advised this is mainly probably due to the GH coming out and my body dropping water...also a trip to brazil and these dam shifts havent helped. But it is steadying out at this level, still pretty lean for 9 months into off season, abs still through (although a bit hazy). So currently the situation is, training DC style is rocking. Diet is still slammin good, not deviateing and it is just part of normal life now, whereas i had always thought clean eating off season was not possible. Plan is still good and focussing on COmpeting next year. Team skip all the way baby!

[shankuan]

Nice to see you finally got kicked in the butt to journal up...Linni can have that effect on anybody !

All the best in your journey, and with Crystal Balls man (only me and Linni can call him that...so don't you dare try it...:hysterica) in your corner, you can't go wrong!

[GazM]

Hey there, thanks for the comment... ;P

Well, i not sure exactly what to put in this journal...not sure on the content to be honest, so i just bimbling along, writing whats in me lil ole head. And i loving the inclusion of smilies too in case you hadnt noticed.

So, welcome ... ... to my journal and enjoy what ramblings and updates appear, and feel free to have an input. The more the merrier :jump:

[GazM]

Great weeks training completed. DC really kicking my ass but sign are showing that it is working, moreso in details right now than gaining, but i am clean and gaining the odd pound here and there.

MOnday started off with Legs:

*Front Sqats reaching 150 kg (322lbs) for a straight set of 15 and then a rest pause set of 8/ 5/ 3.
**Quad extensions for a stacked rest pause set (oh the burn :kitchen: )
***Standing hamstring curls finishing with a straight set of 14.
****Lunges with 35kg dumbells outside for three sets of 20 paces (crying and wimpering)
*****and finishing on calf raises (100's).

Tuesday was back, traps and biceps:

*Started with wide grip pull downs. A stright set on 125kg for 13reps and then finishing with weight wide grip chins on a rest pause of 8reps/ 5reps/ 2 reps.
**Underhand seated rows finishing on weight stack for 14 reps. Following by weight underhand chins for rest pause of 8/ 4/ 1.
***moved onto dumbells shrugs going up through the weights, starting at 40kg and finishing on 90 kg for the failure working set of 12 reps.
****Biceps was using close grip preacher curl. Working set was rest pause on 40kg bar. (i hate rest pause biceps...brutalizes them) 8/ 4/ 2.
*****Wide grip bar bell curls finishing on 40 kg bar for a straight working set of 12.

Wednesday was a lovely cardio and abs day.

Thursday - Chest, delts and triceps:

*Incline Barbel press 140kg finishing on Straight set of 12 reps and rest pausing an incline set of 60kg dumbels for 10/ 5/ 3.
** Incline dumbel flies with 35kg dumbels for one rest pause working set of 8/ 5/ 4.
***Delts was hammer press. One straight working set of 13 reps with 4plates aside.
****Rear delt dumbell raises, with a rest pause on 25kg dumbels for 10/ 6/ 4.
*****Lateral raises seated using one straight working set using 20kg for 12 reps (i hate these...they hurt so gooooord)
******Triceps was using EZ bar skulls. One rest pause working set of 10/ 6/ 3.
*******underhand grip push downs (yummy pain) for one straight set of 15 reps.

Friday - Legs (again )
*45 degree press with one rest pause set on 650kg. Rest pause being 9/ 5/ 4.
**Hack squats at 160kg for 1 straight working set of 12 reps.
***Quads extensions for one rest pause set of 10/ 6/ 3.
****Lying hams string curls on 100kg stack. Straight set of 13reps.
*****Cross body hams/ glute press for one straight working set on 100kg for 15 reps.
******Calves raises using heavy stack and hitting 100 reps rest pause mode.

All in all, a a great training week. I dont profess to be very strong but using the DC style training, i am always seeing gains and growth and well happy.

Diet is kicking ass and staying lean for ome in off season mode which feels great. Roll on next week, starting with Back traps and biceps