Bandit’s Contest Prep Log - 18 & 20 weeks out

Not something I pay much attention to. If I were to guess 2-3 mins between each set.
Arm day I typically keep a faster pace. Closer to 90 secs
Did you run this by your coach? My experience from others I have seen is that it's pure training for pump now. Weights lower now. Reps and tempo increasing. LISS is mandatory at length and practice with the final cutting drugs happen now for first show just to see what happens. Not a full on cocktail but just the basics like Lasix, carb loading and so on. Have seen guys competing for the TO open at my gym and spoken. Some use their first competition as a chance to learn everything at once some don't. It's up to this individual.

This is my first time I have read your thread and it looks like someone is guiding you amazing well in the nutrition and other aspects of a show. I feel confident that the cocktail the night before the show will go well as I am not seeing the tell tale "Rick Piana" and recent BS of bodybuilding. I am seeing the old tried and true last century way. Like Dorian. I distinctly remember him saying he went balls to the wall up to the last month where he changed to high reps. The last year he admitted he thought more was better and kept heavy while cutting hard. He paid his price.
 
You are looking amazing by the way. I apologize I did not lead off with that. The Christmas tree is coming along nicely!!! Keep going bro the light is at the end of the tunnel and when pre-judging is over the job is almost done. Hope your coach suggests chocolate for the carb shot. All the guys I know loved that aspect of it for the vascularity. Sugar water sucks after all that sacrifice.
 
Did you run this by your coach? My experience from others I have seen is that it's pure training for pump now. Weights lower now. Reps and tempo increasing. LISS is mandatory at length and practice with the final cutting drugs happen now for first show just to see what happens. Not a full on cocktail but just the basics like Lasix, carb loading and so on. Have seen guys competing for the TO open at my gym and spoken. Some use their first competition as a chance to learn everything at once some don't. It's up to this individual.

This is my first time I have read your thread and it looks like someone is guiding you amazing well in the nutrition and other aspects of a show. I feel confident that the cocktail the night before the show will go well as I am not seeing the tell tale "Rick Piana" and recent BS of bodybuilding. I am seeing the old tried and true last century way. Like Dorian. I distinctly remember him saying he went balls to the wall up to the last month where he changed to high reps. The last year he admitted he thought more was better and kept heavy while cutting hard. He paid his price.
My coach’s directions as of our last check in is as follows:

Training wise at this point I don’t want you doing any shaky reps, I don’t want you getting buried or failing main movements. I think you can even dial leg volume back on big fatiguing movements

Vague, but I’m mature enough to understand where the level of intensity should be at during this point in the timeline
 
I mostly modulate my training on my own however we often bounce ideas off eachother and he provides feedback/suggestions. We’re basically on the same page when it comes to training philosophy seeing as we’ve been working together for years. When we initially started working together he controlled it entirely. Overtime we’ve shifted away from that.

Mostly machine work. Some dumbbell work, rarely barbell exercises.
While looking through your videos i noticed what looked like a deadlift on the belt squat machine.
After seeing that, i am going to try this on days off when i get home. I use mine for rows and stuff, but never tried for deadlifts.
Learn something new everyday i guess.
 
While looking through your videos i noticed what looked like a deadlift on the belt squat machine.
After seeing that, i am going to try this on days off when i get home. I use mine for rows and stuff, but never tried for deadlifts.
Learn something new everyday i guess.
Highly recommend it. I was running barbell RDLs for a good chunk of my growth phase but realized I was smashing my entire posterior chain when in reality I needed to develop my hamstrings more than anything. The belt squat allowed me to make it a more stabile movement and stay locked in on my hamstrings. Without a doubt they grew better as a result
 
I’ve been meaning to update but let’s just say; lights are on but no one is home ! This week has been a dig & im feeling it physically but more so cognitively. I’d mark this as the first week that I’m feeling the prep.

Currently running the base plan with reduced cardio.

A good sleep in (8.25hrs broken up) as well as a day off work brought some life back to me. Definitely riding a high today.

Scale took another big drop, down to 189.0lbs.
Flat as shit but body looks a lot fresher than it did in previous days.

Had an awesome back session today. Even though log book is not the gospel, I’m still referencing it as a guideline/challenge. Today I was able to hold my ground with every exercise weight wise. Definitely lost a few reps here and there but no way I’m complaining about that.

Checking in with my coach tomorrow. I’ll share the check in pics sent off to him as well as any updates
 
3 & 5 weeks out.

187.6lbs
IMG_3721.jpegIMG_3720.jpegIMG_3722.jpeg

Coach's feedback is that he's happy with where conditioning is at this point, as well as the fullness I've maintained despite the big drop in scale weight over the past week.

He's feeding me up and reducing cardio across the next 2 days.

Cardio - 8K steps maximum. No gym cardio
Meals will be normal protein portions, 350g rice & 10g added fat. Post workout whey/cereal.

M1 - 200g chicken breast, 350g rice, 65g avocado

M2 (pre) - 200g chicken breast, 350g rice, 50g veg, 10g coconut oil

Intra - 25g HBCD, 15g EAA, 10g glutamine, 10g creatine

M3 (post) - 75g whey iso, 200g Rice krispies

M4 - 200g chicken breast, 350g rice, 50g veg, 10g coconut oil

M5 - 200g cod, 350g rice, 50g veg, 13g GF butter

M6 - 220g ground sirloin, 350g rice, 50g veg, 13g GF butter
 
Will you be removing the creatine?

For myself it really dose make me hold water/bloat. Some people say it adds water/volume only to the muscle but personally in my case thats bullshit unless its the purple k stuff from back in the day i used. Creatine mono males hold water the same as mk677 does.
 
Will you be removing the creatine?

For myself it really dose make me hold water/bloat. Some people say it adds water/volume only to the muscle but personally in my case thats bullshit unless its the purple k stuff from back in the day i used. Creatine mono males hold water the same as mk677 does.
I’ve been thinking about dropping creatine. It kind of skews some of my blood work markers and I don’t know if I’m really getting much out of it. That’s why I was curious if Bandit was including it.
 
3 & 5 weeks out.

187.6lbs
View attachment 103638View attachment 103639View attachment 103640

Coach's feedback is that he's happy with where conditioning is at this point, as well as the fullness I've maintained despite the big drop in scale weight over the past week.

He's feeding me up and reducing cardio across the next 2 days.

Cardio - 8K steps maximum. No gym cardio
Meals will be normal protein portions, 350g rice & 10g added fat. Post workout whey/cereal.

M1 - 200g chicken breast, 350g rice, 65g avocado

M2 (pre) - 200g chicken breast, 350g rice, 50g veg, 10g coconut oil

Intra - 25g HBCD, 15g EAA, 10g glutamine, 10g creatine

M3 (post) - 75g whey iso, 200g Rice krispies

M4 - 200g chicken breast, 350g rice, 50g veg, 10g coconut oil

M5 - 200g cod, 350g rice, 50g veg, 13g GF butter

M6 - 220g ground sirloin, 350g rice, 50g veg, 13g GF butter
Man he’s really feeding you up, carbs are pretty high. Your glutes are looking noticeably leaner yet still looking full.
 
Will you be removing the creatine?

For myself it really dose make me hold water/bloat. Some people say it adds water/volume only to the muscle but personally in my case thats bullshit unless its the purple k stuff from back in the day i used. Creatine mono males hold water the same as mk677 does.
I’ve been thinking about dropping creatine. It kind of skews some of my blood work markers and I don’t know if I’m really getting much out of it. That’s why I was curious if Bandit was including it.
That's not something thats come up in discussion yet. Or water manipulation in general for that matter.
I'm guessing that's something we'll test the waters with depending on what look the addition of winstrol and the heavy AIs bring on. Any water being held from creatine specifically will come off pretty quickly if I were to guess. probably a couple days. Same discussion with GH. I'll keep you guess posted, but I think its too early to say what kind of water manipulation will take place.
 
Man he’s really feeding you up, carbs are pretty high. Your glutes are looking noticeably leaner yet still looking full.
Yeah man, a lot of food going down the next two days. Hoping its the right call. Of course part of me is thrilled to get to eat, but I also look at where I'm at and know theres further to push. 2 meals down so far and digestion feels good. I'm experimenting with coconut oil today because I've read it digests very well compare to other oils. I've also decided to replace the GF butter I was going to do in meal 5 & 6 with 10g of fish oil instead.

Lastly, adding 15-20g sauerkraut to each meal.

As i've been mentioning in previous posts, digestion has been a little rocky. Hopefully these changes will steer it in the right direction.
 
That's not something thats come up in discussion yet. Or water manipulation in general for that matter.
I'm guessing that's something we'll test the waters with depending on what look the addition of winstrol and the heavy AIs bring on. Any water being held from creatine specifically will come off pretty quickly if I were to guess. probably a couple days. Same discussion with GH. I'll keep you guess posted, but I think its too early to say what kind of water manipulation will take place.
The water drop from creatine can take up to 2 weeks from my experience.
I meant to ask about the gh too, just forgot until after posting and then said forget it lol. The gh would have a better effect on fullness and vascularity than the creatine. If i was to keep one it would be the gh.
I guess we will wait and see what the coach decides.

Btw love the feathering on the outer quads now.
 
Update on digestion.

Obviously can’t say for certain, but I think the sauerkraut really saved my gut these last 2 days.

First day of loading food I was definitely a little bloated but not as bad as I had been. I had 1 good BM and maybe 2 partial ones

Second day I had atleast 5-6 good, solid bms and my GI feels nearly entirely cleared out. Still a little bloat in my stomach itself with the food volume but that’s to be expected.

Anyways, all I did was add 20g of sauerkraut to each meal. Moving forward I plan to keep it in but plan to limit it to a couple meals a day and/or as needed. By the end of the day the BMs actually started to get on the looser end.

I know that’s probably TMI for some people but it’s such a massive part of the sport whether it be prep or offseason, it’s worth documenting.

If anything, hope maybe someone can utilize it as a tool if they’re in the same scenario as I am.
 
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